HBR IdeaCast
- Episodes
- 250
- Released
- weekly
- Latest episode
- Oct 20, 2026
About the podcast
A weekly podcast featuring the leading thinkers in business and management.
Episodes 250
When You Feel Envy, Turn It Into Something Productive
Envy can damage workplace relationships, fuel unhealthy competition, and leave employees feeling stuck. But it can also reveal what people want from their careers—and offer leaders an opportunity to turn …
Show notes
Envy can damage workplace relationships, fuel unhealthy competition, and leave employees feeling stuck. But it can also reveal what people want from their careers—and offer leaders an opportunity to turn rivalry into growth. That’s according to executive coach Stacy Kim, who says there’s a difference between destructive envy and a more constructive response that helps people learn from others. She shares a framework for understanding what envy is telling you, how to turn it into action, and how leaders can foster collaboration rather than competition on their teams. Kim is the author of Envy: Why Wanting What They Have is the Key to Getting What You Want.
Why Great Teams Don’t Need to Like Each Other
What makes a great team? It might have less to do with whether colleagues like one another and more to do with whether they’re aligned on a shared purpose. Organizational psychologist and Wharton professor Adam …
Show notes
What makes a great team? It might have less to do with whether colleagues like one another and more to do with whether they’re aligned on a shared purpose. Organizational psychologist and Wharton professor Adam Grant says leaders can build stronger connections at work, foster productive conflict, and create cultures where people feel empowered to speak up. He explains why task cohesion matters more than social cohesion, how to turn differences into a competitive advantage, and why leaders should reward people who challenge the status quo; and also shares practical ways to rethink onboarding, encourage candid feedback, and help employees connect their work to a meaningful mission. Grant is the author of the new book Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connection in a Lonely World.
How AI Is Changing Strategy: Rethinking What Your Business Is Designed to Do
AI is advancing so quickly that companies can’t afford to treat it as simply another productivity tool; it is fundamentally reshaping strategy. In this final episode of our special four-part series on how AI is …
Show notes
AI is advancing so quickly that companies can’t afford to treat it as simply another productivity tool; it is fundamentally reshaping strategy. In this final episode of our special four-part series on how AI is changing leadership, Wharton professor and AI expert Ethan Mollick explains why leaders need to rethink what their organizations are designed to do—and how work gets done. He discusses how AI agents are changing the role of managers, why companies need to experiment rather than wait for proven playbooks, and how leaders can create competitive advantage when everyone has access to the same frontier models. Mollick is author of the forthcoming book Co-Existence: The Next Phase of AI.
Plus:
• Why AI-driven productivity gains can disappear if companies don’t change their processes and incentives
• The four capabilities that will become increasingly valuable: deep knowledge, wide knowledge, taste, and agency
• Why companies should build for what AI will be capable of, not just what it can do todayIn case you missed it, you can find the rest of our AI series below.
How AI Is Changing Innovation: Why Speed Alone Isn’t a Strategy: https://hbr.org/podcast/2026/10/how-ai-is-changing-innovation-why-speed-alone-isnt-a-strategy
How AI Is Changing Communication: Weighing Efficiency with Efficacy: https://hbr.org/podcast/2026/09/how-ai-is-changing-communication-weighing-efficiency-with-efficacy
How AI Is Changing Talent, Not Just Tasks: Rethinking Where Human Judgment Matters Most: https://hbr.org/podcast/2026/09/how-ai-is-changing-talent-not-just-tasks-rethinking-where-human-judgment-matters-most
Optimism Is Now an Essential Leadership Skill
Optimism isn’t about ignoring problems or pretending everything will work out. It’s about acknowledging challenges while believing that your actions can still make a difference. Psychologist and researcher …
Show notes
Optimism isn’t about ignoring problems or pretending everything will work out. It’s about acknowledging challenges while believing that your actions can still make a difference. Psychologist and researcher Michelle Gielan says leaders can cultivate that mindset in themselves and their teams and argues that, when they do, it creates a powerful performance advantage. Drawing on an 11-year dataset of more than 25,000 business professionals, she shares research linking optimism to higher productivity, sales, engagement, and lower burnout. She explains how leaders can use techniques like “power leads” to help teams focus on progress and possibility without losing sight of difficult realities. Gielan wrote the book Resilient Optimism: The Science of Sustaining a Positive Mindset in Tough Times and the HBR article “How Leaders Counter Pessimism in Trying Times.”
