Thought Sparks

Rita Gunther-McGrath
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Thought Sparks are the brainchild of Rita McGrath. They are insightful actions, strategic ideas, actionable suggestions and innovative approaches that help organizations and leaders master the future with less fear and more confidence. New episodes of the Thought Sparks Podcast are released every other Tuesday at 11am Eastern.

  1. 1 day ago

    How Organizations Can Win with AI with Rita McGrath and Charlene Li

    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 Charlene Li, author of author of Groundswell, Open Leadership, and The Disruption Mindset, and a new book, written with Katia Walsh: Winning with AI: The 90-Day Blueprint for Success.    0:00 - Introduction & Meet Charlene Li   1:35 - Charlene's Upbringing in Detroit   4:14 - Introducing Winning with AI   7:34 - Strategy First, Not "What Do We Do About AI"   8:56 - Three Ways AI Creates Value   12:43 - The AI Hesitancy Gap: FOMO vs. FOGI   13:40 - Why a 90-Day Blueprint   18:53 - The Grief and Rage Behind AI Disruption   24:52 - Why AI Pilots Fail   28:43 - Building an AI Investment Portfolio   31:46 - Trust, Honesty, and Fairness in Leadership   39:04 - How AI Gave Charlene Her Voice   41:24 - Speed as the New Competitive Moat   44:22 - Goldilocks Governance   49:01 - Lessons from Burning Man's Mudpocalypse   53:04 - Becoming Superhuman with AI      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.

    How Organizations Can Win with AI with Rita McGrath and Charlene Li

  2. 21 Jul

    Achieving Real Business Growth with Rita McGrath and Victor Grizzle

    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.

    Achieving Real Business Growth with Rita McGrath and Victor Grizzle

  3. 14 Jul

    Understanding the New Longevity with Rita McGrath and Michael Clinton

    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.

  4. 7 Jul

    Longterm Strategic Thinking with Rita McGrath and Roger Dennis

    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.

    Longterm Strategic Thinking with Rita McGrath and Roger Dennis

  5. 30 Jun

    Building Strategy for the Future with Rita McGrath and Jonathan Brill

    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 Jonathan Brill, business futurist and co-author of AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the Superintelligent Firm.       1:56: Explaining the Octopus Metaphor  3:25: AI-Enabled Bottom-Up Innovation  8:01: The Economic Shift: From Physical to Digital  9:05: Where Leaders Should Start with AI  14:27: Three Questions to Ask Your AI Every Month  19:10 Reading Signals Before Disruption Hits  20:37: Netflix, Blockbuster & Kodak: Lessons in Timing  24:08: HP vs. Xerox: Operational Flexibility Wins  25:24: Operational Advantage Is the New Competitive Advantage  30:16: The Danger of Organizational Myths  31:45: Why Leaders Must Be at the Edge  32:12: You Can't Outrun 32x: Rethinking Speed  34:24: The Dual Responsibility of Leaders  36:51: US Navy Case Study: Unleashing Innovation  43:25: The Emotion Chapter: Leading Through Disruption  44:29: The L-U-C-K Framework: 4 Traits of Leaders Who Thrive  48:19: Rethinking the CEO Role: Jensen Huang & NVIDIA  51:32: Psychological Safety & Execution Before Strategy  54:43: The Future of Organizations: Middle Management & Beyond  58:06: Wrap-Up & How to Connect          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.

    Building Strategy for the Future with Rita McGrath and Jonathan Brill

  6. 23 Jun

    Unlocking Human Potential with Rita McGrath and Chris Shipley and Scott Barry Kaufman

    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.

    Unlocking Human Potential with Rita McGrath and Chris Shipley and Scott Barry Kaufman

  7. 16 Jun

    Leadership and Transformation with Rita McGrath and Sharmla Chetty

    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.

    Leadership and Transformation with Rita McGrath and Sharmla Chetty

  8. 9 Jun

    Rethinking Education with Rita McGrath and MacKenzie Price

    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.

    Rethinking Education with Rita McGrath and MacKenzie Price
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About

Thought Sparks are the brainchild of Rita McGrath. They are insightful actions, strategic ideas, actionable suggestions and innovative approaches that help organizations and leaders master the future with less fear and more confidence. New episodes of the Thought Sparks Podcast are released every other Tuesday at 11am Eastern.

Information

  • Creator
    Rita Gunther-McGrath
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    152
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rita Gunther-McGrath
  • Show Website
    Thought Sparks

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