Thought Sparks

Oct 28 2024 96 ep. 57 mins 5

Thought Sparks Podcast artwork

Insightful ideas, actionable suggestions, strategic thinking, Innovation and more with Rita Gunther McGrath, Columbia Business School Professor, Thinkers50 Top 10, #1 in Strategy.  Join Rita and Listen to Thought Sparks!

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Thought Sparks with Rita McGrath & Frederik Pferdt Adjunct Professor at Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design

Oct 28 2024 60 mins

Frederik Pferdt was Google's Chief Innovation Evangelist, building a world-class organization that trained tens of thousands to face the world in a future-ready way. He is an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, where he teaches courses called things like "Hacking Your Innovation Mindset." His brand-new book, "Next is Now: How to Live Fut

Thought Sparks with Rita McGrath & Julia Boorstin, Senior media & technology reporter at CNBC and Author of "When Women Lead

Sep 11 2024 61 mins

There was a time when there was a standard template for what kinds of people became leaders. They were confident. They had the answers. They led by example. They told people exactly what needed to be done. Oh, and they were usually tall, and nearly always, men. We've learned, though, that while that kind of leadership certainly has its place, in rapidly changing, uncertain situ

Rita McGrath & Paul LeBlanc Author of "Broken: How Our Social Systems are Failing Us and How We Can Fix Them" - Thought Sparks

May 24 2024 58 mins

This week's guest is Paul LeBlanc, who has just stepped down as President of Southern New Hampshire University. In his tenure, he took back online education from predatory for-profit institutions to give thousands of students access to higher education. He's also the author of a fascinating book called "Broken: How Our Social Systems are Failing Us and How We Can Fix T

Rita McGrath & Barron Witherspoon Author of "The Black Exec: And the Seven Myths"- Thought Sparks

May 02 2024 59 mins

Today we are hosting Barron Witherspoon on my Friday Fireside Chat. He's the author of "The Black Exec: And the Seven Myths", which draws from his 38-year career at Procter & Gamble, where he retired as Senior Vice President for Global Industry Affairs & The Corporate Race Initiative. He now enjoys a second career as an ordained minister, out of Cincinnati.

Rita McGrath & Steve Wunker co-author of "The Innovative Leader" - Thought Sparks

Apr 12 2024 59 mins

The phrase "innovate or die" has never been more relevant, yet the track record of most companies for organic innovation is dismal. But, there are leaders who demonstrate that making innovation an actual proficiency can be accomplished. Steve Wunker, together with his co-authors Jennifer Luo Law and Hari Nair, de-mystify the process. Examples include Microsoft's Satya

Rita McGrath & Anupam B Jena, Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School - Thought Sparks

Mar 07 2024 59 mins

Here's my conversation with Anupam B. Jena! He's the Joseph P. Newhouse Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School and a physician in the Department of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, and if that weren't enough, he hosts the Freakonomics MD podcast, and has just written a fascinating book called "Random Acts of Medicine". We'll b

Rita McGrath & Chip Conley, Author of "Learning to Love Mid-Life"- Thought Sparks

Feb 27 2024 59 mins

Chip Conley is on a mission to make mid-life a welcome and joyous part of life's journey! His new book "Learning to Love Mid-Life" is an invitation to explore the wisdom that comes with experience, to let go of baggage that doesn't serve you well and to transform toward a fulfilling future. He'll be joining me by the fireside on February 23 at noon EST to talk

Rita McGrath & Bob Sutton, Author of the "The Friction Project" - Thought Sparks

Jan 25 2024 59 mins

Stanford's Bob Sutton is one of the smartest people on the planet with respect to what goes on in organizations and why (hint - he's the guy that helps you deal with organizational A**holes). He has a brand-new book coming out, "The Friction Project" with Huggy Rao on the subtle ways in which leaders can make the right things easier and the wrong things harder. Bo

Rita McGrath & Matt Abrahams Award-winning Podcast Host - Thought Sparks

Jan 10 2024 59 mins

Here's my first Friday Fireside Chat of 2024, I'll be talking to award-winning podcast host and communications expert Matt Abrahams. He'll share time-tested techniques for rocking that unexpected conversation in which you have a great opportunity to make an impression. Much better than flubbing it and wishing you got the chance for a do-over. Rita McGrath is a best-se

Rita McGrath & Kelly Richmond-Pope, a Professor at DePaul University - Thought Sparks

Dec 14 2023 58 mins

Forensic accounting and filmmaking? How does that go together? Well, join Kelly Richmond-Pope, a Professor at DePaul University in Chicago as we delve in what she's learned from years of studying fraudsters, scammers and backroom operators of all kinds. Her new book is "Fool Me Once" and it uncovers what makes perps tick, why victims are so gullible, and why whistlebl