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, speaks with Jaye Fenderson, an award-winning filmmaker and cofounder of Three Frame Media, about the power of storytelling to forge human connection. 1:08 Jaye’s Journey to Becoming a Documentary Filmmaker3:18 Storytelling, Human Connection, and the Liberal Arts5:42 What Job Prospects for STEM and Humanities Graduates Tell Us About Soft Skills7:14 Laying the Foundation of Trust: Stewarding Someone Else’s Story9:42 The Technical Constraints of Shooting Documentary Film14:01 “The Admissions Arms Race”: What We Get Wrong About Higher Ed Admissions19:49 The Class: Producing a TV Show and College Advising During a Pandemic25:31 COVID Guidelines as Creative Confines30:50 Storytelling for Impact 34:40 The Power of Resources, from Doctors to College Counselors38:31 Resilience and Perseverance From the Class of 202040:12 Growth Mindset and Having a Plan A, B, and C 42:47 Renovating Hope, and Jaye’s Upcoming Projects46:37 Building an Audience and “Chasing the World” in Book Writing and Film Making51:39 The Benefits of Pandemic Delays56:21 Building Students’ Futures When College Counselors are the First to be Cut58:25 “Flooding the System with Humans”, and Lessons on Scaling from Paul LeBlancThought 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 YouTubeFollow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.Connect with Rita on TikTokSign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. 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, speaks with Ben Nelson, Chairman and CEO of the Minerva Project, and Founder of Minerva University. They discuss the mission behind the Minerva Project: a university that prioritizes active learning, global perspectives, and impactful application of knowledge, and what it means to rethink what higher education could look like. 0:27: Introduction - Building the Intentional University2:34: The 23-Year-Old CEO - Managing Stakeholders and Loneliness3:43: The 29-Year-Old CEO - When Command-and-Control Leadership Thrives6:40: Succession and Setting Up Your Future Organization for Success8:38: Why “Socializing” A Decision is Ineffective9:59: Ben Nelson’s Critiques of Education11:22: The Retention Issue: How Would Present-Day You do on an Exam from your Undergraduate Days?12:34: Minerva University’s Mission: Enabling Authentic Learning and Systems Thinking16:24: The Qualities of Educational Systems Designed for a Different Era19:27: Breaking Structures and Flipping Classrooms20:46: Building Deep Processing Skills to Retain Knowledge21:40: Measuring How Broadly Students can Apply What They’ve Learned23:18: Living in Six Countries in Three Years of Study27:52: Using AI Effectively to Inform Human Decision-Making33:11: The Role of the University in Disseminating (and Interrogating) Knowledge35:17: The Gaps in Project-Based Learning: When Do You Really Know How to Build a Bike?38:08: Blockbuster, and Why the Case Method Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story41:56: 1,000 Graduates, and Growing: Minerva Methodology in Universities and High Schools49:59: The Chicken-and-Egg Conundrum of Founding a New University52:40: When Do Some Universities Run the Risk of Becoming “Diploma Mills”?56:44: “Read a Hundred Opinion Columns, and Disagree with Ninety-Five of Them”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 YouTubeFollow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.Connect with Rita on TikTokSign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. 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, speaks with Jean Oelwang, founding CEO of Virgin Unite, author of Partnering: Forge the Deep Connections That Make Great Things Happen, and fierce advocate for the planet. Their conversation features case studies from Ben & Jerry’s, The Elders, and the global coordination around the hole in the ozone layer. 0:43: Breaking Glass Ceilings in the Telecommunications Sector2:42: Scaling Global Solutions and the Creation of Virgin Unite with Richard Branson4:09: The Story of Azeem and Plez: Building Bridges after Tragedy6:04: Ben and Jerry’s and The Elders: How Deep Connections Make Business Thrive8:13: Co-Creating The Elders with President Jimmy Carter9:39: The Throughline of Human Hope11:38: How We Addressed The Hole in the Ozone Layer18:10: The Need for Simple Communication Around Social Problems21:02: The Power of Mergers and what the Non-Profit Sector Can Learn from the Business Sector23:50: Why Purpose Matters25:50: Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard: “Magnetic Moments” Around Failure27:39: Ari De Geus’ The Living Company29:27: Lessons in Trust from Pandemic Layoffs at Airbnb35:29: Shared Ownership Models as an Answer to the Current AI Moment38:29: Carlota Perez’s Conception of a New Golden Age40:02: The $8 Trillion Cost of Disengagement at Work41:14: Planetary Guardians’ Crucial Work43:24: Celebrating Small Successes in the Fight Against Climate Change45:38: The Pitfalls of Hyper-Individualism and IsolationThought 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 YouTubeFollow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.Connect with Rita on TikTokSign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. 