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In Flourish: The Transformative Power of Creating Community, Daniel Coyle investigates the ecosystems in which humans do their best work—from sports teams, to the boardroom, and our daily lives. Daniel Coyle is the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers, in which he explores how people and groups grow, perform, and flourish. He combines immersive field reporting with behavioral science to create practical frameworks for building skill, culture, and meaningful connection. In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses his definition of flourishing, how to find moments of stillness in our turbulent world, and how leaders can balance efficiency with the disorder that fosters creativity. Key topics discussed: 01:03 | The definition of flourishing 09:13 | Finding moments of reflection and stillness 16:41 | Crisis as a trigger for flourishing 19:52 | Messiness and creativity 26:39 | Balancing disorder and efficiency 29:40 | A starting point for leaders Additional inspirations from Daniel Coyle: The Culture Playbook: 60 Highly Effective Actions to Help Your Group Succeed (Random House Audio, 2022)The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups (Bantam, 2018)The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How. (Bantam, 2009)

In Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World: A New Economics for the Middle Class, the Global Poor, and Our Climate, Dani Rodrik proposes new modes of cooperation and policy experimentation to address our greatest global challenges. Rodrik is the Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School. He codirects both the Reimagining the Economy Program at Harvard and the Economics for Inclusive Prosperity network. In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the trilemma between democracy, prosperity, and sustainability, how hyper-globalization contributed to this struggle, and his proposed framework for resolving it. Key topics discussed: 01:06 | The trilemma of democracy, prosperity, and sustainability 03:50 | The shortcomings of hyper-globalization 10:33 | Why manufacturing is no longer an escape from poverty 14:47 | Services as drivers of development 18:33 | The new framework of productivism 23:25 | The power of unilateral climate actions 27:26 | Implications for business leaders Additional inspirations from Dani Rodrik: Straight Talk on Trade: Ideas for a Sane World Economy (Princeton University Press, 2017)Economics Rules: The Rights and Wrongs of the Dismal Science (W. W. Norton & Company, 2015)

In The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things that Last, Jimmy Wales explains how he turned an impossible idea—creating an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit—into a global institution. Wales is the founder of Wikipedia. In his new book, he distills two decades of lessons from building one of the world’s most trusted collaborative projects. He argues that trust isn’t a soft virtue but a practical system—a set of design principles that allow people and organizations to cooperate effectively, solve problems honestly, and endure. In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses whether Wikipedia could still be created today, how it can retain its trusted status in an age of polarization, and what we can learn from Wikipedia to rebuild trust within society. Key topics discussed:  01:02 | How to scale interpersonal trust 04:02 | The importance of assuming good faith 07:13 | Could Wikipedia still be created today? 09:06 | How Wikipedia can retain its trusted status in an age of polarization 10:30 | The impact of AI on trust 15:40 | How institutions can reclaim lost trust 18:01 | Reasons to remain optimistic about rebuilding societal trust

In How to Be Bold: The Surprising Science of Everyday Courage, Ranjay Gulati argues that being bold is something you can learn—not a trait you have to be born with. Gulati, a professor at Harvard Business School, is a leading organizational sociologist and management scholar. In his new book, he explores the science and psychology of courage—showing that bravery is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it. In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the difference between uncertainty and risk, strategies for building courage at the individual and corporate level, and why we shouldn’t be worried about boldness leading to excessive risk-taking. Key topics discussed: 00:58 | The definition of courage 05:11 | Boldness and excessive risk-taking 06:34 | Strategies for building courage as an individual 14:51 | The power of sense-making 18:16 | Risk management systems 21:13 | How to build a culture of courage 31:40 | One thing executives should do differently Additional inspirations from Ranjay Gulati: Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies (Harper Business, 2022)

In The Land Trap: A New History of the World’s Oldest Asset, Mike Bird shows why land remains the ultimate currency of power. Bird is the Wall Street editor at The Economist, where he leads coverage across the American financial industry and cohosts the magazine’s flagship podcast Money Talks. In his new book, he presents a bold new framework explaining how land exerts influence over the modern world, shaping housing, banking, and geopolitics. In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, Bird discusses the history of land usage and ownership, how land is related to modern economic crises, and different governance models for land. Key topics discussed:  01:01 | What makes land unique, and why is it a trap? 04:58 | The history of land ownership 11:38 | The relation between land and economic crises 16:00 | The role of “superstar cities” 19:08 | How land could be governed 23:36 | Business implications of land

In SuperAdaptability: How to Transcend in an Age of Overwhelm, Max McKeown argues that the key to thriving under uncertainty is adaptability—being able to change with your environment, again and again, getting better each time. McKeown is a leading strategy thinker, coach to Fortune 100 companies, and an award-winning author. In his new book, he reveals how figures as different as Frida Kahlo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Simone Biles all relied on the same pattern of thinking to adapt to radically changing circumstances. In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the difference between adaptability and resilience, and how to scale adaptability from one person to a team to an entire organization. Key topics discussed:  01:14 | The power of adaptive intelligence 03:03 | Adaptability vs. resilience 05:15 | The RUN loop: Recognize, understand, necessary action 09:08 | How to help others become more adaptable 11:57 | How to make your company more adaptable 16:19 | Applying the loop logic to innovation 23:56 | Real life stories of adaptability 29:23 | Bringing adaptability to life with illustrations Additional inspirations from Max McKeown: The Strategy Book: How to Think and Act Strategically to Deliver Outstanding Results (FT Publishing International, 2024)

