エピソード

  • Achieving Real Business Growth with Rita McGrath and Victor Grizzle
    2026/07/21
    In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Victor Grizzle, CEO and Executive Chairman of Armstrong Industries, to speak candidly about the massive transformation he led at Armstrong, inspired by McGrath’s work on growth outliers. 0:00 Introduction 0:46 Victor Grizzle's Career Journey to Armstrong 5:31 The Growth Outliers Research 7:23 Separating the Flooring and Ceilings Businesses 10:42 Finding a Burning Platform for Growth 14:37 Divesting the International Business 17:03 Driving a Growth Mindset Shift 25:46 Building an Innovation Engine 30:46 Embracing Intelligent Failure 35:07 Balancing Stability with Entrepreneurial Acquisitions 42:41 Advice for the Next Generation 48:39 Culture, Teamwork, and Consistency 50:42 Looking Ahead: AI and the Future of Armstrong Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books, and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
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    54 分
  • Understanding the New Longevity with Rita McGrath and Michael Clinton
    2026/07/14
    In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Michael Clinton, former president and publishing director and current special advisor to the CEO of Hearst Magazines, author of “Longevity Nation”, “ROAR Into The Second Half of Your Life.”, and expert on the business and personal effects of the New Longevity. 0:00 — Intro 0:19 — Meet Michael Clinton & Longevity Nation 1:29 — Michael's backstory in publishing at Hearst 2:43 — How Roar into the Second Half was born 3:49 — Retirement is a false construct 5:40 — Reimagineers: rewriting the second half of our lives 11:20 — Do companies take longevity seriously? 13:20 — Innovative work models (Flex 58, Singapore) 15:12 — Reconciling ageism vs. the 50+ economy 20:07 — Medicine, tech, and AI convergence 24:55 — The 60-year career 32:38 — Self-efficacy and the confidence edge 48:21 — Entrepreneurship in midlife 50:05 — Women leading the longevity movement 57:04 — The five core longevity hacks 1:00:07 – Conclusion and where to learn more Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
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    1 時間 2 分
  • Longterm Strategic Thinking with Rita McGrath and Roger Dennis
    2026/07/07
    In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Roger Dennis, advisor on long term thinking and foresight and cultural transformation specialist. 00:00 Introduction 00:22 Welcome Roger Dennis 01:03 How Roger became a futurist 03:05 "Getting above strategy" explained 05:18 Current geopolitical risks & top trends to watch 07:13 Three things leaders need: capabilities, process, routines 09:44 Historical precedents for today's volatility 11:31 Example: tolls on the Strait of Hormuz/Malacca 12:35 Reversion to the mean, or a new normal? 14:19 The "Layer Player" framework 18:28 Second-order consequences & policy paradoxes 23:26 Acting under uncertainty: the Netflix story 26:15 Why you need real experts, not guesswork 28:03 The 2015 pandemic report nobody wanted 29:53 New Zealand's COVID Tracer App success story 33:08 The mindset of realistic optimism 41:58 How the music industry refused to adapt 43:38 Industries still "hanging on" today 45:02 Agentic AI and the ROI problem 46:57 From mass production to personalization 50:11 Where to learn more: The Paradox of Preparedness 55:02 Key takeaway for leaders Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
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    58 分
  • Unlocking Human Potential with Rita McGrath and Chris Shipley and Scott Barry Kaufman
    2026/06/23
    In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with fellow Silicon Guild Members Chris Shipley and Scott Barry Kaufman, editors of the upcoming essay collection “Leading for Tomorrow: Unlocking Human Potential in the Era of Continuous Change and Endless Possibility” which equips leaders with the skills needed for effective leadership in the modern era. 0:00 - Intro & Welcome 0:45 - About the Book "Leading for Tomorrow" (July 8th release) 1:07 - The Origin Story: Silicon Guild & Thinkers50 Collaboration 3:13 - Overview of the Book's 5 Core Themes 5:26 - Mindset Shift towards Collaboration & Adaptability 6:24 - Purpose & Organizational Values 6:45 - Learning as a Core Competence 7:37 - The Epochal Transition: From Physical to Digital World 8:33 - AI as Accelerant, Not the Cause of Change 9:16 - What the Book Teaches Us to Do in Uncertain Times 9:52 - Surprises During the Editing Process 11:15 - Advice for Young People Entering the Workforce 17:46 - The Decline of Traditional Corporate Employment 21:13 - From Transactional to Relational Value Creation 24:27 - Fear of Change & Experiencing Disruption as Loss 25:34 - The Information-to-Illumination Reframe (Sanyin Siang) 27:50 - Whitney Johnson: "When the Ground Gives Way" (Chilean Miners Story) 30:43 - Brian Solis: The AIQ Mindset 31:43 - Chip Conley on Wisdom as a Leadership Value 32:40 - The Importance of Empathy in Leadership 33:50 - Defining True Empathy (vs. Just Being Nice) 36:51 - What Leaders Actually Owe Their Teams 39:44 - What Readers Will Discover in the Book 40:22 - Coherence Among the World's Top Business Thinkers 43:13 - Wrap-Up & How to Pre-Order "Leading for Tomorrow" Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
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    44 分
  • Leadership and Transformation with Rita McGrath and Sharmla Chetty
    2026/06/16
    In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Sharmla Chetty, CEO of Duke Corporate Education and expert on human-centered leadership, AI, and workforce transformation. 0:00 Introduction 0:57 Sharmla's Story: Growing Up Under Apartheid 3:30 Systems Change: From Personal to Global 10:27 Overton Windows & Tipping Points 12:51 The Global Economy: Uneven Worlds & Emerging Markets 16:22 A Once-in-a-Century Inflection Point (Carlota Perez's Framework) 21:41 The End of Competitive Moats: Strategy in the Age of AI 23:16 Strategic Centering: Five Ways to Define Your Company 26:18 Purpose, Ecosystems & the Role of Government 27:59 Trust as the New Currency 28:34 Remote Work, Human Connection & Social Capital 38:15 The Future of Education: New Models 45:37 Executive Education Reimagined: Duke CE's Approach 41:21 Do We Still Need Degrees? 47:05 The Care Economy & Kindness as a Capability 58:42 Distributed Leadership & Navigating Complexity 59:28 A Human-Centered Economy: Closing Reflections Want to learn more about Rita’s ideas and hear more of her conversations with business leaders and innovators? Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