How AI Is Changing Innovation: Why Speed Alone Isn’t a Strategy
AI is making it faster and cheaper than ever to turn ideas into prototypes, products, and businesses—but that abundance creates new challenges for leaders. In episode 3 of a special four-part series on how AI …
Show notes
AI is making it faster and cheaper than ever to turn ideas into prototypes, products, and businesses—but that abundance creates new challenges for leaders. In episode 3 of a special four-part series on how AI is changing leadership, we look at the ways industry leaders are using AI to truly gain a competitive edge and innovate for the future. Cisco Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel explains how AI is changing the pace and nature of innovation, why human judgment and taste become more important when everyone has access to the same tools, and how companies can use AI to tackle problems they couldn’t have solved before. He also discusses the risks of AI agents, why organizations need new approaches to security and oversight, and how leaders can build a culture that embraces experimentation without sacrificing rigor or accountability.
Plus:
• Why deciding what not to build may become more important than deciding what to build
• Why every major AI productivity gain can create a new human bottleneck
• How Cisco used AI to dramatically accelerate the development of a new integrated management platformWhat Retail Legend Ron Johnson Learned from Apple’s Success and JCPenney’s Failure
How do you know when to trust your previous experience in a transformation environment, and how do you know when to listen, observe, and adapt? Ron Johnson helped create the Apple Store and transform Target …
Show notes
How do you know when to trust your previous experience in a transformation environment, and how do you know when to listen, observe, and adapt? Ron Johnson helped create the Apple Store and transform Target into a design-forward retailer. But when he brought his approach to JCPenney, his transformation failed. He explains why leaders shouldn’t rely too heavily on data when they’re trying to create something that hasn’t been done before, how Steve Jobs used patience and diverse perspectives to drive innovation, and why great customer experiences depend on empowering employees to solve problems one customer at a time. Johnson also reflects on his experience at JCPenney, where he moved too quickly and underestimated how deeply employees and other stakeholders were invested in the company’s existing way of doing business. He shares what he would do differently today—and why listening may be one of the most important skills a leader can develop. Johnson is the author of Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple’s Genius.
How AI Is Changing Communication: Weighing Efficiency with Efficacy
AI is rapidly changing how top leaders communicate with employees, customers, boards, and each other. In episode 2 of a special four-part series on how AI is changing leadership, we explore how executives can …
Show notes
AI is rapidly changing how top leaders communicate with employees, customers, boards, and each other. In episode 2 of a special four-part series on how AI is changing leadership, we explore how executives can use AI to improve communication without outsourcing the thinking, judgment, and empathy that make it effective. Stanford professor Matt Abrahams and Zapier CEO Wade Foster discuss how leaders are using AI to synthesize information, structure ideas, prepare for difficult conversations, and rehearse for high-stakes moments. They also explain why leaders should be wary of letting AI write everything for them, how overreliance on AI can create a “comprehension gap,” and why preserving a distinctive human voice may become even more important as AI-generated communication becomes ubiquitous. Abrahams is the author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter and host of the podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart. Foster is the cofounder and CEO of Zapier, a software automation company.