In Capitalism and Its Critics: A Battle of Ideas in the Modern World, John Cassidy offers a multi-century history of global capitalism, told through the eyes of its dissenters. Cassidy is a staff writer at The New Yorker and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. His new book blends biography, history, and economic analysis to reveal the roots of urgent debates the business world and society face today, as AI, climate change, and inequality are forcing us to reexamine the economic system. In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, Cassidy discusses the main historical themes of capitalism critique, why the system continues to endure, how it is being, and what its future may be in the current context of assaults on the system from both the political left and right. Key topics discussed:  01:44 | The main themes of capitalism critique 04:17 | Why capitalism endures 09:15 | The paradox of state capitalism 14:21 | The misunderstood Luddites 19:09 | Trade tensions and global economic asymmetry 24:45 | The role of unpaid domestic labor in driving the capitalist system 28:50 | The most surprising insights in writing the book 31:33 | The future of capitalism Additional inspirations from John Cassidy: Dot.Con: The Greatest Story Ever Sold (Harper, 2022)How Markets Fail: The Logic of Economic Calamities (Picador, 2010)

In Warhead: How the Brain Shapes War and War Shapes the Brain, Nicholas Wright argues that war and competition are rooted in human biology—in our drives for survival, fairness, territory, and belonging. Wright is a neuroscientist who researches the brain, technology, and security at University College London; Georgetown University; and the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, where he also advises the Pentagon. In his new book, he explores how each region of the brain is linked to a certain dimension of conflict—explaining why war seems inevitable, yet also why peace is possible. In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses why neuroscience is a powerful lens to understand conflict, how it helps military leaders make decisions, and why we need to give AI a prefrontal cortex to ensure it makes wise decisions in conflict situations. Key topics discussed:  01:27 | Neuroscience as a lens to understand conflict 04:10 | The role of prediction error in the psychology of war 07:29 | The clash between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex 12:46 | How AI and its interaction with humans may influence the future of conflict 18:55 | How neuroscience insights help military leaders make decisions 22:13 | Training political and business leaders based on neuroscience insights

In After the Spike: Population, Progress, and the Case for People, Dean Spears and Michael Geruso argue that the defining demographic risk of this century is global depopulation. Spears and Geruso are both professors at the University of Texas at Austin, focusing on economic demography and development economics. In their new book, they explore the trend of falling birth rates, how it threatens human progress, and what actions may reverse this trend. In their conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, they discuss projections for global depopulation, why advances in AI and robotics will not replace humans, why fewer people may not be good for the planet, and what the implications of all this are for business leaders. Key topics discussed: 01:06 | Projected global population levels 06:11 | The impact of depopulation 11:00 | The potential for AI and robotics to replace humans 17:00 | The environmental implications of depopulation 21:24 | Potential solutions to falling birth rates 26:02 | Implications for business leaders 28:26 | Reasons to remain hopeful Additional inspirations from Dean Spears: Air: Pollution, Climate Change and India's Choice Between Policy and Pretence (Harper Collins Publishers India, 2019)Where India Goes: Abandoned Toilets, Stunted Development and the Costs of Caste, co-authored by Diane Coffey (Harper Collins Publishers India, 2017)

In How Progress Ends: Technology, Innovation, and the Fate of Nations, Carl Benedikt Frey argues that progress, throughout history, has not just depended on technological innovations but also on the flexibility of our institutions. Frey is the associate professor of AI & Work at the University of Oxford, where he directs the Future of Work program. In his new book, he explores how technological progress has unfolded throughout history, from the Qin Dynasty to Silicon Valley. He argues that progress is always fragile, resting on achieving a delicate balance between decentralized innovation and centralized scaling of new technologies. In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses how to achieve institutional flexibility, the hurdles we must overcome to turn AI into progress, and what lessons history holds for business leaders looking to navigate the conundrum of innovating versus scaling. Key topics discussed:  01:15 | The fragility of progress 05:35 | The role of decentralization and centralization 11:24 | How to achieve institutional flexibility 17:29 | The hurdles to overcome for turning AI into progress 21:04 | How business leaders can navigate the conundrum of innovating vs. scaling 25:00 | Why progress might not yet end Additional inspirations from Carl Benedikt Frey: The Technology Trap: Capital, Labor, and Power in the Age of Automation (Princeton University Press, 2019)

In Anointed: The Extraordinary Effects of Social Status in A Winner-Take-Most World, Toby Stuart dives deeply into the power that social status holds over us. Stuart is the Leo Helzel Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. In his new book, he explores how social status shapes everything—from who we trust and what we value, to which ideas and innovations change the world and who gets credit for their success. In his conversation with Adam Job, Senior Director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the cumulative effects of social status, whereby small initial differences can snowball into outsize effects. He also outlines why the social status system persists despite a prevailing distrust in elites—and how AI may yet be poised to change the system. Key topics discussed:  01:44 | The importance of social status 05:15 | The role of anointment in modern times 13:23 | The cumulative effects of social status 19:18 | Why the social status system persists 21:23 | How AI may change the role of social status 24:45 | The downsides of high social status, and how to deal with them

