Thought Sparks

Rita Gunther-McGrath

Thought Sparks are the brainchild of Rita McGrath. They are insightful actions, strategic ideas, actionable suggestions and innovative approaches that help organizations and leaders master the future with less fear and more confidence.
New episodes of the Thought Sparks Podcast are released every other Tuesday at 11am Eastern.

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S6 · E38
Tuesday · 58 min
Plastic, Pollution & Power: Beth Gardiner on Who's Really to Blame
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Beth Gardiner, journalist with bylines in National Geographic, the New York Times, the Guardian, the Washington Post, and Scientific American; and author of the new book Plastic Inc.: The Secret History and Shocking Future of Big Oil's Biggest Bet. 0:00 Intro & Welcome 1:06 How the Book Idea Came About 6:50 The Fossil Fuel Industry's Pivot to Plastic 10:06 The History & Growth of Plastic Production 12:30 Recycling as a PR Tool 17:55 Keep America Beautiful & the Crying Indian 21:38 How Plastic Crept Into Our Lives 25:07 The Economics of Cheap Plastic 29:19 Diane Wilson vs. Formosa Plastics 35:48 The Recycling Symbol & Its Misuse 38:55 Lawsuits & Corporate Accountability 44:16 Fast Fashion & Plastic in Clothing 46:13 Cancer Alley & Fence-Line Communities 50:36 The Ozone Layer Parallel & Policy Solutions 54:10 Extended Producer Responsibility 57:21 Closing & Wrap Up Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books, and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E37
September 15 · 58 min
The Transformation Economy with Rita McGrath and Joe Pine
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Joe Pine, management advisor and author of the new book The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to Achieve Their Aspirations. Joe shares insights into the transition from the experience economy to the transformation economy, and why customers want change, not stuff. 0:00 Intro & Welcome 0:21 Meet Joe Pine: The Transformation Economy 1:28 Origins of the Experience Economy 3:02 The Rise of Coaching & Why Now 6:27 The Economic Hierarchy: Commodities to Transformations 7:00 From Tangible to Intangible Assets 8:54 Understanding What Customers Truly Want 12:27 The Four Types of Transformation 15:02 The Transformation Framework: Scale & Kind 17:16 Rethinking Competitive Advantage 20:27 Time Well Saved, Spent & Invested 22:12 Friction in Experiences & The Modern Love Column 25:05 Generational Shifts in Valuing Experiences 30:49 Nudging Companies Toward Customer-Centricity 33:25 Disneyland: Making Dad the Hero 35:06 Real-World Experience Fails: Hotel & Passport Stories 39:28 The Real Purpose of Business: Human Flourishing 43:22 The Global Food Economy & Pricing Paradoxes 47:23 The Coffee Progression: 5¢ Beans to $8 Latte 49:16 Surprises from 30 Years of Research 52:11 Paying for Outcomes: Texas State Technical College 55:43 AI & The Future of Outcomes-Based Economy 57:58 Wrap-Up & Closing Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books, and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E36
September 8 · 57 min
The Science of Better Leadership with Rita McGrath and Caroline Webb
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Caroline Webb, former McKinsey partner, leadership coach, and economist. Her new book, Leadership Intelligence, which is available on September 8, gives practical strategies for leaders facing 21 everyday management challenges. 0:00 Welcome to Thought Sparks 0:24 Meet Caroline Webb 1:21 Experiential vs. Deliberate Wisdom 3:04 How the Book Came to Be 10:27 The Three-Part Structure: How We Think 12:57 The Brain's Reward System: Competence & Connection 17:23 The Brain's Threat System & Resilience 19:58 Absorbing Uncertainty: Know, Be, Do 26:00 Staying Calm Under Pressure: The ABC Routine 27:57 The Readiness Reframe: Channeling Anxiety 29:59 Preparing Before Key Moments 31:00 The Positive No 36:51 Fix Flex: The Art of Delegation 40:17 The Leadership Pipeline & Managing AI Agents 41:48 Difficult Conversations: Layoffs & Underperformance 45:08 Compassionate Clarity 45:36 The Arc of a Coaching Engagement 50:21 Common Themes in Senior Leaders 53:56 Loneliness at the Top & Building Networks 56:09 Wrap-Up & Where to Learn More Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books, and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E35