Plus:
Why we need clear rules for when and how AI should be used in workplace communication
Why AI could make spontaneous, unscripted communication more valuable
Why you should use AI to challenge your assumptions, not just confirm them
How leaders can hold on to accountability and authenticityWhat New CEOs Get Wrong About the Job
Becoming CEO can look like the culmination of a career. But the skills that help someone rise to the top job aren’t necessarily the ones that make them successful once they get there. Nitin Nohria, former dean …
Show notes
Becoming CEO can look like the culmination of a career. But the skills that help someone rise to the top job aren’t necessarily the ones that make them successful once they get there. Nitin Nohria, former dean of Harvard Business School, has spent three decades studying CEOs and working with new leaders as they adjust to the demands of the role. He says one of the biggest surprises for new CEOs is realizing that they can’t—and shouldn’t—run the company themselves. Instead, their job is to create the conditions for their leadership team to run it well. He also explains how CEOs can stay connected to their organizations, build the right leadership team, manage their boards, focus their time, and decide which emerging issues—including AI—actually deserve their attention. Nohria is author of The CEO: The Role, the Reality, the Responsibility.
How AI Is Changing Talent, Not Just Tasks: Rethinking Where Human Judgment Matters Most
The decisions leaders must make about AI today go far beyond what platforms to invest in: AI is changing organizational culture and leadership for good. In episode 1 of a special four-part series on how AI is …
Show notes
The decisions leaders must make about AI today go far beyond what platforms to invest in: AI is changing organizational culture and leadership for good. In episode 1 of a special four-part series on how AI is changing leadership, we look at how the technology is changing how people interact at work, the new culture it is creating, and how leaders can get smart about talent management and strategy in this rapidly advancing world. Paula Goldman, Salesforce’s chief ethical and humane use officer, argues there’s currently a big opportunity to redesign work around the complementary strengths of humans and AI. She explains how AI could reshape entry-level jobs and the development of future leaders, why companies need to rethink internal mobility and talent development, and how executives can prepare their organizations for an AI-powered workforce without sacrificing accountability, creativity, or trust. Goldman is the author of Manage the Machine: How to Harness Human-AI Collaboration at Work.
Plus:
• Why “human in the loop” is an outdated model for managing AI—and what it means to put humans “at the helm.”
• How leaders can determine which tasks to delegate to AI and where human judgment matters most
• Why treating AI primarily as a cost-cutting tool could mean missing its bigger potential
• How companies can redesign jobs and develop talent as AI takes over more routine tasks
• Why leaders need to think differently about entry-level hiring and the development of future executives
• How organizations can use AI to improve management, internal mobility, and employee developmentWhat It Takes to Make Progress When the Future Feels Out of Control
When the future feels increasingly out of our control, how can leaders and organizations make progress? University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman, a pioneer in the study of optimism, resilience …
Show notes
When the future feels increasingly out of our control, how can leaders and organizations make progress? University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman, a pioneer in the study of optimism, resilience, and human flourishing, argues that the answer is agency: the belief that we can influence outcomes and create positive change. He defines agency as a combination of three capabilities: efficacy—the belief that you can achieve a goal now; optimism—the belief that you can achieve it in the future; and imagination—the ability to envision possibilities that don’t yet exist. And he explains how leaders can cultivate these qualities in themselves and their organizations, how managers can help employees overcome catastrophizing, and what AI can—and can’t—do when it comes to one of the most important human capabilities: imagination. Seligman is the author of Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress.
A Leading Restaurateur on What It Takes to Scale a Winning Culture
When a company is small, maintaining a strong culture can feel relatively easy. But as organizations grow, layers of management, geographic distance, and pressure for efficiency can make it much harder to …
Show notes
When a company is small, maintaining a strong culture can feel relatively easy. But as organizations grow, layers of management, geographic distance, and pressure for efficiency can make it much harder to preserve what made the company special in the first place. Restaurateur Danny Meyer has spent decades figuring out how to do just that. He founded Union Square Cafe and built Union Square Hospitality Group, then helped scale Shake Shack from a single location in New York City into a global restaurant chain. Along the way, he’s learned that culture isn’t what happens when the CEO is in the room—it’s what happens when they’re not. He explains how he turned his philosophy of “enlightened hospitality” into a set of specific behaviors that employees can understand and practice. He discusses why companies should hire for both technical expertise and emotional skills, how to identify people with a high “hospitality quotient,” and why promotions are one of the most powerful tools leaders have for reinforcing culture. Meyer is the author of What Could Possibly Go Right? The Essential Journey to Scale an Enduring Culture.
