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 Terence Mauri, founder of the AI-trends think tank Hack Future Lab, and a MIT Entrepreneur Mentor. Their conversation covers everything from the meteoric rise of AI tools like Deep Seek, how we should consider tackling today’s climate crises, and how bureaucracy can help or hinder innovation.

00:00 Meet Terence Mauri: Author of "The Upside of Disruption" & Thought Leader on Thriving in Uncertainty

00:50 "The Day a Car Hit Me Changed Everything" – Terence's Life-Altering Moment & Profound Awakening

03:06 "Artificial Idiocy vs. Human Truth" – Esther Perel's Warning & The Three Pillars for Ethical AI

05:26 The $11 Trillion Threat: How Modern Cyber Crime Challenges Trust in the Digital Age

06:16 "The Shadow Boss" – Why Great Leadership Means Less Managing & More Leading

08:55 The DARE Framework Decoded: Four Mindset Shifts to Thrive in a Post-AI World

11:36 The Agility Paradox: Why 77% of Leaders Claim Agility But Can't Actually Achieve It

13:52 Light Speed Behaviors: Pfizer's Revolutionary Approach to Crushing Bureaucracy

14:43 "Marie Kondo Your Organization" – Two Powerful Examples of Fighting Complexity with Simplicity

17:50 The DeepSeek Advantage: How Constraints Sparked 100x Innovation Under China's Chip Ban

19:36 "Questions Are the Answer" – How Hack Future Lab Reframes Disruption as an Invitation to Reinvent

23:00 Hope Machines: The Progress Network & MIT Solve's Approach to Global Challenges

25:56 Climate Action Blueprint: What the Ozone Layer Success Story Teaches Us About Tackling Today's Crises

31:30 AI as Customer Ally: Inside OpenAI's Partnership with T-Mobile & John Deere's 190-Year Innovation Journey

35:19 The Strategic Question Trifecta: What's Enduring, Evolving, and Eroding in Your Business?

36:34 Beyond Fear: Why the Regret of Inaction Outweighs the Regret of Bold Action

41:16 Auto-Sapient Trust: The Fourth Wave of Trust & Your Future Personal AI Confidant

46:14 From Hierarchies to Marketplaces: The Three D's Reshaping Value Creation

49:56 The Dematerialization Revolution: Why Psychological Value Is Replacing Physical Products

51:56 The Potato Washing Machine: How Permissionless Organizations Turned a Problem into $1 Billion

53:55 The Four Waves of AI: From Perception to Physical – What's Coming Next Will Transform Everything

55:19 The Unexpected Discovery: What Surprised Terence Most Since Writing His Book

56:05 The 80/20 Bee Principle: Nature's Perfect Model for Balancing Execution and Exploration

57:31 Final Thoughts & Where to Find More from Terence Mauri

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.

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.
Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube
Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.
Connect with Rita on TikTok
Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack.
Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com

Couch Talks: Doing What Feels Right Vs. People Pleasing

You Need Therapy

Choosing Between Doing What Feels Right and People-Pleasing

The AI-powered Podcast Player