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?
