BCG Henderson Institute

In The Measure of Progress: Counting What Really Matters, Dame Diane Coyle argues that traditional measures like GDP no longer capture economic realities.Coyle is the Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. She is also the director of the Productivity Institute, a fellow of the Office for National Statistics, and a member of the UK's Competition Commission. Drawing on her deep expertise, she proposes an alternative framework for measuring productivity that enables better policymaking.In her conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, she discusses the shortcomings of GDP—such as a lack of accounting for immaterial goods or natural capital, alternative measures of progress, and how corporate leaders should rethink their approach to measurement.Key topics discussed: 01:32 | The shortcomings of GDP as a measure of productivity09:14 | The issues of inflated GDP statements11:12 | Alternative measures of productivity and progress13:47 | A time-based approach to measuring productivity16:39 | How productivity measurement works in practice18:57 | Implications for corporate leadersAdditional inspirations from Diane Coyle:Cogs and Monsters: What Economics Is, and What It Should Be (Princeton University Press, 2021)GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History (Princeton University Press, 2015)The Soulful Science: What Economists Really Do and Why It Matters (Princeton University Press, 2009)Sex, Drugs and Economics: An Unconventional Intro to Economics (Texere, 2002)

In Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare, Edward Fishman argues that the nature of international power has fundamentally shifted from military might to economic statecraft.Fishman is a senior research scholar at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy and an adjunct professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia. Previously, he served at the US State Department, leading work on economic sanctions. In his new book, he examines how governments—particularly the US's—are increasingly using financial tools, regulatory measures, and targeted sanctions to shape international relations, secure strategic advantages, and resolve conflicts.In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the history of sanctions, how the US came to wield them so powerfully, how diplomatic back channels are navigated in applying them—and what is important for making them effective in enforcing the desired governance changes.Key topics discussed: 02:05 | The history of chokepoints and US dominance over them08:45 | The role of businesses in economic diplomacy12:17 | Navigating diplomatic back channels15:32 | The role of technology and export controls19:45 | Oil price caps as an innovation in sanctions design23:10 | The effectiveness of sanctions in enforcing governance changes27:44 | On the origins of this bookAdditional inspirations from Edward Fishman:Foreign Affairs: How Trump Could Dethrone the Dollar (April 8, 2025)

In There's Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift, Kevin Evers examines the singer-songwriter's remarkable career success from a business strategy perspective.Evers is a senior editor at Harvard Business Review, where he has edited bestselling and award-winning books on high performance, creativity, innovation, digital disruption, marketing, and strategy.In discussion with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, they cover the scale and longevity of Swift's success, the strategic moves and innovations that have driven her rise and staying power, her ability to reinvent herself and connect with fans in new ways, and lessons for strategists and companies.

In Space to Grow: Unlocking the Final Economic Frontier, Matthew C. Weinzierl and Brendan Rosseau discuss the discuss the history, the present, and the future of the space economy.Weinzierl is the Joseph and Jacqueline Elbling professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and founder of the Economics of Space project at HBS. Rosseau is an Orbital Launch strategy manager at the American space technology company Blue Origin. Together, they provide in-depth academic and practitioner perspectives on the space economy.In their conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, they discuss the central governance vs. market-driven models of the space economy, the geopolitics of space, and whether the first trillionaire will be an asteroid miner.Key topics discussed: 02:03 | The three phases of the space economy05:28 | Central governance vs. market-driven model of the space economy08:23 | Geopolitics of space11:33 | The market structure of the space economy (on Earth)17:14 | Space junk21:03 | Asteroid mining23:47 | How to make space interesting again

In The Corporation in the Twenty-First Century: Why (Almost) Everything We Are Told About Business Is Wrong, John Kay provides a novel perspective on the evolution of the contemporary corporation.One of the UK's leading economists, Kay is a fellow of St John's College, Oxford. He was the first dean of Oxford's Saïd Business School and has held chairs at London Business School, the University of Oxford, and the London School of Economics and director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies.In his conversation with Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Kay discusses the essence of the modern corporation, the changing relationship of capital and labour, the gap between the our historic concept of the corporation and the current reality and the forces that have and will further shape the corporation including sustainability, geopolitics, and technology.Key topics discussed: 01:56 | The essence of a 21st century corporation05:53 | The changing roles of workers and capital12:26 | Limits to corporate scale16:00 | Forces that will shape the future of corporations sustainability, geopolitics, technology21:50 | The impact of AI on the nature of the corporation24:12 | Implications for managersAdditional inspirations from John Kay:Radical Uncertainty: Decision-Making Beyond the Numbers (W.W. Norton & Company, 2020)The Long and the Short of It: A guide to finance and investment for normally intelligent people who aren't in the industry (IPS - Profile Books, 2016)Other People's Money: The Real Business of Finance (PublicAffairs, 2015)Obliquity: Why Our Goals Are Best Achieved Indirectly (Profile Books GB, 2011)

In Uncertainty and Enterprise: Venturing Beyond the Known, Amar Bhidé revisits and modernizes the concept of Knightian uncertainty. Introduced more than 100 years ago, the concept offers great potential for better understanding corporate decision-making.A renowned expert on innovation, entrepreneurship, and finance, Bhidé is a professor of Health Policy at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, as well as a professor emeritus of Business at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.In his conversation with Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Bhidé discusses the important distinction between repeated and unique events, the relationship between uncertainty and imagination, how corporations can use persuasive narratives and social routes to navigate the future, and whether AI will help or hinder these practices.Key topics discussed:01:16 | The definition of uncertainty04:49 | The relation between uncertainty and imagination09:32 | The power of corporate routines15:57 | The changing nature of uncertainty17:25 | How AI impacts uncertainty21:02 | Corporate implications22:38 | Implications for business educationAdditional inspirations from Amar Bhidé:A Call for Judgment: Sensible Finance for a Dynamic Economy (Oxford University Press, 2010)The Venturesome Economy: How Innovation Sustains Prosperity in a More Connected World (Princeton University Press, 2008)The Origin and Evolution of New Businesses (Oxford University Press, 2000)Flourishing in an Uncertain World: How Entrepreneurs Overcome Doubts and Disagreements (The Kansas City Public Library Lecture, 2025)