Are Great Leaders Truly Great—or Just Lucky?
How much does a leader actually matter to an organization’s success? We tend to credit CEOs, founders, and other powerful figures with shaping the institutions they lead, but historian Jared Diamond argues that …
Show notes
How much does a leader actually matter to an organization’s success? We tend to credit CEOs, founders, and other powerful figures with shaping the institutions they lead, but historian Jared Diamond argues that we often underestimate the role of timing, circumstance, industry, and plain luck. Diamond explains his “Hamlet test,” which asks whether someone else could have achieved the same outcome or whether the leader was uniquely qualified to do it, and how it applies to many business leaders. He also explains why some leaders are able to seize a fleeting moment of opportunity, why founders can have an outsized influence on institutions, and why boards may overestimate the impact of replacing a struggling CEO. Diamond is author of Prophets, Profits, Coaches, and Kings: (When) Do Leaders Matter?
How People Without Formal Power Gain Influence
In today’s increasingly decentralized workplaces, leaders often need to get things done without having direct authority over the people they depend on. So how can you influence colleagues, clients, vendors, and …
Show notes
In today’s increasingly decentralized workplaces, leaders often need to get things done without having direct authority over the people they depend on. So how can you influence colleagues, clients, vendors, and even senior executives without simply telling them what to do? Pamela Meyer, founder and CEO of Calibrate, says the answer is learning to read the room—and understanding the informal networks, emotional dynamics, and hidden sources of power that shape decisions. She explains five paths to indirect influence: becoming an influence spotter, a backchanneler, a precision mover, a connector, and a pulse reader. Meyer also explains why the best influencers focus less on how they’re performing and more on what the people around them need. Meyer is the author of How to Read the Room: The Art and Science of Social Observation and the HBR article “Five Ways to Wield Influence When You Lack Authority.”
Living and Working in the Age of Longevity
People are living longer, healthier lives than ever before. But many of our assumptions about executive careers—from climbing the corporate ladder to retiring at 65—haven’t caught up. London Business School …
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People are living longer, healthier lives than ever before. But many of our assumptions about executive careers—from climbing the corporate ladder to retiring at 65—haven’t caught up. London Business School professor Lynda Gratton says we need a new way of thinking about work and life, and argues that traditional career paths are giving way to more flexible, multi-stage journeys that require greater personal agency, continuous learning, and a long-term perspective. She explains why leaders should think of their lives less as a ladder and more as a fabric they actively weave over time, and offers up practical advice for balancing productivity and personal well-being, preparing for career pivots before they’re necessary, and developing the skills that will matter most in an AI-powered future. Gratton is the author of the upcoming book Living the 100-Year Life: How to build a career that lasts and a life you love.
The Innovation Strategy Most Companies Miss
Companies often build products for wealthy markets first and then try to adapt them for the rest of the world. But according to Dartmouth Tuck professor Vijay Govindarajan and MIT professor Amos Winter …
Show notes
Companies often build products for wealthy markets first and then try to adapt them for the rest of the world. But according to Dartmouth Tuck professor Vijay Govindarajan and MIT professor Amos Winter, designing for the toughest constraints first—whether that’s affordability, portability, or limited infrastructure—can lead to products that perform better everywhere. They explain how leaders can identify high-impact opportunities, uncover customer needs through deep field research, and design solutions that balance performance with cost. They also discuss why organizational mindset—not technology—is often the biggest obstacle to global innovation, and where AI can (and can’t) accelerate the design process. Together they wrote the book Global by Design: How to Create Innovations That Scale, Travel, and Transform.
Why Great Turnarounds Start with Culture, Not Strategy
In an era of constant disruption, successful turnarounds require more than a new strategy—they demand a new culture. Dan Schulman, former CEO of PayPal, came out of retirement to tackle the challenge of taking …
Show notes
In an era of constant disruption, successful turnarounds require more than a new strategy—they demand a new culture. Dan Schulman, former CEO of PayPal, came out of retirement to tackle the challenge of taking over the helm of Verizon as it entered the AI age. He explains how they needed to put customers—not engineering—at the center of the business, how he reshaped company culture, and what it really took to prepare employees for an AI-native future. He explains why leaders need to embrace change, invest in reskilling, and balance optimism about AI with honesty about the disruption it will bring.
Introducing The Founder Mindset: Tim Ferriss on Experiments, Risk, and Freedom
What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur in today’s uncertain world? How do you balance risk, decision-making, and curiosity? We’re sharing an episode from The Founder Mindset with Reza Satchu, the new …
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What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur in today’s uncertain world? How do you balance risk, decision-making, and curiosity? We’re sharing an episode from The Founder Mindset with Reza Satchu, the new podcast from Harvard Business School Foundry about what it truly takes to be a founder now. Hosted by Harvard Business School senior lecturer Reza Satchu, the show features intimate conversations with some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, including Reese Witherspoon, Kevin O’Leary, Galen Weston, and more. Satchu himself has built multiple high-profile companies and mentored thousands of students and founders as they start and scale ventures, and he pushes his guests to break down exactly how they commit, decide, and build for impact.
In this episode, Tim Ferriss—entrepreneur, investor, bestselling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, and host of one of the world’s most influential podcasts—reflects on experimentation, calibrated risk-taking, decision-making under uncertainty, and why curiosity and learning have shaped nearly every chapter of his career.
Listen to more episodes of The Founder Mindset with Reza Satchu, follow the podcast here: https://play.megaphone.fm/zbmkcqmbqhymul1logpega
What Makes Chinese Companies So Competitive?
To compete in business anywhere today, leaders at all levels need to learn about the culture and mindset that sets Chinese businesses apart. Stanford research fellow Dan Wang argues that they’ve built an edge …
Show notes
To compete in business anywhere today, leaders at all levels need to learn about the culture and mindset that sets Chinese businesses apart. Stanford research fellow Dan Wang argues that they’ve built an edge that goes well beyond lower labor costs or government subsidies. He explains how dense manufacturing ecosystems, relentless internal competition, deep process knowledge, and an engineering-first mindset have helped these companies become global leaders; what those in the United States and Europe can learn from them; and where they still fall behind. Wang is author of the book Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future.
Leadership Summit 2026: Inspiring Grit and Growth Amid Unprecedented Change
Most leaders are asking the same question about AI: Will it make their teams more productive—or slowly erode the very skills they’re trying to build? In this special episode, as part of the recent HBR …
Show notes
Most leaders are asking the same question about AI: Will it make their teams more productive—or slowly erode the very skills they’re trying to build? In this special episode, as part of the recent HBR Leadership Summit 2026, University of Pennsylvania’s Angela Duckworth says her long-standing research on grit—and the fact the most successful people aren’t simply persistent, they stay committed to long-term goals while adapting their tactics as the world changes—is more relevant than ever in the age of generative AI. Rather than replacing human capability, she explains, AI can become a powerful coach that accelerates learning, if people treat it as something to learn from, not simply something that does the work for them. Duckworth’s new book is Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best.
Why Great Leaders Need More Than Good Judgment
What if the key to success in today’s business world wasn’t about making difficult decisions quickly—but about broadening the scope through which you make decisions? Leaders Alliance CEO Cornelia Choe and …
Show notes
What if the key to success in today’s business world wasn’t about making difficult decisions quickly—but about broadening the scope through which you make decisions? Leaders Alliance CEO Cornelia Choe and executive coach Marshall Goldsmith argue that being open to more perspectives can help leaders navigate an increasingly complicated world and lead better. They share their framework for this mindset shift, and examples of leaders who have done this well. Choe and Goldsmith are the authors of the book The Panoramic Leader: How Great Leaders See Differently.
Leadership Summit 2026: AT&T CEO John Stankey on Developing Technology and Talent in the AI Era
How do you reinvigorate a legacy company without losing what made it great? In this special episode, as part of the recent HBR Leadership Summit 2026, AT&T CEO John Stankey shares how he refocused AT&T’s …
Show notes
How do you reinvigorate a legacy company without losing what made it great? In this special episode, as part of the recent HBR Leadership Summit 2026, AT&T CEO John Stankey shares how he refocused AT&T’s strategy on connectivity and simultaneously transformed its culture. He explains how he encouraged team members to adopt a more customer-led, market-driven mindset, integrate AI to reshape their products and performance, and embrace in-person collaboration.
The New Rules for Becoming an Enterprise Leader
What does it take to succeed in an enterprise-level leadership role today? Michael Watkins, professor at IMD and author of the book The First 90 Days, says that the leap from functional or business line manager …
Show notes
What does it take to succeed in an enterprise-level leadership role today? Michael Watkins, professor at IMD and author of the book The First 90 Days, says that the leap from functional or business line manager to a more senior position is tricker than ever owing to three factors: AI, geopolitical complexity, and compressed leadership pipelines. He explains what that means for executives aspiring to make the transition and outlines all the new skills and capabilities they need to rise to the top now. Watkins is author of the HBR article, “3 Forces Are Redefining the Transition from Manager to Leader.”
Leadership Summit 2026: Honest Company CEO Carla Vernón on Leading with Focus in Turbulent Times
How do you take a young, purpose-led company to the next level? In this special episode, as part of the recent HBR Leadership Summit 2026, The Honest Company CEO Carla Vernón shares how she leveraged the …
Show notes
How do you take a young, purpose-led company to the next level? In this special episode, as part of the recent HBR Leadership Summit 2026, The Honest Company CEO Carla Vernón shares how she leveraged the powerful reputation and loyal customers of the mission-driven consumer brand to turn the company around. Facing shrinking margins, limited cash, and growing pressure from Wall Street to consistently profit, Vernón worked to build trust, create a shared language for change, and help employees embrace new ways of working.
How Leaders Can Use AI to Solve Real Business Problems
Many organizations are investing heavily in AI, but too few are asking the most important question: What problem are we actually trying to solve? Journalist and author Josh Tyrangiel argues that successful AI …
Show notes
Many organizations are investing heavily in AI, but too few are asking the most important question: What problem are we actually trying to solve? Journalist and author Josh Tyrangiel argues that successful AI adoption has far less to do with choosing the right model and far more to do with identifying the right business challenge—and following through. He shares why executives should resist the pressure to become “AI-native” overnight and instead focus on targeted, high-impact problems where AI can create measurable value. He also offers practical advice on improving operations, communicating change across an organization, and avoiding the costly mistake of treating AI as a strategy rather than a tool, with examples from the healthcare sector and beyond. Tyrangiel is author of the book AI for Good: How Real People Are Using Artificial Intelligence to Fix Things That Matter.
Leadership Summit 2026: Mattel’s CEO on Driving Consumer Engagement and Cultural Impact
How do you reinvent an 80-year-old company without losing what made it successful in the first place? In this special episode, as part of the recent HBR Leadership Summit 2026, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz explains …
Show notes
How do you reinvent an 80-year-old company without losing what made it successful in the first place? In this special episode, as part of the recent HBR Leadership Summit 2026, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz explains how he transformed the iconic toy maker into an IP-driven entertainment company that creates movies, games, live experiences, and digital products alongside its toys. He shares how simplifying strategy, reshaping talent, and fostering a culture of innovation helped drive the company’s turnaround, why AI is accelerating product development without replacing creativity, and what leaders can learn about managing change, protecting trusted brands, and building organizations that are ready for the future.
