Leading Under Pressure with Rebecca Lowe

The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant

Vox Media Podcast Network

August 6, 2026

Show Notes

What does it take to stay calm when millions are watching? Rebecca Lowe, the host of NBC’s Premier League coverage and Fox’s record-breaking 2026World Cup broadcast, joins Brené Brown and Adam Grant to explore why preparation—not confidence—is her real superpower; the weight of being one of the only women in the room; and what it really means to lead when things get chaotic. Together, they unpack the difference between presence and preparedness, the “permission slip” moment that defines great leadership, and why the loudest person in the room isn’t always the one in charge. Along the way, Rebecca reflects on breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry, how she earns trust from personalities like Zlatan Ibrahimović, and the teachable habit she uses to keep her co-hosts focused on live TV.

The Return of Coach Lasso – NBC Sports, 2014,YouTube

Nessun Dorma, Rome 1990 – Luciano Pavarotti, 1990, YouTube

DoubleStandards for Competence – Martha Foschi, 2000,Annual Review of Sociology

"Executive Presence" Is Overrated – Adam Grant & Brené Brown, 2025,Instagram

EntrepreneurPassion and Preparedness in Business Plan Presentations – Xiao-Ping Chen, 2009,Academy of Management Journal

BeyondNine to Five – Lieke ten Brummelhuis, 2017,Academy of Management Discoveries

Building atomic habits with James Clear – Adam Grant (Host), July 21, 2023,ReThinking with Adam Grant

CanYour Employees Really Speak Freely? – James Detert, 2016,Harvard Business Review

TrailblazingMotivation and Marginalized Group Members – Karren Knowlton, 2025,Organization Science

Bullet Time Effect in "Sherlock" the BBC TV Series – Moffat & Gattiss, January 14, 2014,BBC/YouTube

Conversational Style – Deborah Tannen, 2005,Oxford University Press

WhoWon't Shut Up in Meetings? – Adam Grant, 2021,The Washington Post