In The M&A Failure Trap: Why Most Mergers and Acquisitions Fail and How the Few Succeed, Baruch Lev and Feng Gu provide a wealth of evidence on the success and failure factors of acquisitions.Lev, professor emeritus of Accounting and Finance at NYU's Stern School of Business and Gu, professor of Accounting and Law at the State University of New York, have analyzed more than 40,000 acquisitions over the past four decades. This has not only allowed them to understand the reasons why 75% of deals fail but also to develop a scorecard that can help decision-makers assess the likelihood of acquisition success ex ante.In their conversation with Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Lev and Gu discuss how to measure acquisition success, how to curb overconfidence on the side of the acquirer, and key lessons for CEOs seeking inorganic growth.Key topics discussed:[02:45] How mergers and acquisitions have changed[05:00] Judging the success or failure of acquisitions[08:16] Drivers of acquisition failure[14:41] Patterns of successful acquisitions[17:27] Overconfidence and its causes[19:51] Managerial implications

In Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior, Sandra Matz explores what our digital footprints reveal about us and how these insights are used to influence our daily decisions.Matz is the David W. Zalaznick Associate Professor of Business at Columbia Business School, where she also serves as co-director of the Center for Advanced Technology and Human Performance. Using her background in psychology and computer science, Matz investigates the intricate connections between our digital and real lives and how these are shaped by technology.In her conversation with Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Matz discusses the power of psychological profiling, highlights the harms as well as benefits of the personalization it enables, and outlines implications for businesses and regulators, including the possibility of entirely new business models.Key topics discussed: [01:10] Power of psychological profiling[05:05] Scale and impact of big data–based psychological profiling[09:06] Benefits and harms of personalization[16:05] Challenges of regulating profiling and personalization[17:57] Ramifications of the AI-driven content revolution[23:20] Implications for businesses[28:37] How to manage your data footprintAdditional inspirations from Sandra Matz: Psychological Targeting: What Your Digital Footprints Reveal About You (TED Talk, 2019)

In The Unaccountability Machine: Why Big Systems Make Terrible Decisions and How the World Lost Its Mind, Dan Davies examines why companies and governments systematically generate outcomes that everyone involved claims they do not want.Davies is an economist, writer, and former investment banker known for his insightful analysis of finance, corporate governance, and decision-making systems. He has written extensively on topics such as financial fraud, accountability in organizations, and the intersections of economics and management. His latest book combines cybernetics theory and real-world examples to explain how decisions are increasingly made not by accountable individuals, but by systems.In his conversation with Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Davies describes the pathologies of failing decision-making systems, explains why we tend not to learn from past mistakes, and outlines why he worries that AI might not improve our capability to make decisions unless we carefully redesign decision systems to tap its potential.Key topics discussed: 01:03 | Unintended outcomes generated by decision-making systems07:08 | What we can learn from the theory of cybernetics09:49 | Pathologies of failing information systems11:49 | Why we make the same mistakes again and again14:41 | How AI may impact decision-making16:39 | Steps toward improving our decision-making systemsAdditional inspirations from Dan Davies:The Brompton: Engineering for Change, co-authored by William Butler-Adams (The Experiment, 2022)Lying for Money: How Legendary Frauds Reveal the Workings of the World (Scribner, 2021)Back of Mind (Substack)

In AI Snake Oil: What AI Can Do, What It Can't, and How to Tell the Difference, Sayash Kapoor and his co-author Arvind Narayanan provide an essential understanding of how AI works and why some applications remain fundamentally beyond its capabilities.Kapoor was included in TIME's inaugural list of the 100 most influential people in AI. As a researcher at Princeton University's Center for Information Technology Policy, he examines the societal impacts of AI, with a focus on reproducibility, transparency, and accountability in AI systems. In his new book, he cuts through the hype to help readers discriminate between legitimate and bogus claims for AI technologies and applications.In his conversation with Martin Reeves, chair of the BCG Henderson Institute, Kapoor discusses historical patterns of technology hype, differentiates between the powers and limitations of predictive versus generative AI, and outlines how managers can balance healthy skepticism with embracing the potential of new technologies.Key topics discussed: 01:05 | Examples of AI “snake oil”04:42 | Historical patterns of technology hypeand how AI is different07:26 | Capabilities and exaggerations of predictive AI11:42 | Powers and limitations of generative AI17:11 | Drivers of inflated expectations20:18 | Implications for regulation23:26 | How managers can balance scepticism and embracing new tech24:58 | Future of AI researchAdditional inspirations from Sayash Kapoor:AI Snake Oil (Substack)A Checklist of Eighteen Pitfalls in AI Journalism (UNESCO article, 2022)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In The Age of Outrage: How to Lead in a Polarized World, Karthik Ramanna provides a framework for leaders to navigate outrage—the intense, polarized reactions to perceived social injustices, political stances, and misaligned corporate actions—by addressing root causes, engaging stakeholders, and building resilience.Ramanna, a professor of Business and Public Policy at the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government, specializes in business-government relations and corporate accountability.In conversation with Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Ramanna discusses the three causes of outrage (fear of the future, past injustices, and ideologies of othering), common instincts that mislead leaders, and his five-step framework for navigating the age of outrage.Key topics discussed: 01:08 | Managing in the age of outrage4:21 | Three causes of outrage: fear of the future, past injustices, and ideologies of othering5:48 | The five-step framework for navigating the age of outrage19:04 | Instincts which mislead companies into taking the wrong stance or making the wrong analysis20:45 | The impact of “temperate leadership” and leadership attributes25:22 | Key factors impacting the age of outrageAdditional inspirations from Karthik Ramanna:Political Standards: Corporate Interest, Ideology, and Leadership in the Shaping of Accounting Rules for the Market Economy (The University of Chicago Press, 2015)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In The Corporate Life Cycle: Business, Investment, and Management Implications, Aswath Damodaran presents the corporate life cycle as a universal key for demystifying business finance, strategy and company valuation.Damodaran is a professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University. Known as “the Dean of Valuation,” he has published extensively in academic journals, written many books for students and practitioners, and remains the world's foremost expert on the subject of corporate valuation. In his latest book, he outlines how corporations age, describes the characteristics of each stage of their life cycle, and discusses implications for managers and investors.In his conversation with Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Damodaran outlines how to determine where in the life cycle your company is at, what leadership skills and behaviors are required at each stage, and how the distribution of life cycle stages has changed over recent decades.Key topics discussed: 00:56 | The stages of the corporate life cycle02:21 | How to determine your stage in the life cycle03:36 | The importance of acting your age10:06 | Balancing capital allocation across the portfolio11:27 | Leadership skills for different stages in the life cycle16:56 | Creating value at any stage of the life cycle20:21 | How the distribution of life cycle “shapes” is changing22:58 | The art of communicating complex ideas in simple waysAdditional inspirations from Aswath Damodaran:Applied Corporate Finance (Wiley, 2014)Investment Valuation: Tools and Techniques for Determining the Value of Any Asset (Wiley, 2012)Musings on Markets  (Blog)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In Big Bet Leadership: Your Transformation Playbook for Winning in the Hyper-Digital Era, John Rossman provides a playbook for becoming an innovation and transformation winner.Rossman was previously an executive at Amazon, responsible for launching their Marketplace business. Now, he is the managing partner of Rossman Partners, advising leading enterprises on large-scale change, and author of the best-selling books The Amazon Way and Think Like Amazon. In his latest book, he examines why high-stakes change efforts fail and how to frame and manage them more effectively. Companies need to think in terms of “big bets,” which will require executives to adopt the right mindset, tactical steps, and leadership habits.In his conversation with Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Rossman explains why we need to work in prose, not in PowerPoint; how to think big, while betting small; and how to make the critical decisions to “continue, pivot, or kill” a project.Key topics discussed: 01:19 | What makes a “big bet”04:10 | Thinking in outcomes06:49 | Prose over PowerPoint12:51 | Thinking big, but betting small16:21 | Thinking in systems19:21 | How to decide to “continue, pivot, or kill” – and avoid confusion22:45 | Where “big bet” thinking can be appliedAdditional inspirations from John Rossman:The Amazon Way: Amazon's 14 Leadership Principles (Clyde Hill Publishing, 2021)Think Like Amazon: 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader (McGraw Hill, 2019)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In Critical Systems Thinking: A Practitioner's Guide, Michael C. Jackson emphasizes the need for integrating diverse systems methodologies to navigate complexity and uncertainty.Jackson, an emeritus professor of management systems and former dean of the University of Hull Business School, has also served as president of several prominent systems thinking organizations, including the UK Systems Society, the International Federation for Systems Research, and the International Society for the Systems Sciences. His most significant contribution to the field is his development of Critical Systems Thinking (CST), which emphasizes the combined use of different systems approaches to deal with the complexity that leaders face.In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Jackson introduces the EPIC process (Explore, Produce, Intervene, and Check), a four-stage, sequential framework to help leaders deploy systems methodologies. Their discussion includes how different systems perspectives can be combined, how theory informs interventions, how organizations are embracing system thinking, barriers to adoption, and the relevance of systems thinking to today's business environment.Key topics discussed:2:40 | What systems thinking can offer the traditional MBA toolkit5:20 | Systems thinking in contemporary business scenarios6:37 | The EPIC process: Explore, Produce, Intervene, and Check16:52 | Characteristic tools of systems thinking17:34 | The five lenses of systems thinking21:54 | Advancing the agenda of systems thinkingAdditional inspirations from Michael C. Jackson:Systems Thinking: Creative Holism for Managers (John Wiley & Sons, 2023)Systems Approaches to Management (Springer, 2000)Critical Systems Thinking and the Management of Complexity (Wiley, 2019)Creative Problem Solving: Total Systems Intervention (Wiley, 1991)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