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    1 時間 2 分
  • Rethinking Education with Rita McGrath and MacKenzie Price
    2026/06/09
    In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with MacKenzie Price, co-founder of Alpha Schools, about the limitations of the traditional education system, and what other educational models are possible. 0:00 – Intro teaser: raising adaptable young people and the future of learning 1:37 – Mackenzie's backstory: her own memories of schooling 3:17 – The "I don't want to go to school tomorrow" moment 4:36 – The root problem: one teacher, many different learners 6:16 – The Alpha Schools vision: academics + life skills + passions 6:56 – Alpha School's results and student growth 7:37 – The industrial-era origins of the school system 9:07 – Moving into a new era: information abundance and problem-solving 11:03 – The skill of learning how to learn 12:03 – Why base knowledge still matters in the age of AI + what the traditional model got wrong 16:05 – The 2 Hour School Day 23:01 – The foundation problem: algebra before multiplication tables 24:33 – Results for kids at all levels — 20th to 95th percentile 28:00 – Why ed tech alone doesn't work, and the role of motivation 28:57 – The distinction between Guides and teachers 33:37 – Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation and screen time 42:26 – Teaching kids to use tools (including tech) for good 43:07 – Education at an inflection point: the question of scale and accessibility 45:12– Selection effects criticism — and the response 47:36 – Relationships with charter and public schools 52:38 – The relationship to failure the traditional system gets wrong 58:27 – Shout-outs, self-reflection, and accountability — even at age 5 1:00:25 – Where Alpha Schools is headed: expansion, summer programs, new models 1:01:52 – Closing thoughts and thank you Want to learn more about Rita’s ideas and hear more of her conversations with business leaders and innovators? Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
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    1 時間 3 分
  • Getting Positioning Right with Rita McGrath and April Dunford
    2026/06/02
    In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with April Dunford, expert on brand and product positioning, and author of Obviously Awesome, recently rereleased in its second edition, and Sales Pitch. Their conversation covers how good positioning unlocks value and helps to clarify organizational purpose. 0:19 – Welcoming April Dunford 1:59 – The Classic Positioning Statement and What Leaders Get Wrong 5:18 – April's Journey: Tech Exec → Consultant → World-Class Positioning Expert 6:24 – Software vs. Consumer Goods Positioning 13:00 – April's Definition of Positioning 14:45 – The Five Components of Positioning 16:44 – The Investment Banking CRM Story 20:07 – Discovering the 'Reason to Call' 28:11 – Misreading Who the Competition Really Is 29:03 – 'If You Didn't Exist, What Would a Customer Do?' 31:04 – Horizon Competitors: The Vibe Coding Debate 35:17 – 'We Can Only Sell What's on the Truck' 36:01 – AI Excitement vs. Where Customers Actually Are 38:25 – Telltale Signs Your Positioning Is Off 45:27 – The Positioning Workshop 49:13 – What Changed in the New Edition of Obviously Awesome 54:46 – Strategic Centering and Positioning 56:58 – IBM Software Group: Positioning Thousands of Products 59:51 – Where to Find April Dunford Want to learn more about Rita’s ideas and hear more of her conversations with business leaders and innovators? Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
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    1 時間 1 分
  • Leading Incorruptible Organizations with Rita McGrath and Eric Ries
    2026/05/26
    In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, sits down with Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, to talk about his new book Incorruptible. They discuss what organizations beyond corruption look like, touching on financial gravity and fiduciary duty, and how we might move beyond making shareholder primacy to more holistic views of creating and assessing value. 0:00 Introduction & Eric Ries's New Book “Incorruptible” 2:11 The Legend of Sol Price & the Origin of Modern Retail 3:31 Shareholder Primacy vs. Fiduciary Duty to Customers 7:00 How FedMart Was Destroyed & the Birth of Costco 11:16 Financial Gravity as The Invisible Force Corrupting Companies 14:13 The Mechanics of Financial Gravity in Organizations 21:45 Redefining Corruption: Making Money Without Creating Value 23:46 Measuring Human Flourishing Instead of Just Profit 33:38 The Role of Government & Carlota Perez's Economic Waves 39:07 Mission-Controlled Companies and The Incorruptible Blueprint 44:48 Corporate Charters, Shareholder Primacy & the Public Benefit Corp 53:42 The Vectura Case Study: Value Destruction in the Name of Profit 1:00:23 Shareholder Primacy Is Already Over, and Other Reasons for Optimism Want to learn more about Rita’s ideas and hear more of her conversations with business leaders and innovators? Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thought-sparks/id1546758719 https://open.spotify.com/show/0xmTsYXMgTeielwZ0dGTSU Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcyXT8iJkTSciUMe0me3L7Q Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritamcgrath/ https://x.com/rgmcgrath https://bsky.app/profile/rgmcgrath.bsky.social Connect with Rita on TikTok and Instagram. https://www.tiktok.com/@rgmcgrath https://www.instagram.com/ritamcgrath.hub/ Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. https://thoughtsparks.substack.com/ Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com.
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    1 時間 3 分