September 1 · 55 min
Leadership in an Age of Polycrisis with Rita McGrath and Caroline Stokes
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Caroline Stokes, author of AfterShock to 2030: A CEO’s Guide to Reinvention in the Age of AI, Climate, and Societal Collapse, and member of the Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2026. 0:00 — Cold Open: The Trust Crisis in CEO Leadership 0:26 — Welcome to Thought Sparks & Introducing Caroline Stokes 2:10 — The Brian Thompson Assassination: Why It Opens the Book 6:21 — Why the Book Is Digital-Only & CEO Reading Habits 8:10 — The Trust Gap: Organizations Making People Sick 12:20 — LSE Research: Doughnut Economics & Post-Growth Practices 15:15 — Why "Aftershock": Polyvagal Theory & CEO Behaviors 19:11 — Carlota Perez: Turning Points in Capitalism 22:03 — NVIDIA's Fluid, Mission-First Organization Model 25:55 — Mea Culpa & Tabula Rasa: Reinventing Yourself as a Leader 31:07 — Radical Listening: The Human-to-Human Approach 34:39 — The PlayStation Backward Compatibility Story 36:30 — AI-Enabled Radical Listening & the DOGE Example 38:21 — NVIDIA's Top Five Things & Stochastic Sampling 41:01 — Getting Started: Finding Your Mission & Purpose 45:43 — Corruption, Shareholder Theory & the Need for a Reset 48:12 — Caroline's Personal Shocks & Living Abroad 49:53 — Advice for Younger People 54:26 — Where to Find the Book & Closing Remarks Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books, and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E34
August 25 · 55 min
Designing Meetings that Matter with Rita McGrath and Rebecca Hinds
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Rebecca Hinds, Head of the Work AI Institute & Director of Thought Leadership at Glean to discuss her new book Your Best Meeting Ever. 0:00 Intro & Welcome 0:13, Meet Rebecca Hinds 0:58, Rebecca's Journey Into Meeting Research 3:45, Meetings as Status Symbols & Power Dynamics 6:36, Meetings as a Product: Design Principles 7:33, Cutting Meeting Debt: The Meeting Doomsday 9:52, Return on Time Invested (ROTI) 13:42, The Four D CEO Test for Meetings 15:02, Bezos One-Way Door Decisions & Law of Triviality 18:13, Decision Fatigue & The Importance of Breaks 20:13, Amazon's Six-Page Memo Practice 26:05, Using Verbs in Agenda Items 27:11, Alan Mulally at Ford: Meetings That Drive Action 31:08, In-Person vs. Hybrid Meetings 38:51, Ensuring Diverse Perspectives Are Heard 45:48, AI's Role in Improving Meetings 47:27, Surprises Since the Book's Publication 50:14, Meeting Budget & Optimal Meeting Hours 53:43 Where to Learn More & Closing Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books, and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E33
August 18 · 1 hr 4 min
Developing a Marketing Mindset with Rita McGrath and Rory Sutherland
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Rory Sutherland, vice chairman of the Ogilvy & Mather group of companies and expert in behavioral science and creativity. Their conversation took place in person at the Ogilvy offices in London. 