There is no shortage of technologists touting the promise of AI, but the frontier of AI fervor is a noted philosopher who thinks the economy could double every few months—and that space colonization by self-replicating machines may not be hundreds of years away.Enter Nick Bostrom, who previously authored the 2014 bestseller Superintelligence about the dangers of AI, and now considers what can go right with AI in his new book Deep Utopia. Bostrom was formerly a professor at Oxford University, and currently principal researcher of the Macrostrategy Research Initiative.In this episode, he joins Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Chief Economist of BCG, who is skeptical of AI narratives and thinks technology's economic impact has long-lagged expectations. They discuss different takes on the likely size and speed of AI's impact on the macroeconomy, and why they disagree about the prospect of tech-driven mass unemployment. Bostrom also explains key themes from Deep Utopia, including stages of utopia, “shallow and deep” redundancy, implications for policy, as well as the unique rhetorical style of the book.Key topics discussed: 01:45 | Is tech jumping ahead or behind schedule?03:24 | Is Deep Utopia really a book about AI or about philosophy?04:39 | Technological unemployment: Real or fallacious10:54 | Taxonomy of utopia13:59 | What about public policy, such as UBI?15:47 | Concept of shallow and deep redundancy18:50 | Concept of “interestingness”21:07 | Rhetorical style of book23:29 | AI regulation and policyAdditional inspirations from Nick Bostrom:Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies (Oxford University Press, 2014)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In The Great Disconnect: Hopes and Fears After the Excess of Globalization, Marco Magnani explores the factors that are driving the crisis of globalization we are currently experiencing.Magnani teaches international economics at LUISS University in Rome and Università Cattolica in Milan. Previously, he was a senior research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and worked in investment banking for two decades. In his new book, he discusses the history of internationalization and the benefits that modern globalization has brought—as well as the drawbacks that have become increasingly apparent.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Magnani discusses the causes of the increasing global disconnect—beyond U.S.-China tensions. He also lays out four scenarios for how globalization may play out, as well as practical tips for how executives can prepare for these different futures in a time of deep uncertainty.Key topics discussed: 01:19 | The great disconnect04:13 | The benefits and downsides of modern globalization07:21 | Future scenarios for globalization13:28 | What the history of internationalization reveals about where we are heading15:25 | Implications of AI for globalization16:33 | How globalization or de-globalization might play out in practice21:10 | Implications for businessesAdditional inspirations from Marco Magnani:Making the Global Economy Work for Everyone: Lessons of Sustainability from the Tech Revolution and the Pandemic (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022)Creating Economic Growth: Lessons for Europe (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In Assembling Tomorrow: A Guide to Designing a Thriving Future, Carissa Carter and Scott Doorley explore the intangible forces that make it hard to anticipate how new technologies create impact and what we can do about this challenge during the design process for new applications.Carter is the Director of Teaching and Learning at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford – also known as the Stanford d.school. Doorley is a Creative Director at the d.school, having previously worked in the film industry for more than a decade.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, they discuss how designers, technologists, and corporate leaders can more effectively harness transformative technologies like AI and artificial biology by giving more weight to non-technical factors like emotions, perceptions, imagination, and serendipity.Key topics discussed: 01:23 | The problem of runaway design03:16 | The forces that make technology impact unpredictable09:17 | The role of emotions in design11:59 | Why we are not thinking about unpredictability in designing technologies15:17 | Potential solutions to new design problems22:22 | Applying these solutions to AI24:20 | Implications for businessesAdditional inspirations from Scott Doorley: Make Space: How to Set the Stage for Creative Collaboration (Wiley, 2011)Additional inspirations from Carissa Carter:The Secret Language of Maps: How to Tell Visual Stories with Data (Ten Speed Press, 2022)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In How to Become Famous: Lost Einsteins, Forgotten Superstars, and How the Beatles Came to Be, Cass Sunstein reveals why some individuals become celebrities—and others don't.Sunstein has long been at the forefront of behavioral economics. He is the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School and served as the administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Obama administration. He has authored numerous best sellers, such as Nudge and The World According to Star Wars. In his new book, he explores the roles played by skill, luck, and social processes in the achievement of fame and success—based on recent research on informational cascades, reputation cascades, network effects, and group polarization.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Sunstein discusses how a better understanding of these mechanisms can help businesses make better decisions in marketing, talent management, and innovation - and why the greatest composer of all time may not be J S Bach, but rather Taylor Swift.Key topics discussed: 03:18 | How to prove whether or not fame is driven by merit06:08 | The importance of quality and skill to fame09:33 | Enduring vs. transient fame11:36 | The greatest composers of all time: Bach vs. Taylor Swift14:44 | Social factors driving fame19:54 | The role of group polarization and network effects28:48 | Implications for businesses: Marketing, talent, innovation33:19 | The art of manipulating information cascadesAdditional inspirations from Cass Sunstein:Thinkers & Ideas: Look Again with Cass SunsteinLook Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There; with Tali Sharot (Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2024)Nudge; with Richard Thaler (Penguin Books,...

