Thinking With Mitch Joel

Roger Martin, retired Rotman dean and strategy advisor known for Playing To Win, joins to unpack strategy in an AI era. He contrasts AI as a questioning thought partner vs an answer engine. They explore AI’s tendency toward modal answers, how to use it to reach rare insights, the promise and limits of diversity, and why rigorous strategy is really persuasive argumentation.

David "Shingy" Shing, creative strategist and former 'Digital Prophet' at AOL and Verizon, now a Substack writer and advisor on branding, culture and AI. He explores how AI reshapes creativity, the risks of homogenized generative work, and why brands should focus on experiences, cultural interpretation, and restraint in a data-saturated world.

Muriel Wilkins, an executive coach and CEO of Paravis Partners, shares her expertise in guiding senior leaders through complexities. She emphasizes the importance of inner work over traditional strategies for effective leadership. Muriel discusses how unconscious beliefs hinder potential and highlights adult development theory as a lens for leadership growth. The conversation also covers integrating AI in decision-making, fostering discernment, and the idea that while pain is inevitable, suffering is a choice leaders can navigate.

In this conversation, Joe O'Connor, CEO of Work Time Revolution and co-author of 'Do More in Four,' delves into the fading relevance of the five-day workweek. He discusses how burnout and outdated productivity metrics are reshaping our work culture, especially in the AI era. Joe makes a compelling case for the four-day workweek as a strategy not just for efficiency, but as a societal benefit. He also highlights the importance of collective solutions to improve equity in the workforce while navigating the flexibility versus structural change debate.

In this engaging discussion, Paul Leonardi, a Professor at UC Santa Barbara and author of Digital Exhaustion, unpackages the paradox of our digital age. He highlights how technology's vast capabilities often come with mental fatigue due to constant task switching and emotional strain. Leonardi discusses the implications of surveillance capitalism, the overload of information, and the erosion of traditional communication norms. Through practical strategies, he encourages listeners to reclaim focus, suggesting a reduction of tools and intentional use to combat the exhaustion we often feel.

In this conversation with Mark Schaefer, a seasoned marketing strategist and author, they dive into the profound effects of AI on consumer behavior. Mark highlights how AI is reshaping empathy, trust, and creativity in marketing. He emphasizes the importance of curiosity as a skill to combat over-reliance on automation. They also discuss the shift from an attention economy to one based on genuine connections, and the enduring nature of art and human passion in the face of technological change.

Judd Kessler, an influential economist and the inaugural Howard Marks Endowed Professor at Wharton, dives into the concept of hidden markets. He discusses how these markets operate based on rules rather than prices, using examples like concert tickets and organ donations. Kessler explains the role of lotteries and waiting lists in reducing friction and promoting fairness. He highlights AI's disruptive impact on market signaling and the importance of strategic design in daily life. Discover how understanding these hidden systems can help us navigate scarcity.

Join Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute and author of 'Burn The Playbook,' as he dives into the importance of audience ownership and the creator economy. He discusses how legacy content remains valuable despite algorithm changes. Joe emphasizes building trust through repetition and focusing on audience needs over mass reach. He shares insights on networking and overcoming obstacles in creative ventures, all while navigating the balance between AI advancements and maintaining human connection.

Vanessa Urch Druskat, an esteemed organizational psychologist and professor known for her pioneering work on Team Emotional Intelligence, dives into how effective collaboration is engineered, not inherent. She delves into the critical role of team norms over individual traits in driving performance and discusses the importance of psychological safety in fostering collaboration. Vanessa shares insights on adapting to remote work dynamics, the necessity of coaching in leadership, and how understanding each other strengthens teams. Her research highlights emotional intelligence as fundamental to high-performing cultures.

Ranjay Gulati, a Harvard Business School professor and bestselling author, dives into the nuances of courage and fear in this engaging discussion. He differentiates between uncertainty and risk, revealing how both can trigger instinctual reactions. Gulati emphasizes the importance of purpose in leadership and explains why inaction often trumps data. He introduces the 'Six C's' of courage and discusses the challenges of cultivating collective courage in hybrid work environments. With practical insights, he highlights how introspection can empower individuals to act boldly.