Thinkers & Ideas

In Climate Capitalism: Winning the Global Race to Zero Emissions, Akshat Rathi tells the stories of people around the world who are building impactful solutions to tackle climate change.Rathi is a senior reporter for Bloomberg News, focusing on climate and energy. He also hosts the weekly Zero podcast, in which he talks to the people leading the fight for a zero-emissions future. In his new book, Rathi argues that the best way to cut carbon pollution is by harnessing capitalism. Combating climate change requires a combination of smart policies, financing, technological innovations, and leadership—without killing markets or competition.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Rathi discusses the essence of climate capitalism, how to scale up individual success stories, and how to navigate the challenging political context. Key topics discussed: 02:09 | Definition of climate capitalism07:19 | Success stories: Chinese EVs, Orsted11:31 | The need to combine tech, policies, and finance12:52 | How to scale case studies to big solutions16:24 | Navigating a polarized political context18:45 | Making climate solutions profitable24:06 | Where CEOs should start

Associate professor Kohei Saito discusses the need for economic system change to combat climate change. He explores radical ideas like de-growth, challenges posed by capitalism, and alternative metrics of progress. The conversation touches on prioritizing well-being over GDP growth, exploring utopian ideas for happiness, and creating sustainable business models. Saito also shares insights on engaging marginalized voices for societal transformation.

Alison Taylor, Clinical associate professor at NYU Stern, discusses how companies can reach 'higher ground' ethically. Key topics include governance importance, purpose deployment, political stances, trust building, and solutions for businesses.

Organizational psychology expert Bob Sutton and Martin Reeves delve into the concept of friction in organizations, discussing its negative consequences, characteristics of good friction, and practical steps for removing it. They explore the impact of friction in a world of AI and its application in academia, highlighting the need for strategic management to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

In Permacrisis: A Plan to Fix a Fractured World, Mohamed El-Erian and Michael Spence, along with their coauthors, Gordon Brown and Reid Lidow, consider how we’ve arrived at this state of constant instability and insecurity—and suggest concrete ways to break the cycle.Mohamed El-Erian, president of Queens’ College Cambridge University, was previously the chair of President Obama’s Global Development Council, a Deputy Director at the International Monetary Fund, and CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO.Michael Spence, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Philip H. Knight Professor and dean, emeritus, at Stanford Graduate School of Business, was awarded the 2001 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.Together with Martin Reeves, the Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, El-Erian and Spence discuss new approaches to thinking about growth, economic management, and managing a global order, as well as how leaders could unlock the full potential of technologies that could drive growth, and ensure that the benefits of technological advancements, like AI, are widely distributed to avoid exacerbating national tensions.Key topics discussed: 01:59 | Defining permacrisis08:58 | The essence of how we need to think differently about growth and value10:32 | Unlocking the full potential of technologies that could drive growth14:09 | How to ensure that the benefits of technological advancements, like AI, are widely distributed to avoid exacerbating national tensions19:40 | Anticipating or managing similar crises (COVID-19) in the future25:15 | Reforming multilateral institutions

Dr. Fei-Fei Li, a leading AI expert and former Google scientist, shares her journey from immigrating to the U.S. at 15 to becoming a pivotal figure in artificial intelligence. She discusses the evolution of AI, highlighting breakthroughs from Alan Turing to modern advancements like ChatGPT. Li emphasizes the ethical implications of AI, urging businesses to navigate bias and privacy concerns responsibly. She also explores how AI can create competitive advantages and the need for educational reforms to prepare future generations for an AI-driven world.

Jay Barney, a professor of strategic management, discusses the power of stories in changing organizational culture. Topics include defining culture, successful culture change examples, characteristics of culture-changing stories, navigating culture wars, and applying stories and culture change in a business school setting.

Andrew McAfee, expert on how technological progress changes the world, discusses the 'geek way' of corporate culture based on science, ownership, speed, and openness. They explore the core tenets of the 'geek way', how it can be applied to any business, and overcoming its limitations. They also discuss the role of strategy, the uniqueness of the 'geek way', and recommend Andrew McAfee's book on the subject.

In Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership, Dr. Kirstin Ferguson provides a practical guide to balancing the rational and emotional components of leadership.Ferguson is an expert on leadership, an experienced leader in the private and public sectors, and a longtime advocate of gender equity. In her new book, she identifies the key attributes of a “head and heart” leader, providing people with the tools to reflect on and adapt their own approach to each situation. She combines vivid stories and extensive research to inspire her readers to become better, more authentic, modern leaders.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Ferguson discusses the evolution of leadership thinking, what makes a “head and heart” leader, and how leaders can improve their effectiveness and adaptability. They also reflect on how leadership, and particularly the “heart” attributes, will be more crucial than ever with the rise of AI in the workplace.Key topics discussed:02:36 | How has thinking on leadership evolved?06:05 | What are the attributes of a “head and heart” leader?08:25 | How can you improve your “head and heart” leadership attributes?18:24 | Are leaders aging, and is there a need to make space for younger talents?20:05 | How might AI change the art of leadership?Additional inspirations from Dr. Kirstin Ferguson:Certain Uncertainty: Leading with Agility and Resilience in an Unpredictable World (Wiley, 2023)Women Kind: Unlocking the Power of Women Supporting Women (Murdoch Books, 2019)Got a Minute? (Weekly column, The Sydney Morning Herald)

In How to Work with (Almost) Anyone, Michael Bungay Stanier outlines how to set up working relationships for the best chance of success—by following a process of thorough preparation, a keystone conversation, and regular maintenance.Bungay Stanier, founder of coaching firm Box of Crayons, is a world-renowned thought leader on coaching and author of the best-selling coaching book, The Coaching Habit. In his most recent book, he focuses on relationship-building, providing readers with processes and principles, as well as exercises and ample practical advice to sharpen their skills.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Bungay Stanier discusses how to build the “best possible relationship” and how to maintain and repair it over time. Moreover, they assess how to create a corporate culture conducive to these relationships, and how to make these relationships work in a hybrid or remote setting.Key topics discussed:01:22 | How to make difficult relationships more workable03:39 | Definition of a “best possible relationship” and how to build it05:54 | How to have a keystone conversation12:26 | The impact of corporate culture and different personality types15:44 | How to maintain and repair relationships20:42 | The implications of hybrid and remote work22:31 | How leaders can apply these lessons in their organizations