In The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions, Michael Norton explores how the little things we do can create big impact.Norton is the Harold M. Brierley Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, where he also leads the unit for negotiation, organization, and markets. A well known and respected researcher on behavioral economics and well-being, his new book demonstrates the power of small acts—and how a subtle shift of turning habits into rituals can add purpose and pleasure to life.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Norton discusses how we can use rituals deliberately and effectively in our life and work, why it is important that rituals evolve over time, and how COVID changed our rituals as individuals and as teams.Key topics discussed: 00:52 | Ritual vs. habit03:39 | The power (and pitfalls) of rituals07:08 | Deliberately using rituals (in private life and the workplace)13:41 | The importance of evolving rituals18:22 | How COVID changed our rituals21:20 | How CEOs can harness the power of ritualsAdditional inspirations from Michael Norton: Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending co-authored by Elizabeth Dunn (Simon & Schuster, 2013)How to Buy Happiness (TED Talk, 2012)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In Survive, Reset, Thrive: Leading Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times, Rebecca Homkes guides leaders on how to turn uncertainty into opportunity.Homkes teaches business strategy at the London Business School, is on the faculty of Duke Corporate Education, and consults major companies on strategy. She has developed a framework for leading through uncertainty based on three principles: setting up the firm for continuity through shocks (survive), making strategic choices for growth as the situation changes (reset), and ensuring implementation of the new business model (thrive).Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Homkes discusses how to thrive under uncertainty and how her framework applies in the context of the AI revolution.Key topics discussed: 02:11 | How uncertainty affects strategy03:40 | The survive, reset, thrive framework05:20 | How to survive a shock09:20 | How to reset for a new environment14:42 | How to execute so you can thrive in the long term19:12 | The creative vs. competitive aspects of strategy24:11 | How algorithms and AI will affect strategy and the strategy process27:49 | Applying this framework in your personal lifeThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