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, speaks with Sabina Nawaz, author of the book “You’re the Boss” leadership secrets of the world’s most successful managers. Their conversation covers the fascinating concept of leading through pressure, which when managed correctly, creates new avenues for innovation and growth, and fosters resiliency. 1:51 How a Book Begins: 12,000 pages of Data on what it’s like to work with a boss3:29 Managing at Microsoft: Sabina’s Personal Leadership Transformation4:58 How Pressure - And Not Just Power - Corrupts6:35 The Power of Doing Nothing Under Pressure 7:46 “Blank Space”: How Mental Rest Can Help Reveal Insights10:42 How Micro Habits Change Your Day, 10 Seconds At A Time12:31 Time Portfolios: Rethinking How You Spend Your Days, In Small Steps14:29 “Still Doing Their Previous Job”: When Duties Collect With Promotions16:26 “Innocent Saboteurs”: How Good Intentions Go Awry17:32 42 Questions For Senior Leaders To Get Real Insights 19:50 Power As A Broken Volume Knob: Muted Employees, Amplified Managers20:42 The Danger of the Singular Story: Avoiding Acting On Incomplete Information23:55 “Don’t Act Until You Have At Least Three Stories”25:47 Mission-Driven Strategy: How Purpose Underlies Forking Paths27:08 Practicing Divergent Thinking To Accommodate For Crises28:41 Trust and The 7 Communication Fault Lines33:57 Executive Symbolism: What A Leader’s Actions And Expressions Communicate35:46 The 5 Steps to Framing A Meeting 39:50 Leadership Insights from General Electric, Honeywell, and Build-A-Bear Workshop42:15: Sharon Price John’s “Stop Doing Stupid Stuff, Start Doing Smart Stuff”44:28 Cultural Transformation in The Age of AI and Dematerialization49:51 Combining Empathy And Accountability in the Future of Work51:33 The Benefits and Limitations of BureaucracyThought 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 YouTubeFollow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.Connect with Rita on TikTokSign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. 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, speaks with Scott Barry Kaufman, a Columbia University psychologist and expert in intelligence, creativity, and human potential. They share insights into empowerment, shifting our mindsets, and actualizing our full potential in both personal and professional contexts. 00:00 Meet Scott Barry Kaufman: Author of "Rise Above" & Expert on Overcoming Victim Mindset to Unlock Human Potential00:58 Teaching the Science of Living Well: When Students Face Uncertain Futures01:42 The Philosophy Job Market Reality: "They Never Were Really in a Job Anyway"02:54 From Special Ed to Human Potential: What Sparked Scott's Life Mission04:36 The Hidden Sources of Victim Mindset: Beyond External Circumstances06:01 Beautiful Monsters: Making Peace with Your Dark Side07:18 Being vs. Doing: Why We've Lost Focus on Character Over Achievement09:22 What's Your End-of-Life Plan? Forget Five-Year Goals11:32 Defining Victim Mindset: When Past Trauma Becomes Your Identity12:18 The Empowerment Mindset: Yes-And Your Life Like Improv Comedy13:26 Honest Love: The Third Way Between Coddling and Bootstrap Mentality15:44 Why Abused Women Stay: The Counterintuitive Psychology of Attention17:03 Self-Actualization Coaching vs. Trauma-Informed Therapy21:03 "You Are Not Broken": Finding Light Within After Trauma22:35 Continued Freshness of Appreciation: Seeing Beauty Despite Your Past24:49 Let People Wallow Sometimes: Why There's No Expiration Date on Growth28:48 Growth Motivation vs. Growth Mindset: Beyond Carol Dweck's Framework31:30 Beyond Growth Mindset: Why 'Empowerment Mindset' Is the New Framework35:41 The Consciousness Shift: From "I Have To" to "I Get To"38:49 "Nobody's Coming to Save You": Breaking Out of Special Ed47:09 Who This Book Is Really For: Are You Sick of Spinning Your Wheels?49:16 20 Years From Now: When Humans and AI Merge57:30 Human-Centered Leadership: What Love Means in the WorkplaceThought 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 YouTubeFollow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.Connect with Rita on TikTokSign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. 