0:00 The Marketing Mindset 0:29 Welcome & Introducing Rory Sutherland 1:10 Rory's Path into Advertising 2:11 Direct Marketing & A/B Testing Origins 3:01 Edwardian Era Newspaper Experiments 4:18 Testing Creative vs. Price 7:23 Discovering Behavioral Science 10:08 Marketing as a Way of Thinking 11:05 Uber & the Psychology of Innovation 12:23 Marketing & Innovation: Two Sides of a Coin 13:45 The Austrian School of Economics 14:46 The Swiss Watch Industry 17:21 Public vs. Private Advertising 18:50 What Are You Really Competing With? (Zippo) 22:16 Quarter-Inch Holes & Hidden Value 24:10 Trade-offs in Innovation 27:27 Austrian Economics & Value Creation 28:47 Baumol's Cost Disease & Non-Transactional Value 31:23 Universities as Luxury Goods 34:32 Ogilvy Adapting to Digital Change 37:48 The Marketing Mindset for All Businesses 40:02 Symbolism Matters: NASCAR Tickets & Corporate Perks 41:47 Risk & Reward in Organizations 42:54 The BT A/B Test: Channels Affect Purchases 47:33 Marketing Genius: James Watt's Horsepower 50:11 Marketing as Value Creation 51:18 The Citibank Demo: Finding the Real Sell 53:50 Kano Theory: Delighters & the DoubleTree Cookie 55:48 Reverse Benchmarking 58:05 The State of Advertising Today 59:27 Book Recommendations & Risk Aversion 1:03:45 Marketing Metrics & Digital Platforms Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books, and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E32
August 11 · 58 min
Leading with Humanity with Rita McGrath and Kevin Nolan
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, hosts Kevin Nolan, CEO of GE Appliances, who talks through Haier’s acquisition of GE Appliances, and his advice for leaders facing massive transformations. 0:00 - Intro: Can you choose between growth and profitability? 0:27 - Meet Kevin Nolan, CEO of GE Appliances 1:40 - GE's long history of wanting to divest the appliances division 2:47 - The Haier acquisition — and the surprise of who bought them 5:55 - First meetings with Haier: "salad management" and philosophy over business 8:37 - "We don't plan to learn. We plan to win." — The GE mindset 10:14 - Culture shock: Haier kept asking, "What do YOU want to do?" 16:55 - The concept of "leading goals" — goals you don't know how to achieve 19:25 - Kevin becomes CEO: setting the bold goal of #1 in 5 years (from #5) 25:12 - Introducing FirstBuild: GE's open, consumer-driven innovation engine 34:06 - The nugget ice story — and why engineers don't understand customer needs 39:37 - FirstBuild's secret sauce: it must be self-funding (zero-cost innovation) 44:40 - From #5 to #1 in 5 years — with no acquisitions and no new people 48:51 - CEO humility: going to the factory floor unannounced 59:15 - Final advice: rely on the people closest to the work Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books, and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E31
August 4 · 38 min
Lessons from Three Decades at Columbia Business School
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Bill Klepper, Academic Director in Executive Education at Columbia Business School, to celebrate Bill’s retirement and reflect on his expertise in executive learning, strategic leadership and corporate governance. Their conversation took place at Columbia Business School, following a session of Rita McGrath's Executive Education course Leading Strategic Growth and Change. 00:00 Introduction 01:03 Meet Bill Klepper 02:03 The Origin of The CEO's Boss 06:25 Why Board Governance Matters 06:58 The Lifeline Exercise 08:06 Bill's Lifeline: Early Values 12:29 Path to Public Office 15:06 The 9/11 Story 18:31 Learning Styles Framework 24:08 The Integrative Leadership Model 30:39 Legacy and Wisdom 32:38 Strategic Centering 33:15 Audience Q&A 38:18 Closing Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books, and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E30
July 28 · 55 min
How Organizations Can Win with AI with Rita McGrath and Charlene Li