In Reshuffle: Who Wins When AI Restacks the Knowledge Economy, Sangeet Paul Choudary explores common misconceptions about how AI will change work, organizations, and business ecosystems. Choudary is the founder and CEO of Platformation Labs and a senior fellow at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. An expert on AI, platforms, and the economics of big tech, he has sold more than half a million books on these topics. In his latest work, he explores how new forms of coordination—rather than automation and augmentation—are the true superpower of AI. In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses how AI will supercharge coordination, move us towards a more modular, on-demand economy, and how companies can account for all of this in their strategies. Key topics discussed:  01:31 | How AI will impact jobs 04:38 | Assessing the value of jobs 09:25 | AI’s power to supercharge coordination 14:23 | Unlocking “coordination without consensus” 19:00 | Moving towards a modular, on-demand economy 25:56 | Crafting a strategy for the age of AI Additional inspirations from Sangeet Choudary: Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets Are Transforming the Economy and How to Make Them Work for You, co-authored by Geoffrey G. Parker and Marshall W. Van Alstyne (W. W. Norton & Company, 2016)Platform Scale: How an Emerging Business Model Helps Startups Build Large Empires with Minimum Investment (Platform Thinking Labs, 2015)

In The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World, Hal Brands illuminates the historical patterns we must understand in order to better navigate the geopolitical rivalries of the present. Hal Brands is the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He is also a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. In his new book, he traces the arc from World War I to today’s rivalries between the United States and China, and between NATO and Russia. In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses why the 20th and 21st centuries are the Eurasian (rather than the American) Era, how today’s rivalries among great powers differ from those of the past, and what global business must pay attention to in navigating current geopolitical tensions. Key topics discussed:  01:28 | The 20th and 21st centuries as the Eurasian era 05:32 | The “historic achievement” of the Cold War 08:34 | How today’s rivalries among great powers are different 13:14 | The future of Eurasia 15:59 | How global businesses can operate in a polarized geopolitical world 20:13 | Reasons to be optimistic vs. pessimistic about the future Additional inspirations from Hal Brands: Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China, co-authored by Michael Beckley (W. W. Norton & Company, 2022)The Lessons of Tragedy: Statecraft and World Order, co-authored by Charles Edel (Yale University Press, 2019)The Twilight Struggle: What the Cold War Teaches Us about Great-Power Rivalry Today (Yale University Press, 2019)What Good Is Grand Strategy?: Power and Purpose in American Statecraft from Harry S. Truman to George W. Bush (Cornell University Press, 2014)

In The Measure of Progress: Counting What Really Matters, Dame Diane Coyle argues that traditional measures like GDP no longer capture economic realities. Coyle is the Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. She is also the director of the Productivity Institute, a fellow of the Office for National Statistics, and a member of the UK’s Competition Commission. Drawing on her deep expertise, she proposes an alternative framework for measuring productivity that enables better policymaking. In her conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, she discusses the shortcomings of GDP—such as a lack of accounting for immaterial goods or natural capital, alternative measures of progress, and how corporate leaders should rethink their approach to measurement. Key topics discussed:  01:32 | The shortcomings of GDP as a measure of productivity 09:14 | The issues of inflated GDP statements 11:12 | Alternative measures of productivity and progress 13:47 | A time-based approach to measuring productivity 16:39 | How productivity measurement works in practice 18:57 | Implications for corporate leaders Additional inspirations from Diane Coyle: Cogs and Monsters: What Economics Is, and What It Should Be (Princeton University Press, 2021)GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History (Princeton University Press, 2015)The Soulful Science: What Economists Really Do and Why It Matters (Princeton University Press, 2009)Sex, Drugs and Economics: An Unconventional Intro to Economics (Texere, 2002)

In Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare, Edward Fishman argues that the nature of international power has fundamentally shifted from military might to economic statecraft. Fishman is a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and an adjunct professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia. Previously, he served at the US State Department, leading work on economic sanctions. In his new book, he examines how governments—particularly the US’s—are increasingly using financial tools, regulatory measures, and targeted sanctions to shape international relations, secure strategic advantages, and resolve conflicts. In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the history of sanctions, how the US came to wield them so powerfully, how diplomatic back channels are navigated in applying them—and what is important for making them effective in enforcing the desired governance changes. Key topics discussed:  02:05 | The history of chokepoints and US dominance over them 08:45 | The role of businesses in economic diplomacy 12:17 | Navigating diplomatic back channels 15:32 | The role of technology and export controls 19:45 | Oil price caps as an innovation in sanctions design 23:10 | The effectiveness of sanctions in enforcing governance changes 27:44 | On the origins of this book Additional inspirations from Edward Fishman: Foreign Affairs: How Trump Could Dethrone the Dollar (April 8, 2025)