At the BCG Henderson Institute, we aim to bring forward-looking leaders the ideas and inspirations that will shape their next game. To honor this mission—and celebrate the 100th episode of our Thinkers & Ideas podcast—we welcomed three leading futurists to discuss the evolution of business and society.Rita McGrath is a professor of management at Columbia Business School, and has been ranked among the top 10 management thinkers globally by Thinkers50 for years. Gary Shteyngart, a professor of writing at Columbia University is also a New York Times bestselling author of science fiction novels. Esther Dyson, founder of Wellville, is an investor, writer, and expert on all things tech, space, and health.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, they discuss their complementary perspectives on the future. They also divulge their methods for making predictions, providing valuable hints for how business leaders can use similar approaches to shape their perspectives and strategies.Key topics discussed: 02:06 | Revisiting past predictions about the future05:08 | The digital age08:16 | Social media and a technology-centred society12:47 | Methods for sensing the future”17:23 | Harnessing the power of science fiction22:31 | Using metaphors24:41 | Bringing together these future-sensing methods31:07 | Predictions about what is coming nextAdditional inspirations from Rita McGrath, Gary Shteyngart, and Esther Dyson:Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen By Rita McGrath(Harper Business, 2019)Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel By Gary Shteyngart (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2011)Release 2.0: A Design for Living in the Digital Age By Esther Dyson (Broadway, 1997)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There, Cass Sunstein, together with his co-author Tali Sharot, discusses the importance of reevaluating the familiar to discover new insights.Sunstein has long been at the forefront of behavioral economics. He is the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School and served as the administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Obama administration. He has authored numerous best sellers, such as Nudge and The World According to Star Wars., In his new book, he explores the effects of habituation—ceasing to notice the familiar.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Sunstein discusses the perils of habituation and how to see the unseen. He also identifies ways that company leaders can strategically avoid habituation to ensure their organizations do not get stuck in mental models that limit adaptability to new trends and challenges.Key topics discussed: 01:09 | How habituation works04:25 | What dishabituation is08:18 | How to see the unseen13:51 | How corporations should think about (dis-)habituation22:08 | Breaking free from a mental model24:21 | Personal strategies for dishabituationAdditional inspirations from Cass Sunstein:Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment; co-authored by Daniel Kahneman and Olivier Sibony (Little Brown Spark, 2021)The World According to Star Wars (Dey Street Books, 2016)Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness; co-authored by Richard Thaler (Penguin Books, 2009)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In Why We Die: The New Science of Ageing and the Quest for Immortality, Venki Ramakrishnan explores the current research on and prospects for human longevity.Ramakrishnan leads a group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England. For his research on the structure and function of ribosomes, he won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. From 2015 to 2020, he served as president of the Royal Society. In his new book, Ramakrishnan explains the mechanisms of aging and their potential impacts on life expectancy, health span, and lifespan.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Ramakrishnan discusses the likely social, economic, and ethical implications of increasing longevity as well as the specific efforts researchers are making to prolong healthy life—and how close they are to achieving a breakthrough. He shines a light on a set of technologies which could be every bit as impactful as artificial intelligence, which therefore also deserve our attention.Key topics discussed: 02:28 | Life expectancy vs. health span vs. maximum lifespan08:21 | Mechanisms of aging13:25 | Potential interventions for promoting longevity18:27 | How close are we to a longevity breakthrough?24:02 | Societal and ethical implications28:48 | The art of communicating complex ideaAdditional inspirations from Venki Ramakrishnan:The Most Promising Ways to Stop Ageing (New Scientist Interview, 2024)The Story of Deciphering the Ribosome (The Royal Society Talk, 2020)Gene Machine: The Race to Decipher the Secrets of the Ribosome (Basic Books, 2018)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In Making Sense of Chaos: A better economics for a better world, J. Doyne Farmer challenges traditional economic models, which rely on simplistic assumptions and fail to provide accurate predictions.Farmer, a complex systems scientist at the University of Oxford and the Santa Fe Institute, argues that with technological advances in data science and computing, we are now able to apply complex systems thinking to build models that more accurately capture reality and enable us to make better predictions about the economy.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Farmer discusses the limitations of standard models of economics as well as the consequences of such limitations. He proposes an alternative based on complex systems thinking and agent-based modeling—and describes how it can be applied in various fields, including business.Key topics discussed: 01:42 | Limitations of the standard model of economics04:44 | How complex systems thinking works09:01 | Consequences of using inadequate economic models12:44 | Agent-based modeling as a powerful alternative19:02 | Leveraging alternative modeling techniques in business24:59 | How CEOs can start embracing complexity thinkingThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, Ethan Mollick explains how to engage with AI as a co-worker, a co-teacher, and a coach.Mollick is a professor of management at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studies and teaches innovation and entrepreneurship. In his new book, he discusses the profound impacts AI will have on business and education, using many examples of AI in action. His book challenges us to utilize AI's enormous power without losing our human identity, to learn from it without being misled, and to harness its gifts to create a better human future.Together with Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Mollick discusses how to train people to use AI effectively, whether AI will substitute or complement workers, and how businesses can move beyond a short-term efficiency gains perspective to generate value with AI in the long term. Key topics discussed: 02:27 | The four rules for living with AI09:04 | Educating people to use AI effectively10:47 | What experiments reveal about where AI adds (and destroys) value at work12:45 | Substituting (vs. complementing) workers with AI14:14 | Generating value with AI in the long-term17:10 | Bringing about the social change in organizations alongside the tech change20:48 | AI regulation27:18 | How AI will transform educationAdditional inspirations from Ethan Mollick:One Useful Thing (Substack)The Unicorn's Shadow: Combating the Dangerous Myths That Hold Back Startups, Founders, and Investors (Wharton School Press, 2020)Changing the Game: How Video Games Are Transforming the Future of Business - Co-authored by David Edery (FT Press, 2008)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In The Intelligence of Intuition, Gerd Gigerenzer challenges a commonly held view of intuition—namely, that it is somehow inferior to logical rationality.Gigerenzer is director of the Harding Center for Risk Literacy at the University of Potsdam, director emeritus of the Center for Adaptive Behavior and Cognition at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, and an expert on human decision-making. He argues that intuition is a form of unconscious intelligence shaped experience and evolution in dealing with uncertain and dynamic situations—situations for which logic and algorithms are often ill-fitted. As leaders deal with uncertainty and complexity and embrace new AI technologies, they must not forget the power of intuition.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Gigerenzer explores the power of intuition, when to use it in business, and how to cultivate and employ it.Key topics discussed: 01:23 | Difference between intuition and rationality04:49 | Role of heuristics06:29 | Why intuition is often looked down upon08:06 | Power of intuition15:21 | How to use intuition in business18:45 | Distinguishing right intuition from wrong intuition25:12 | Considering how AI use intuitionAdditional inspirations from Gerd Gigerenzer:How to Stay Smart in a Smart World: Why Human Intelligence Still Beats Algorithms (The MIT Press, 2022)Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious (Penguin Books, 2008)Calculated Risks: How to Know When Numbers Deceive You (Simon & Schuster, 2003)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

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 startThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto, Kohei Saito explores the relationship between capitalism and the climate crisis. He argues, controversially, that to have any chance of achieving true sustainability, we must move to a system which deemphasizes growth, adopts different metrics of progress, expands the commons, and places value on goods and services which are not currently considered as part of the economy, like caregiving and nature.Saito is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Tokyo and a recipient of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science prize, which is awarded to the top scholar in Japan under the age of 45. His book, published previously in Japan, became an unexpected bestseller, shipping more than half a million copies to date.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Saito discusses the arguments for fundamental economic system change, explores the feasibility of less radical alternatives, and assesses implications for business leaders. The book's propositions will likely seem very radical to many of our business listeners—but as Saito notes, sometimes utopian ideas can be a stimulus for generating new thinking for complex intractable topics like climate change.Key topics discussed: 01:50 | Defining the problem and the need for system-level change06:21 | The relation between capitalism and technological progress08:41 | Exploring alternative, less radical solutions13:32 | The need for a new measurement of economic and social progress17:08 | The feasibility of a transition to a new system21:41 | Implications for business leaders25:35 | Reasons to remain hopefulThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In Higher Ground: How Businesses Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World, Alison Taylor explores how companies can navigate the complexity of modern business ethics.Taylor, a clinical associate professor at NYU Stern, has spent decades advising large multinational companies on risk, corruption, sustainability, and organizational culture. In her new book, she combines her experience with vivid case studies to guide companies toward reaching what she describes as the “higher ground”—a space where companies can act ethically and achieve long-term strategic advantage.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Taylor discusses why good governance is now more important than ever, how leaders can navigate a polarized political landscape, and how businesses can build trust.Key topics discussed: 02:44 | The rising importance of internal governance06:10 | Common traps of internal governance07:55 | Best practices for deploying purpose10:53 | Businesses taking political stances14:58 | Importance of trust and traps in pursuing it17:12 | Solutions for businesses to pursue24:15 | How to apply these lessons in your own workThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder, Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao share insights on friction—the forces that make it harder, slower, more complicated, or even impossible to get things done in organizations.Sutton is an expert on organizational psychology at Stanford University and a best-selling author. His latest book is a culmination of a seven-year research effort on how effective organizations function without driving employees and customers crazy.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Sutton explores what friction is, where it comes from, and its effects - both positive and negative. They discuss the practical steps leaders and employees can take to remove and add friction in the right places. They also discuss broader implications, like whether the nature and consequences of friction will change in a world increasingly characterized by machine-machine and machine-human, rather than only human-human interactions.Key topics discussed:00:54 | What is organizational friction04:30 | The negative consequences of friction08:42 | What does good friction look like?14:14 | How to remove friction17:22 | What creates friction19:11 | Removing friction and creating problems22:04 | Is friction less problematic in a world of AI?25:26 | How can ideas about friction be applied in academia?This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