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Charlene Li, author of author of Groundswell, Open Leadership, and The Disruption Mindset, and a new book, written with Katia Walsh: Winning with AI: The 90-Day Blueprint for Success. 0:00 - Introduction & Meet Charlene Li 1:35 - Charlene's Upbringing in Detroit 4:14 - Introducing Winning with AI 7:34 - Strategy First, Not "What Do We Do About AI" 8:56 - Three Ways AI Creates Value 12:43 - The AI Hesitancy Gap: FOMO vs. FOGI 13:40 - Why a 90-Day Blueprint 18:53 - The Grief and Rage Behind AI Disruption 24:52 - Why AI Pilots Fail 28:43 - Building an AI Investment Portfolio 31:46 - Trust, Honesty, and Fairness in Leadership 39:04 - How AI Gave Charlene Her Voice 41:24 - Speed as the New Competitive Moat 44:22 - Goldilocks Governance 49:01 - Lessons from Burning Man's Mudpocalypse 53:04 - Becoming Superhuman with AI Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books, and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E29
July 21 · 54 min
Achieving Real Business Growth with Rita McGrath and Victor Grizzle
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Victor Grizzle, CEO and Executive Chairman of Armstrong Industries, to speak candidly about the massive transformation he led at Armstrong, inspired by McGrath’s work on growth outliers. 0:00 Introduction 0:46 Victor Grizzle's Career Journey to Armstrong 5:31 The Growth Outliers Research 7:23 Separating the Flooring and Ceilings Businesses 10:42 Finding a Burning Platform for Growth 14:37 Divesting the International Business 17:03 Driving a Growth Mindset Shift 25:46 Building an Innovation Engine 30:46 Embracing Intelligent Failure 35:07 Balancing Stability with Entrepreneurial Acquisitions 42:41 Advice for the Next Generation 48:39 Culture, Teamwork, and Consistency 50:42 Looking Ahead: AI and the Future of Armstrong Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books, and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E28
July 14 · 1 hr 1 min
Understanding the New Longevity with Rita McGrath and Michael Clinton
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Michael Clinton, former president and publishing director and current special advisor to the CEO of Hearst Magazines, author of “Longevity Nation”, “ROAR Into The Second Half of Your Life.”, and expert on the business and personal effects of the New Longevity. 0:00 — Intro 0:19 — Meet Michael Clinton & Longevity Nation 1:29 — Michael's backstory in publishing at Hearst 2:43 — How Roar into the Second Half was born 3:49 — Retirement is a false construct 5:40 — Reimagineers: rewriting the second half of our lives 11:20 — Do companies take longevity seriously? 13:20 — Innovative work models (Flex 58, Singapore) 15:12 — Reconciling ageism vs. the 50+ economy 20:07 — Medicine, tech, and AI convergence 24:55 — The 60-year career 32:38 — Self-efficacy and the confidence edge 48:21 — Entrepreneurship in midlife 50:05 — Women leading the longevity movement 57:04 — The five core longevity hacks 1:00:07 – Conclusion and where to learn more Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E27
July 7 · 57 min
Longterm Strategic Thinking with Rita McGrath and Roger Dennis
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Roger Dennis, advisor on long term thinking and foresight and cultural transformation specialist. 00:00 Introduction 00:22 Welcome Roger Dennis 01:03 How Roger became a futurist 03:05 "Getting above strategy" explained 05:18 Current geopolitical risks & top trends to watch 07:13 Three things leaders need: capabilities, process, routines 09:44 Historical precedents for today's volatility 11:31 Example: tolls on the Strait of Hormuz/Malacca 12:35 Reversion to the mean, or a new normal? 14:19 The "Layer Player" framework 18:28 Second-order consequences & policy paradoxes 23:26 Acting under uncertainty: the Netflix story 26:15 Why you need real experts, not guesswork 28:03 The 2015 pandemic report nobody wanted 29:53 New Zealand's COVID Tracer App success story 33:08 The mindset of realistic optimism 41:58 How the music industry refused to adapt 43:38 Industries still "hanging on" today 45:02 Agentic AI and the ROI problem 46:57 From mass production to personalization 50:11 Where to learn more: The Paradox of Preparedness 55:02 Key takeaway for leaders Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E26
June 30 · 59 min
Building Strategy for the Future with Rita McGrath and Jonathan Brill
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Jonathan Brill, business futurist and co-author of AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the Superintelligent Firm. 1:56: Explaining the Octopus Metaphor 3:25: AI-Enabled Bottom-Up Innovation 8:01: The Economic Shift: From Physical to Digital 9:05: Where Leaders Should Start with AI 14:27: Three Questions to Ask Your AI Every Month 19:10 Reading Signals Before Disruption Hits 20:37: Netflix, Blockbuster & Kodak: Lessons in Timing 24:08: HP vs. Xerox: Operational Flexibility Wins 25:24: Operational Advantage Is the New Competitive Advantage 30:16: The Danger of Organizational Myths 31:45: Why Leaders Must Be at the Edge 32:12: You Can't Outrun 32x: Rethinking Speed 34:24: The Dual Responsibility of Leaders 36:51: US Navy Case Study: Unleashing Innovation 43:25: The Emotion Chapter: Leading Through Disruption 44:29: The L-U-C-K Framework: 4 Traits of Leaders Who Thrive 48:19: Rethinking the CEO Role: Jensen Huang & NVIDIA 51:32: Psychological Safety & Execution Before Strategy 54:43: The Future of Organizations: Middle Management & Beyond 58:06: Wrap-Up & How to Connect Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E25
June 23 · 43 min
Unlocking Human Potential with Rita McGrath and Chris Shipley and Scott Barry Kaufman
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with fellow Silicon Guild Members Chris Shipley and Scott Barry Kaufman, editors of the upcoming essay collection “Leading for Tomorrow: Unlocking Human Potential in the Era of Continuous Change and Endless Possibility” which equips leaders with the skills needed for effective leadership in the modern era. 0:00 - Intro & Welcome 0:45 - About the Book "Leading for Tomorrow" (July 8th release) 1:07 - The Origin Story: Silicon Guild & Thinkers50 Collaboration 3:13 - Overview of the Book's 5 Core Themes 5:26 - Mindset Shift towards Collaboration & Adaptability 6:24 - Purpose & Organizational Values 6:45 - Learning as a Core Competence 7:37 - The Epochal Transition: From Physical to Digital World 8:33 - AI as Accelerant, Not the Cause of Change 9:16 - What the Book Teaches Us to Do in Uncertain Times 9:52 - Surprises During the Editing Process 11:15 - Advice for Young People Entering the Workforce 17:46 - The Decline of Traditional Corporate Employment 21:13 - From Transactional to Relational Value Creation 24:27 - Fear of Change & Experiencing Disruption as Loss 25:34 - The Information-to-Illumination Reframe (Sanyin Siang) 27:50 - Whitney Johnson: "When the Ground Gives Way" (Chilean Miners Story) 30:43 - Brian Solis: The AIQ Mindset 31:43 - Chip Conley on Wisdom as a Leadership Value 32:40 - The Importance of Empathy in Leadership 33:50 - Defining True Empathy (vs. Just Being Nice) 36:51 - What Leaders Actually Owe Their Teams 39:44 - What Readers Will Discover in the Book 40:22 - Coherence Among the World's Top Business Thinkers 43:13 - Wrap-Up & How to Pre-Order "Leading for Tomorrow" Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E24
June 16 · 1 hr 2 min
Leadership and Transformation with Rita McGrath and Sharmla Chetty
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Sharmla Chetty, CEO of Duke Corporate Education and expert on human-centered leadership, AI, and workforce transformation. 0:00 Introduction 0:57 Sharmla's Story: Growing Up Under Apartheid 3:30 Systems Change: From Personal to Global 10:27 Overton Windows & Tipping Points 12:51 The Global Economy: Uneven Worlds & Emerging Markets 16:22 A Once-in-a-Century Inflection Point (Carlota Perez's Framework) 21:41 The End of Competitive Moats: Strategy in the Age of AI 23:16 Strategic Centering: Five Ways to Define Your Company 26:18 Purpose, Ecosystems & the Role of Government 27:59 Trust as the New Currency 28:34 Remote Work, Human Connection & Social Capital 38:15 The Future of Education: New Models 45:37 Executive Education Reimagined: Duke CE's Approach 41:21 Do We Still Need Degrees? 47:05 The Care Economy & Kindness as a Capability 58:42 Distributed Leadership & Navigating Complexity 59:28 A Human-Centered Economy: Closing Reflections Want to learn more about Rita’s ideas and hear more of her conversations with business leaders and innovators? Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E23
June 9 · 1 hr 2 min
Rethinking Education with Rita McGrath and MacKenzie Price
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with MacKenzie Price, co-founder of Alpha Schools, about the limitations of the traditional education system, and what other educational models are possible. 0:00 – Intro teaser: raising adaptable young people and the future of learning 1:37 – Mackenzie's backstory: her own memories of schooling 3:17 – The "I don't want to go to school tomorrow" moment 4:36 – The root problem: one teacher, many different learners 6:16 – The Alpha Schools vision: academics + life skills + passions 6:56 – Alpha School's results and student growth 7:37 – The industrial-era origins of the school system 9:07 – Moving into a new era: information abundance and problem-solving 11:03 – The skill of learning how to learn 12:03 – Why base knowledge still matters in the age of AI + what the traditional model got wrong 16:05 – The 2 Hour School Day 23:01 – The foundation problem: algebra before multiplication tables 24:33 – Results for kids at all levels — 20th to 95th percentile 28:00 – Why ed tech alone doesn't work, and the role of motivation 28:57 – The distinction between Guides and teachers 33:37 – Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation and screen time 42:26 – Teaching kids to use tools (including tech) for good 43:07 – Education at an inflection point: the question of scale and accessibility 45:12– Selection effects criticism — and the response 47:36 – Relationships with charter and public schools 52:38 – The relationship to failure the traditional system gets wrong 58:27 – Shout-outs, self-reflection, and accountability — even at age 5 1:00:25 – Where Alpha Schools is headed: expansion, summer programs, new models 1:01:52 – Closing thoughts and thank you Want to learn more about Rita’s ideas and hear more of her conversations with business leaders and innovators? Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E22
June 2 · 1 hr
Getting Positioning Right with Rita McGrath and April Dunford
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with April Dunford, expert on brand and product positioning, and author of Obviously Awesome, recently rereleased in its second edition, and Sales Pitch. Their conversation covers how good positioning unlocks value and helps to clarify organizational purpose. 0:19 – Welcoming April Dunford 1:59 – The Classic Positioning Statement and What Leaders Get Wrong 5:18 – April's Journey: Tech Exec → Consultant → World-Class Positioning Expert 6:24 – Software vs. Consumer Goods Positioning 13:00 – April's Definition of Positioning 14:45 – The Five Components of Positioning 16:44 – The Investment Banking CRM Story 20:07 – Discovering the 'Reason to Call' 28:11 – Misreading Who the Competition Really Is 29:03 – 'If You Didn't Exist, What Would a Customer Do?' 31:04 – Horizon Competitors: The Vibe Coding Debate 35:17 – 'We Can Only Sell What's on the Truck' 36:01 – AI Excitement vs. Where Customers Actually Are 38:25 – Telltale Signs Your Positioning Is Off 45:27 – The Positioning Workshop 49:13 – What Changed in the New Edition of Obviously Awesome 54:46 – Strategic Centering and Positioning 56:58 – IBM Software Group: Positioning Thousands of Products 59:51 – Where to Find April Dunford Want to learn more about Rita’s ideas and hear more of her conversations with business leaders and innovators? Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E21
May 26 · 1 hr 3 min
Leading Incorruptible Organizations with Rita McGrath and Eric Ries
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, to talk about his new book Incorruptible. They discuss what organizations beyond corruption look like, touching on financial gravity and fiduciary duty, and how we might move beyond making shareholder primacy to more holistic views of creating and assessing value. 0:00 Introduction & Eric Ries's New Book “Incorruptible” 2:11 The Legend of Sol Price & the Origin of Modern Retail 3:31 Shareholder Primacy vs. Fiduciary Duty to Customers 7:00 How FedMart Was Destroyed & the Birth of Costco 11:16 Financial Gravity as The Invisible Force Corrupting Companies 14:13 The Mechanics of Financial Gravity in Organizations 21:45 Redefining Corruption: Making Money Without Creating Value 23:46 Measuring Human Flourishing Instead of Just Profit 33:38 The Role of Government & Carlota Perez's Economic Waves 39:07 Mission-Controlled Companies and The Incorruptible Blueprint 44:48 Corporate Charters, Shareholder Primacy & the Public Benefit Corp 53:42 The Vectura Case Study: Value Destruction in the Name of Profit 1:00:23 Shareholder Primacy Is Already Over, and Other Reasons for Optimism Want to learn more about Rita’s ideas and hear more of her conversations with business leaders and innovators? Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
S6 · E20
May 19 · 1 hr 2 min
Beating Burnout and Building Culture with Rita McGrath and Jennifer Moss
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Jennifer Moss, the Chief Research and Strategy Officer at the Global Wellbeing Group and the author of Why Are We Here? Creating A Work Culture Everyone Wants. She's an expert on what causes burnout, and what leaders can do to build workplace cultures centered on hope, purpose, and community. 0:00 Intro 0:17 Welcome & Introduction to Jennifer Moss’s Work 1:52 What Prompted the Book 2:37 The Great Resignation & Mortality Salience 15:03 Burnout: Still Getting Worse 15:03 The Purpose Gap Between Leaders and Frontline Workers 16:48 CEO vs. Frontline Experience 19:37 Hope as a Foundation 26:13 Learned Helplessness & Building Hope Skills 26:39 Purpose: What It Really Means 28:39 Rituals, Friendships & Belonging at Work 32:10 Building Community (Bowling Alone, Dunbar's Number) 36:28 Business Challenges: Compassion, Freedom & Openness 40:42 Why AI Hasn't Moved the Needle Yet 45:30 GDP & Measuring What Matters 49:57 Fertility Rates & Hope as Economic Strategy 51:45 The Lost Wallet Experiment: People Are Good 56:00 Reflections Since “The Burnout Epidemic” Book 58:47 What's Next for Jennifer Moss Want to learn more about Rita’s ideas and hear more of her conversations with business leaders and innovators? Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/
S6 · E19
May 12 · 59 min
Reimagining Work with Rita McGrath and Nilofer Merchant
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Nilofer Merchant, co-founder of The Intangible Labs, and author of the new book Our Best Work: Break Free from the 24 Invisible Norms that Limit Us. 00:28: Context for the Book 3:56: The Birdcage and Why We’re Stuck 5:39: The Steve Jobs Moment: Power Voice and Being Unheard 8:58: The Trillion-Dollar Problem and Untapped Human Potential 11:16: The 24 Practices for Better Work 13:38: Fix the Room, Not Her: Rethinking Voice and Inclusion 17:45: Franklin Leonard and Power, Networks, and Reorienting Toward Purpose 25:08: Nilofer's Story: Arranged Marriage, Apple, and the Path Not Planned 31:09: Fighting for the Emperor's Pleasure: Power and Gender in the MBA Classroom 36:08: The Origin of Intangible Labs 40:01: Who Made Adam Smith’s Dinner? And Rethinking How We Measure Value 43:57: Small Teams, Ecosystems, and the Future of Organizations 46:41: The Big Picture Vision of Reimagining Work 51:18: Intangible Labs, Early Adopters, and Spreading Goodness Want to learn more about Rita’s ideas and hear more of her conversations with business leaders and innovators? Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.

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