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, speaks with Martin Reeves, Chair of the BCG Henderson Institute. Their conversation pulls from Reeves’ recent book "Like: The Button That Changed the World”, to explore how digital feedback has shaped our culture, political institutions, and innovation practices, with case studies from Cambridge Analytica, Apple, McDonald’s, TikTok, and more.00:00 Meet Martin Reeves: BCG's Chairman & Author of "Like: The Button That Changed the World00:58 7 to 100 Billion Uses Per Day: How Kids Define Status Through Digital Feedback03:01 The Roman Colosseum Myth That Fooled Silicon Valley03:49 From Ancient Painting to American Psyche: How Art Reproductions Shaped Culture06:49 The Disruption Hidden in Plain Sight: Why Cheap Reproductions Changed Everything07:42 From TV Set-Top Boxes to Digital Revolution: The Evolution of Feedback08:27 "Don't Make Me Think": Why the Apple Watch Isn't Actually a Watch09:24 The "Uber of Everything" Problem: Why Naming Your Innovation Is Strategic10:28 The 50-Company Secret: Why Innovation Heroes Don't Actually Exist12:29 The Innovation Nobody Predicted: How Tactical Problems Become Business Gold15:38 The Transistor Truth: Why Innovation Is Really Just Advanced Tinkering16:41 Why 70% of Scientists Can't Predict Their Own Breakthrough Discoveries20:03 The $2 Billion Advertising Bubble: Why 89% of Ads Vanish Into Thin Air22:09 When Cambridge Analytica Proved Digital Feedback Actually Works26:18 The McDonald's McLean Disaster: When Market Research Lies to You35:32 The TikTok Experiment: Manufacturing Sentiment at Government Scale38:45 When Bots Like Bots: The Hidden Economy of Manufactured Influence46:13 The Future of Corporations: Do We Still Need Mega-Companies?47:32 From Savannah to Silicon Valley: Why Our Brains Aren't Built for Modern Business54:23 Science Fiction Strategy: Using Imagined Futures to Plan for Today55:48 The Philanthropic Corporation: When Work Provides Purpose, Not Just Income59:20 Why Innovation Books Take on Lives of Their Own (And What's Next for AI)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 ⁠YouTube⁠Follow Rita on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠X⁠ and ⁠Blue Sky⁠.Connect with Rita on ⁠TikTok⁠Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on ⁠Substack⁠. 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, speaks with Robert Pasin, Chief Wagon Officer at Radio Flyer. They take a deep dive into the history of the iconic wagon brand and the three generations of Pasin’s family that have helmed the brand. Covering everything from the e-commerce revolution that transformed how retail operated to shutdowns that threatened the brand as a whole, they share strategic insights applicable across sectors. 00:00 Meet Robert Pasin: Chief Wagon Officer & 4th Generation Leader of Radio Flyer01:16 The 5-Year-Old's First Day at Work: A Magical Factory That Changed Everything02:09 From Italy to Chicago: The Immigrant Carpenter Who Built an American Icon03:46 The Mystery Behind the Name "Radio Flyer" Finally Solved04:41 The 45-Foot Giant That Launched a Brand at the 1933 World's Fair06:03 When a 100-Year Company Almost Died: The Early 90s Crisis07:31 The Plastic Revolution That Blindsided Radio Flyer09:24 From "We Make Wagons" to "We Create Warm Memories"11:36 The Bank Meeting That Taught a Young CEO About Cash Flow13:03 The Tricycle That Never Existed (But Everyone Remembered Having)14:38 Becoming CEO at 28: "Nobody Else Wanted the Job"18:59 "Plant a Lot of Seeds": How to Innovate Without Betting the Farm20:07 Inside Radio Flyer's Prototype Shop: Where Ideas Become Reality22:40 Why Radio Flyer Thinks "Quarter Century, Not Quarter"29:12 The Day They Shut Down the Factory: A Leadership Test38:04 From Toys"R"Us to Amazon: Adapting to Retail's Revolution41:47 Why Focus Groups Lie: The Power of Observing Real Behavior49:06 The 360 Feedback That Changed Everything52:50 Electric Bikes and the Next Chapter: Hauling Kids for Another 100 Years56:47 The One Leadership Skill That Matters Most58:20 Why Teenage Kids Are the Ultimate CEO Reality CheckThought 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 YouTubeFollow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.Connect with Rita on TikTokSign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com

Frank Rose, a senior fellow at Columbia University and author of "The Sea We Swim In," joins Rita McGrath to dive into the art of storytelling in the digital age. They discuss how technological advances have reshaped narratives, citing examples like James Cameron's film innovations and Trent Reznor's storytelling in music. The duo also explores the emotional aspects of persuasion, the critical role of audience engagement, and how brands can create lasting loyalty through immersive storytelling.