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 institutionsThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In The Worlds I See, Dr. Fei-Fei Li provides a personal and deeply insightful depiction of two convergent journeys. One describes her own life and career; Li immigrated to the U.S. from China at age 15, and within a few years had launched into research in computer vision and AI. The other is a history of AI, which has involved many breakthroughs over the past 70 years, culminating in a technology that is now changing life and business.Li is one of the world's foremost experts on AI and was named by Time magazine as one of the top 25 most influential thinkers in AI in 2023. She previously served as Google's chief AI and machine learning scientist.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Li discusses critical inflection points in the history of AI, emerging AI technologies businesses must be aware of, and what implications AI will have for competitive advantage.Key topics discussed: 01:19 | Is our education system fit for the future?07:13 | What were the key milestones in the history of AI?11:48 | Which emerging AI technologies do businesses need to be aware of?13:38 | How should we be thinking about ethical issues surrounding AI?20:39 | How will AI transform business? Where will it create competitive advantage?This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In his new book The Secret of Culture Change: How To Build Authentic Stories That Transform Your Organization, Jay Bryan Barney discusses why changing company culture is sometimes necessary but always challenging—and how the power of stories can help leaders mobilize their employees around a new strategy.Jay Barney, a professor of strategic management and the Pierre Lassonde Chair of Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Utah's David Eccles School of Business, is one of the world's leading strategists and the father of so-called resource-based competition.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Barney explores the connections between the realms of strategy and culture—discussing the power of stories to change culture and support a new strategy, and identifying the key characteristics of great stories and story-making, such as being authentic and putting the leader at the heart of the narrative.Key topics discussed: 01:10 | How do you define culture and why do we sometimes need to change it?03:31 | What are some examples of successful culture change?08:01 | What are the key characteristics of culture-changing stories?16:33 | How do leaders navigate social/political “culture wars” in their own culture?22:20 | Are stories and culture change something that can be shaped or are they emergent?25:40 | How do stories and culture change apply to a business school setting?This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In The Geek Way: The Radical Mindset that Drives Extraordinary Results, Andrew McAfee describes how a new approach to corporate culture based on science, ownership, speed, and openness, is driving value creation in the 21st century.McAfee is an expert on how technological progress changes the world, being named to both the Thinkers50 list of top management thinkers and the Politico 50 group of people transforming American politics. In his new book, he outlines how the giants of Silicon Valley found success not just because they are at the center of the digital technology revolution, but also because they are revolutionizing the way business is done—what McAfee describes as the “geek way.”.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, McAfee explores the core tenets of a corporate culture that embraces the “geek way” and explains why it works, drawing on insights from the science of cultural evolution. They also discuss how traditional, non-tech firms can embrace this new culture and operating system.Key topics discussed:02:12 | What are the core tenets of the “geek way”?08:55 | How could these tenets be applied to any businesses?11:31 | How can we overcome the limitations of the “geek way” (e.g., negative corporate culture aspects, retaining culture as a firm grows)?15:05 | Is the “geek way” unique to American firms? What can we learn from the Chinese tech sector?17:46 | What is the role of strategy in a “geek way” company?20:11 | How might the “geek way” culture change in the future, given new challenges (e.g., elevated costs of capital)?23:01 | What are the first steps a CEO should take to establish the “geek way” in their firm?Additional inspirations from Andrew McAfee:More From Less: How we Finally Stopped Using Up The World - And What Happens Next (Simon & Schuster UK, 2019)Machine, Platform, Crowd: Harnessing Our Digital Future (Brilliance Audio, 2017)The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies (Brilliance Audio, 2014)Race Against the Machine: How the Digital Revolution is Accelerating Innovation, Driving Productivity, and Irreversibly Transforming Employment and the Economy (Digital Frontier Press, 2012)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

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)This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

