Advertise on podcast: Thought Sparks

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 Corey Rosen, the founder of the National Center for Employee Ownership, a nonprofit that conducts research on the effects of employee ownership, employee ownership law and practice, and open-book management and employee involvement.  0:00 Intro 0:19 Welcome & Introducing Corey Rosen 1:11 Origins of Employee Ownership in the 1970s 2:01 Louis Kelso & The Capitalist Manifesto 3:39 The ESOP Concept: Borrowing to Buy Ownership 7:20 How ESOPs Work in Practice 9:20 ESOPs for Business Transitions & Stock Options 10:58 Research on ESOP Performance 16:01 Causation vs. Correlation: Do ESOPs Drive Performance? 18:11 Why ESOPs Perform Better: Retention & Involvement 22:26 Jack Stack & Open Book Management at SRC 23:31 Private Equity & Employee Ownership (Pete Stavros/KKR) 27:49 Profits Without Prosperity: The Policy Problem 30:31 Carlota Perez: Economic Cycles & Turning Points 33:08 The Social Crisis & Rethinking Ownership 38:44 Policy Gaps: Awareness, Financing & Legislation 45:47 Mark Cuban's Equity Proposal 48:11 Broadening Ownership to Preserve Democracy 51:10 Advice for Young People & Career Guidance 53:36 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.

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, welcomes Bobby Herrera, co-founder and president of the Populus Group and author of The Gift of Struggle.      0:00:  Welcome to Thought Sparks  0:18: The Bus Story  3:21: Family Background & The Bracero Program  6:33: Growing Up & Military Service  8:44: Keeping Your Word: The Wedding Story  13:11: The Demotion: Owning Your Part  19:04: Building Populus Group  25:39: Culture: Climbers & Common Language  30:11: Selecting, Welcoming, and Developing Talent  34:55: The Kind Truth & Hard Conversations  38:39: The Era of Slow: Less But Better  43:10: Staying True to Your Values  48:55:  Closing & Reflections      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.

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, welcomes Don Hambrick, Evan Pugh Professor and the Smeal Chaired Professor of Management at Pennsylvania State University and author of The Improbable Professor.     0:00  Introduction & Welcome  0:29  Welcoming Don Hambrick  2:00  Does the Academy of Management Really Matter?  4:30  Don's Landmark Research: CEO Hubris, Tenure & Strategy  10:08  Learning the Craft of Teaching at Columbia  11:29  Writing The Improbable Professor  15:43  Don's Early Life & Parents  19:56  Family Relationships & Discovering His Daughter  24:48  The Path to Becoming a Professor  28:10  The Evolution of Strategy as a Field  35:30  Porter's Five Forces & Industry Analysis  39:09  The Value of a PhD  44:20  The Future of Business Schools  52:06  Reflections on the Book & Resilience  54:00  Closing & The Concorde Story    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.

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 Sebastian Wernicke, author of “Data Inspired: Building an Organizational Culture of Inquiry for Lasting Transformation” and expert in data science, machine learning and AI.    0:00 Introduction & Welcome 1:08 Sebastian's Journey into Data 2:54 The Frustration That Inspired the Book 5:09 Data: Keeping Organizations the Same? 6:26 The Slow Elevator Story 8:38 Purpose First, Data Second 9:25 Understanding the Real Problem 12:12 Building a Culture of Inquiry 15:33 Data Driven or Data Frustrated 18:23 Data as Compression of Reality 19:54 Three Myths About Data 26:09 Complex Decisions: Bezos on Anecdotes vs. Data 28:41 Three Kinds of Indicators 30:34 Experimentation & Leading Indicators 31:49 Economics Consulting in Practice 37:24 Strategy as Problem-Solving 39:42 AI Strategy & Token Maxing 42:29 Measuring What Can't Be Measured 46:18 The Data Inspired Manifesto 48:54 Book Reception Across Fields 52:27 Bad Metrics & Short-Termism 55:18 Creating Space for Thinking 57:15 Closing Thoughts      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.

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 McGowan, founder and CEO of Clarity Media Group and a  two-time Emmy Award-winning correspondent. Bill’s second book is Speak, Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience,written alongside co-author Juliana Silva.   0:00 Cold Open: The Playing Not to Lose Mentality  0:23 Welcome & Introducing Bill McGowan  1:20 From TV News to Communication Coaching  5:32 The Magnificent Seven: Verbal Devices  10:00 Creative Labels: Toothbrush Test, Goldilocks & Pottery Barn  12:14 The Conformity Zone: Why Executives Sound the Same  15:37 Hooking Your Audience & The Cost of Poor Communication  20:34 Coaching Skeptical Executives  24:16 Structuring a Great Speech (No Jokes)  25:27 Lessons from Stand Up Comedians  29:38 Novartis Super Bowl Ad & The Power of Levity  35:55 Making Complex Problems Simple: The Ozone Layer  37:58 Contextualizing Data for Real People  40:38 Leaders, Symbolism & Plain Talk  45:44 Conveying Bad News (BP & Goldman Sachs)  48:32 Knowing Your Audience & Speech Prep Tips  52:26 “Being Authentic” Needs Discernment  54:41 Where to Find Bill & 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.

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 Rick Goings, founder of The Rick Goings Institute for Management and Executive Leadership at Rollins College. Formerly, Rick held several senior executive roles at Avon Products and served as Chairman & CEO of Tupperware Brands.     0:00  Introduction  0:25  Meet Rick Goings  1:21  The Rollins College Institute  2:58  Rick's Journey: Navy to Entrepreneur  6:31  First Company & Fortunate Pet  7:56  Avon and Tupperware  8:30  Women: Hiding in Plain Sight  9:46  Transforming Tupperware  12:29  Empowering Women in Patriarchal Societies  13:56  Warrior Training in Indonesia  17:31  Leadership as a Craft  19:59  The Institute & Rod Adkins  27:34  Google's Project Oxygen  29:33  The Bruce Springsteen Story  34:26  Peer Learning at the Institute  35:40  Three Focus Areas: Foresight, Vitality, Civic Leadership  37:41  Shareholder vs Stakeholder Value  41:59  The Vatican & Stakeholder Value  43:37  The Great Transition in Capitalism  45:27  "Add Value" – A Daily Mindset  50:35  The Future of Business Schools  52:45  The Halo Effect & AI Simulations  58:10  Forging Leaders  1:02:10  Conclusion      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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.