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 Karla Trotman, CEO of ElectroSoft, Inc, the largest Black- and woman-owned electronics contract manufacturer in the United States, and author of “Dark, Dirty, Dangerous”. They shed light on the unique challenges that family business face and how Karla broke barriers in the manufacturing industry to lead true innovation. 00:00 Meet Karla Trotman: Manufacturing CEO & Author of "Dark, Dirty, Dangerous" 01:16 From Kitchen Table to Corporate Empire: An Accidental Manufacturing Dynasty 02:20 Why Smart Kids Reject Family Businesses (And How One Changed Her Mind) 03:20 The E-Commerce Pivot That Led Back Home: When Amazon Changed Everything 04:44 Family Business Drama: When Three Siblings Want the Same Company 08:07 The Brutal Honesty That Saved a Family Legacy 09:56 Presidential Training Wheels: Learning to Lead Alongside Your Predecessor 12:13 Breaking Into the Boys' Club: A Woman of Color's Manufacturing Journey 15:46 Busting the Manufacturing Myth: It's Not Dark, Dirty, or Dangerous Anymore 16:36 The Great American Manufacturing Mistake: How We Made Other Countries Rich 20:02 The $70K High School Graduate: When Welding Beats Wall Street 20:38 Why Parents Are Finally Coming to Their Senses About College vs. Trades 22:16 Building Submarines and Changing Lives: The Military's Manufacturing Campaign 40:09 From Windows XP to AI: The Digital Transformation That Almost Broke the Bank 43:01 You Have to Be Crazy to Be an Entrepreneur: Why Everything is a Bet 46:57 The Light Fixture Philosophy: Investing in People, Not Waste 49:02 The DEI Backlash: Why Treating People Equally Became Controversial 51:17 The Blind Spot Solution: Why Diverse Teams Win (Despite Feeling Worse) 55:31 The Wrestling Match: What It's Really Like Being the Only One in the Room 1:00:48 The Conference That Saved Her Company: Why Leaders Must Leave Their Desks 1:01:57 Doing President vs. Being President: The Real Work of Leadership 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 YouTubeFollow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.Connect with Rita on TikTokSign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. 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, speaks with Sharon Price John, CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop and author of “Stories and Heart: Unlock the Power of Personal Stories to Create a Life You Love”.  This special live episode was taped at Columbia Business School, where Sharon Price John delivered a keynote as part of Columbia Women in Business’s Women’s History Month celebration. They discuss confidence, and how lack of confidence can hamper both personal and professional growth. They identify the 3 reasons for the lack of confidence – fear of failure, pursuit of perfectionism, and negative self talk – and give actionable strategies for how to overcome low self esteem. How striking the balance between confidence and competence is key to success. 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 ⁠YouTube⁠Follow Rita on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠X⁠ and ⁠Blue Sky⁠.Connect with Rita on ⁠TikTok⁠Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on ⁠Substack⁠. Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com