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 organizationsThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In his new book, Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens, Rajiv Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation recounts his experiences and lessons learned over decades of effecting large-scale social change. He shares how addressing humanity's thorniest challenges requires a big bets mindset – pushing to solve, rather than merely improve, problems; and going for “big enough”, rather than settling for “good enough”.Prior to his current role, Shah was the Administrator of USAID and a Director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He successfully led many transformative change efforts around the globe – including advancing the immunization of children, fighting against hunger and energy poverty, and providing relief for humanitarian disasters.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Shah discusses insights from his new book, including a mindset he sees crucial to making change possible, the need for public-private partnerships, and the role of businesses in addressing social and environmental issues. The conversation also touches on the importance of continuous experimentation, the involvement of younger leaders in change projects, and the challenges of planning in complex and unpredictable situations.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In his new book,  Mixed Signals: How Incentives Really Work,  Uri Gneezy explains why leaders often create incentives that are misaligned with their organization's goals.Gneezy, the Epstein/Atkinson Chair in Management Leadership at UC San Diego's Rady School of Management, is one of the world's leading experts in behavioral economics, and his insights have become a staple in courses around the world. He teaches managers how to be incentive-smart—how to avoid mixed signals and design incentives that are simple, effective, and ethical.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Gneezy discusses how incentives work, and how we can apply them in the workplace to change habits and spark innovation—he explains why, counterintuitively, successful organizations and initiatives may actually have a greater need to examine their incentives than unsuccessful ones.Key topics discussed:01:11 | How incentives send signals02:08 | Incentives in the workplace09:14 | Incentivizing innovation12:29 | Understanding the use and limitation of incentives18:22 | Changing habitsThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In his new book, The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and The Twenty-First Century's Greatest Dilemma, Mustafa Suleyman discusses the new technologies that will transform society—chief among them AI and synthetic biology.Suleyman is a renowned thought leader on this topic, having co-founded Inflection AI and DeepMind, and having served as VP of AI product management and AI policy at Google.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Suleyman discusses the threats and opportunities posed by AI and synthetic biology, whether and how they will confer competitive advantage, and how governments and companies can collaborate to contain their negative effects while ensuring that society reaps their benefits.Key topics discussed:01:28 | The threats of the coming wave of technologies06:43 | A modern Turing Test for AI10:14 | The competitive advantage conferred by AI15:25 | The benefits and limitations of AI18:34 | Containing the next wave of technologies22:09 | Potential regulatory interventions23:46 | Motivations for writing the bookThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In her forthcoming book, Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, Amy Edmondson offers a new framework to think about, discuss, and practice failure wisely, using human fallibility as a tool for making ourselves and our organizations smarter.Amy Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School and the author of seven books, including The Fearless Organization, which has been translated into more than 15 languages. She was ranked number one on the 2021 Thinkers50 list, a ranking of the world's most influential management thinkers.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Edmondson discusses the distinctions that can help us separate good failure from bad, strategies to decrease the cost of learning, as well as practical actions for leaders to establish a culture where intelligent failure is predominant.Key topics discussed: 1:13 | The distinction between failing well and failing badly9:36 | How to avoid the "illusion of knowing" and mistaking a mental model for a fact12:02 | Institutional and leadership-level moves to create an environment where intelligent failure is predominant18:27 | How to decrease the cost of learning19:42 | Can AI help to analyze the potential for failure or identify learnable lessons and failure patterns?This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In The Perennials: The Megatrends Creating a Postgenerational Society, Mauro Guillén argues that the traditional, sequential model of life—childhood, education, career, and retirement—is being rendered obsolete.Guillén, a professor of management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, is one of the world's foremost experts on global megatrends. In his most recent book, he focuses on the combination of rapid technological progress, increasing life as well as health spans, and declining fertility rates—which, together, are creating a society in which arbitrary definitions of generations, based on chronological age, are no longer appropriate.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Guillén discusses the shortcomings of the sequential model of life and what the new, post-generational society will look like. He also highlights implications for businesses, which will need to adapt their marketing practices to changing patterns in consumption and harness the benefits of intergenerational collaboration in their workforces.Key topics discussed: 01:51 | The sequential model of life and its shortcomings04:17 | The post-generational society and the trends creating it07:31 | Implications for corporations14:13 | How CEOs can prepare for a society of perennials17:14 | Implications for academic institutionsThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In his new book Power and Progress, Simon Johnson, along with his co-author Daron Acemoglu, challenges the techno-optimistic narrative that technological progress will automatically lead to shared prosperity.Johnson, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, takes us through a millennium of technological progress to show how the gains from advancements such as the agricultural and early industrial revolutions tended to benefit a narrow segment of interests. While technology can enable the kind of equitable growth that is heralded by techno-optimists, this requires an environment that mitigates the natural power imbalance between workers and owners of technology through regulation, labor organizations, and an active civic society. As we stand on the brink of a new wave of innovation from AI, it's critical that we learn from the history of economic progress to ensure that this time, the gains are shared broadly in society.In this episode of our Thinkers & Ideas podcast, Johnson joins BCG Henderson Institute Chairman Martin Reeves to discuss the incentives for corporate leaders to create technology directed at equitable growth, the potential impact of AI on society, and the effectiveness of government policies aimed at fostering shared prosperity.Key topics discussed: 01:19 | Motivation for the book02:03 | Progress and shared prosperity07:29 | Effectiveness of redistribution09:43 | Directing innovation toward social good16:42 | The impact of AI20:39 | Role of corporate leaders and investors in directing technologyThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In his new book, LOOK: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World, Christian Madsbjerg explores the importance of observational skills. Drawing on various fields—science, philosophy, and the arts—as well as his personal experiences, Madsbjerg offers tools and insights to help us better pay attention and extract insights.Madsbjerg was co-founder and senior partner of consulting firm, ReD Associates and was previously a professor of applied humanities at the New School for Social Research in New York City. He works at the intersection of business and the humanities, guiding firms to develop powerful strategies anchored in human perception.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Madsbjerg discusses how we can learn to observe the world properly—letting go of oversimplifying assumptions and biases—and how this will help firms unlock insights about their customers far beyond the reach of traditional market research.Key topics discussed: [01:25] How to observe properly[06:57] How “total observation” can unlock new insights[13:14] Distractions of modern life and how to tackle them[18:14] Difference between traditional market research and “total observation”[21:30] How to change how we observe things in the corporate contextThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In his latest book, Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way, Jonah Berger breaks down the science of language. The right words can influence actions and happiness, and reveal insights about those who say or write them.Berger, an associate professor of marketing at the Wharton School, is an expert on change, social influence, and word-of-mouth communication. Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Berger discusses how we can use the language of agency and identity to incite action, how to best balance concreteness and abstraction, and how to harness the power of emotions—drawing on decades of experimental research.He also speculates how large language models will change the production and deployment of language. The book is a broad and practical guide to how we can use language more effectively.Key topics discussed: 01:07 | The power of language and six types of magic words03:57 | Leveraging the language of agency and identity to spark action06:58 | Balancing concreteness and abstraction10:53 | Harnessing the power of emotions13:27 | Limitations of magic words and the importance of authenticity17:41 | The role of ChatGPT and other large language models21:00 | Using magic words in your personal and professional lifeThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In her new book The Case for Good Jobs, Zeynep Ton explains why creating good jobs, particularly for frontline workers, will help companies thrive.Ton, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and president and co-founder of the Good Jobs Institute, has long been an advocate of investing in employees. Traditional bad jobs systems—characterized by low pay, high turnover, and poor operational execution—harm customer satisfaction and undermine a company's ability to differentiate, innovate, and adapt. In a good jobs system, she explains, leaders unlock a virtuous cycle of employee engagement, which improves operational performance and will ultimately benefit employees, customers, and shareholders.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Ton discusses various aspects of the good jobs system—how it works, how to implement it, how to measure the value of good jobs, and what good jobs mean in an age in which labor is under threat of substitution by AI.Key topics discussed: 01:06 | The business value of good jobs03:54 | What makes the good jobs system work?12:21 | Data and metrics17:10 | AI and labor substitution20:29 | Good jobs beyond the frontline24:48 | How to implement the good jobs systemThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In this special episode of the Thinkers & Ideas podcast, we invited Sir Partha Dasgupta and Simon Levin – co-authors of the forthcoming report "Economic Factors Underlying Biodiversity Loss" – and Georg Kell to discuss a topic often overlooked in sustainability discussions: biodiversity. They discuss gaps in our current thinking, a potential path forward, how to measure our progress along it – and the role corporations must play in all this.Sir Partha Dasgupta is the Frank Ramsey Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Cambridge. He is widely regarded as the world's most influential expert on development economics and ecological economics, and is the author of The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review (2021).Simon Levin is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University and a recipient of the National Medal of Science, for his international leadership and critical contributions to environmental science and ecology.Georg Kell is the founding Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact, the world's largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative, and Chairman of Arabesque Partners.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, they discuss the importance of ecosystem services to our well-being and the impacts of human activity on biodiversity. Moreover, they discuss inclusive wealth and other measures that can be used to change incentive structures and track our progress on sustainability issues. Finally, they point out what businesses and governments must do to increase awareness and engagement on biodiversity matters.Key topics discussed: 02:28 | How are humans impacting nature, specifically biodiversity?04:08 | The distinction between natural goods and natural services07:02 | Is biodiversity and the natural impact issue on the radar screens of business?09:03 | Are we at a point of no return? How would we know if we are?10:50 | Do we in fact look after biodiversity by looking after the climate?12:42 | Inclusive wealth vs. GDP18:18 | How can governments and companies begin to act on the problem of the encroachment on natural systems?26:41 | What can we learn from our limited successes on massive collective action problems and how we might practically orchestrate this agenda?This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Bent Flyvbjerg has a sobering statistic to share: 99.5% of major projects fail to deliver their targeted results on time and on budget. His new book How Big Things Get Done, coauthored with Dan Gardner, explores this phenomenon—from infrastructure projects to major sporting events to corporate transformations.Flyvbjerg, the first BT Professor of Major Programme Management at Oxford's Saïd Business School and VKR Professor of Major Program Management at the IT University of Copenhagen, is the world's foremost expert on megaproject management—a subject on which he has published prolifically.He recently joined Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, to discuss the patterns and drivers of the failure of big projects, as well as potential solutions that can help executives overcome these dramatic odds. For example, cognitive biases, particularly at the C-suite level, cause leaders to act too spontaneously—when they would be better off acting fast only after first thinking slowly and deliberately. They explore not only conventional project success but also how the thinking can be applied more broadly – from personal projects to climate change.Key topics discussed: 01:16 | The Iron Law of megaprojects04:03 | Patterns of failure09:02 | Solutions (think slow but act fast, think from right to left, reference class forecasting)17:28 | Continuous vs. episodic change20:47 | Tackling climate change: a megaproject?23:03 | Impact of technology25:46 | Practical recommendationsThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In a new book with longtime collaborator W. Chan Kim, Beyond Disruption, Renée Mauborgne describes an alternative path to pursue innovation and growth. Non-disruptive creation taps into a new market outside or beyond the boundaries of existing industries, to not only drive economic growth but also have a positive impact on society by avoiding the negative aspects of disruption, like job displacement.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Mauborgne discusses the rising importance of non-disruptive creation given increased sensitivity to the social impact of business. She explains the differences between non-disruptive creation, disruptive creation, and blue ocean strategy and provides tools for companies to identify and unlock non-disruptive opportunities.Mauborgne, a professor of strategy at INSEAD, is also the co-author of the influential Blue Ocean Strategy and has been recognized by Thinkers50 as one of the World's Most Influential Management Thinkers.Key topics discussed: 00:53 | What is non-disruptive creation (NDC)08:27 | How companies can identify and invent NDCs16:01 | The role of disruptive creation21:08 | Challenges and capabilities needed for NDC23:53 | AI and NDC26:22 | Renee on coining NDCThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