How Top World Cup, NBA, and NFL Coaches Make Better Decisions Under Pressure
When the stakes are high and the clock is ticking, how do great leaders make the right call? Sports performance consultant Alan McCall and sports scientist Johann Bilsborough say that leaders can improve …
Show notes
When the stakes are high and the clock is ticking, how do great leaders make the right call? Sports performance consultant Alan McCall and sports scientist Johann Bilsborough say that leaders can improve decision-making before, during, and after critical moments, based on lessons they’ve learned from elite sports coaches. They share research on why preparation matters more than instinct, how to filter signal from noise, and why trust and relationships often determine the quality of decisions long before a crisis occurs. McCall and Bilsborough are coauthors, along with Adrian Wolfberg and Ricard Pruna, of the HBR article “How Elite Sports Coaches Make High-Pressure Decisions.”
Creating Products with Curiosity, Humility, and Play
Most leaders know they need to innovate, but many take a strong instinct and hold too tightly to an idea, rather than testing, experimenting, and playing to find the best solution. Mark Pincus, founder of …
Show notes
Most leaders know they need to innovate, but many take a strong instinct and hold too tightly to an idea, rather than testing, experimenting, and playing to find the best solution. Mark Pincus, founder of Zynga, argues that by approaching product development with more curiosity, humility, and experimentation, leaders can improve their odds of building something people truly love. He shares lessons from launching hit products, scaling a fast-growing company, and creating a culture where play, rather than perfectionism, drives innovation. He explains why leaders should focus less on originality and more on understanding what already works and how to identify breakthrough opportunities. Pincus is the author of Life at the Speed of Play: Launch Products People Love.
The Right Way to Manage Rule Breakers
Most leaders assume that when employees break rules, punishment is the answer. But according to researcher Michael Gill, associate professor at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School, that mindset …
Show notes
Most leaders assume that when employees break rules, punishment is the answer. But according to researcher Michael Gill, associate professor at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School, that mindset overlooks a crucial reality: not all rule breaking is self-serving, and some of it may actually help organizations perform better. He explains his research synthesizing more than 250 studies and details the four main motivations behind why people break rules, why repeated violations may signal deeper organizational problems, and how leaders can distinguish harmful misconduct from employees trying to help customers, colleagues, or the business itself. Learn more in the HBR article How the Best Leaders Respond to Rule Breaking.
We All Hate Meetings—Here’s How to Make Them Work
Meetings are one of the biggest drains on time, energy, and morale at work, yet most managers are never actually taught how to run them well. Paul English, cofounder of Kayak, argues that organizations …
Show notes
Meetings are one of the biggest drains on time, energy, and morale at work, yet most managers are never actually taught how to run them well. Paul English, cofounder of Kayak, argues that organizations underestimate just how costly bad meetings can be. He says meeting culture is one of the most overlooked drivers of productivity, morale, and organizational effectiveness. Drawing on lessons from companies like Amazon, LinkedIn, Airbnb, and Shopify, as well as his own experience building high-performing teams, he explains how leaders can run meetings that create clarity, energy, and better decisions instead of frustration and fatigue. English is the author of the book The Meeting Book: How the Best Companies Meet Better.
Reinventing an Organization to Do More with Less
What does it take to manage a complex global institution when change is constant and resources are scarce? For Kelly T. Clements, Deputy High Commissioner at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), it’s about building …
Show notes
What does it take to manage a complex global institution when change is constant and resources are scarce? For Kelly T. Clements, Deputy High Commissioner at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), it’s about building resilient teams, partnering across sectors, and balancing operational efficiency with humanity. In her more than a decade with the agency, Clements has helped steer key reforms in challenging circumstances, and she shares lessons for both public and private sector leaders about how to modernize systems, decentralize decision-making, and embrace innovation.
These are the latest 99 of 250 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.