A “microstress,” as defined by Rob Cross and Karen Dillon in their new book of the same name, is a small amount pressure from our everyday interactions that is hardly perceived in the moment. But when many microstesses pile up, they become debilitating.Cross, the Edward A. Madden Professor of Global Leadership at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., has studied the underlying networks of effective organizations and the collaborative practices of high performers for more than 20 years. Dillon is a former editor of Harvard Business Review and the author of such books as How Will You Measure Your Life? and Competing Against Luck.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, they discuss the microstresses that drain capacity, deplete emotional reserves, and challenge identity. Although these pressures are impossible to eliminate, there are strategies—building resilience, leading a healthy life, and finding purpose—that can mitigate the impact, enabling people to reshape their interpersonal interactions and live more satisfied lives.Company leaders, the authors argue, should also be aware of microstress triggers hiding in plain sight: the burdens levied by our agile, collaborative way of working that can have damaging ripple effects.Key topics discussed:01:11 | The gravity of microstress07:29 | Types of microstress12:26 | Solutions to microstress19:04 | Microstress in organizations25:35 | Positive aspects of microstress29:14 | Where to start with countering microstressAbout the BCG Henderson InstituteThe BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group's think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In her book Think Bigger: How to Innovate, Sheena Iyengar dispels the notion that the best way of coming up with a good idea is to have a group brainstorm or to rely on the unpredictable intuitions of special gifted individuals.Iyengar is the S. T. Lee Professor of Business at Columbia Business School and an expert on decision-making and choice. Drawing on advances in brain science, she argues that creativity is not mysterious, but is instead quite similar to analytical thinking.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Iyengar discusses her six-step methodology to help people unlock their ability to create useful new ideas, illustrating this with many examples from business.Key topics discussed:00:58 | What neuroscience says about innovation07:43 | A six-step method for ideation19:22 | Limitations of the method24:21 | The role of groups and technology28:51 | Implementing the method at your companyAbout the BCG Henderson InstituteThe BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group's think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In his new book, The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism, Financial Times' chief economics commentator Martin Wolf explores the causes of and solutions to today's global democratic recession.Wolf, who in 2000 was awarded the CBE (Commander of the British Empire) “for services to financial journalism,” is the author of several earlier books on global economics. Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, they discuss the fragile marriage of liberal democracy and market capitalism. They are twin ideologies—both based on the belief in human agency and the rule of law. But when wealth leads to political power or political power to wealth, the system breaks down. We are seeing this play out in keystone liberal democracies struggling to contain populism, and in authoritarian regimes that are gaining momentum.The struggle with populism, in particular, can be traced to three developments: the emergence of societal rifts around questions of identity, the decline of the economic and political position of the working class, and the rise of the financial and tech sector as the new elite. Essential to the restoration of liberal democracy, Wolf and Reeves note, is the imperative to improve economic and political institutions such that opportunity, security, and dignity are available to all.Key topics discussed:00:58 | The fragile marriage of liberal democracy and market capitalism04:08 | Evidence for a global democratic recession11:01 | The forces behind democratic decline15:30 | The agenda for restoring democratic capitalism19:22 | The key role of business leadersAbout the BCG Henderson InstituteThe BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group's think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy