Thinkers & Ideas

BCG Henderson Institute
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Inspiring and thought-provoking conversations with leading thinkers about influential ideas on business, technology, economics, and science. Hosted by Nikolaus Lang and Adam Job. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and X.

  1. 10H AGO

    The New Geography of Innovation with Mehran Gul

    In The New Geography of Innovation: The Global Contest for Breakthrough Technologies, Mehran Gul examines how innovation works in different countries around the globe—diving deep into the ecosystems that produce great technology companies. Gul is a writer and leading technology thinker, having served as the Lead for the Digital Transformation of Industries at the World Economic Forum. His book, which was nominated as a Financial Times best business book of 2025, he discusses why the United States remains at the world’s technological frontier, with only China being a true challenger. In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, Global Leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, he talks about how innovation ecosystems are converging, the role of statecraft in fostering innovation ecosystems, and the main forces that will shift the global innovation landscape in the coming decade. Key topics discussed: 01:22 | Attributes of successful innovation ecosystems 06:57 | US vs. China talent pool 10:26 | What China gets right about innovation 13:20 | Why Europe lags behind on innovation 18:54 | The role of intentional statecraft in fostering innovation 23:31 | The convergence of innovation ecosystems around the globe 26:34 | Implications for businesses 28:56 | How the global innovation landscape will evolve in the next decade

    34 min

  2. FEB 3

    Flourish with Daniel Coyle

    In Flourish: The Transformative Power of Creating Community, Daniel Coyle investigates the ecosystems in which humans do their best work—from sports teams, to the boardroom, and our daily lives. Daniel Coyle is the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers, in which he explores how people and groups grow, perform, and flourish. He combines immersive field reporting with behavioral science to create practical frameworks for building skill, culture, and meaningful connection. In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses his definition of flourishing, how to find moments of stillness in our turbulent world, and how leaders can balance efficiency with the disorder that fosters creativity. Key topics discussed: 01:03 | The definition of flourishing 09:13 | Finding moments of reflection and stillness 16:41 | Crisis as a trigger for flourishing 19:52 | Messiness and creativity 26:39 | Balancing disorder and efficiency 29:40 | A starting point for leaders Additional inspirations from Daniel Coyle: The Culture Playbook: 60 Highly Effective Actions to Help Your Group Succeed (Random House Audio, 2022)The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups (Bantam, 2018)The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How. (Bantam, 2009)

    32 min

  3. JAN 20

    Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World with Dani Rodrik

    In Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World: A New Economics for the Middle Class, the Global Poor, and Our Climate, Dani Rodrik proposes new modes of cooperation and policy experimentation to address our greatest global challenges. Rodrik is the Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School. He codirects both the Reimagining the Economy Program at Harvard and the Economics for Inclusive Prosperity network. In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the trilemma between democracy, prosperity, and sustainability, how hyper-globalization contributed to this struggle, and his proposed framework for resolving it. Key topics discussed: 01:06 | The trilemma of democracy, prosperity, and sustainability 03:50 | The shortcomings of hyper-globalization 10:33 | Why manufacturing is no longer an escape from poverty 14:47 | Services as drivers of development 18:33 | The new framework of productivism 23:25 | The power of unilateral climate actions 27:26 | Implications for business leaders Additional inspirations from Dani Rodrik: Straight Talk on Trade: Ideas for a Sane World Economy (Princeton University Press, 2017)Economics Rules: The Rights and Wrongs of the Dismal Science (W. W. Norton & Company, 2015)

    31 min

  4. 12/16/2025

    The Seven Rules of Trust with Jimmy Wales

    In The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things that Last, Jimmy Wales explains how he turned an impossible idea—creating an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit—into a global institution. Wales is the founder of Wikipedia. In his new book, he distills two decades of lessons from building one of the world’s most trusted collaborative projects. He argues that trust isn’t a soft virtue but a practical system—a set of design principles that allow people and organizations to cooperate effectively, solve problems honestly, and endure. In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses whether Wikipedia could still be created today, how it can retain its trusted status in an age of polarization, and what we can learn from Wikipedia to rebuild trust within society. Key topics discussed:  01:02 | How to scale interpersonal trust 04:02 | The importance of assuming good faith 07:13 | Could Wikipedia still be created today? 09:06 | How Wikipedia can retain its trusted status in an age of polarization 10:30 | The impact of AI on trust 15:40 | How institutions can reclaim lost trust 18:01 | Reasons to remain optimistic about rebuilding societal trust

    21 min

  5. 12/09/2025

    How to Be Bold with Ranjay Gulati

    In How to Be Bold: The Surprising Science of Everyday Courage, Ranjay Gulati argues that being bold is something you can learn—not a trait you have to be born with. Gulati, a professor at Harvard Business School, is a leading organizational sociologist and management scholar. In his new book, he explores the science and psychology of courage—showing that bravery is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it. In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the difference between uncertainty and risk, strategies for building courage at the individual and corporate level, and why we shouldn’t be worried about boldness leading to excessive risk-taking. Key topics discussed: 00:58 | The definition of courage 05:11 | Boldness and excessive risk-taking 06:34 | Strategies for building courage as an individual 14:51 | The power of sense-making 18:16 | Risk management systems 21:13 | How to build a culture of courage 31:40 | One thing executives should do differently Additional inspirations from Ranjay Gulati: Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies (Harper Business, 2022)

    35 min

  6. 11/25/2025

    The Land Trap with Mike Bird

    In The Land Trap: A New History of the World’s Oldest Asset, Mike Bird shows why land remains the ultimate currency of power. Bird is the Wall Street editor at The Economist, where he leads coverage across the American financial industry and cohosts the magazine’s flagship podcast Money Talks. In his new book, he presents a bold new framework explaining how land exerts influence over the modern world, shaping housing, banking, and geopolitics. In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, Bird discusses the history of land usage and ownership, how land is related to modern economic crises, and different governance models for land. Key topics discussed:  01:01 | What makes land unique, and why is it a trap? 04:58 | The history of land ownership 11:38 | The relation between land and economic crises 16:00 | The role of “superstar cities” 19:08 | How land could be governed 23:36 | Business implications of land

    29 min

  7. 11/11/2025

    SuperAdaptability with Max McKeown

    In SuperAdaptability: How to Transcend in an Age of Overwhelm, Max McKeown argues that the key to thriving under uncertainty is adaptability—being able to change with your environment, again and again, getting better each time. McKeown is a leading strategy thinker, coach to Fortune 100 companies, and an award-winning author. In his new book, he reveals how figures as different as Frida Kahlo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Simone Biles all relied on the same pattern of thinking to adapt to radically changing circumstances. In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the difference between adaptability and resilience, and how to scale adaptability from one person to a team to an entire organization. Key topics discussed:  01:14 | The power of adaptive intelligence 03:03 | Adaptability vs. resilience 05:15 | The RUN loop: Recognize, understand, necessary action 09:08 | How to help others become more adaptable 11:57 | How to make your company more adaptable 16:19 | Applying the loop logic to innovation 23:56 | Real life stories of adaptability 29:23 | Bringing adaptability to life with illustrations Additional inspirations from Max McKeown: The Strategy Book: How to Think and Act Strategically to Deliver Outstanding Results (FT Publishing International, 2024)

    33 min

  8. 10/28/2025

    Capitalism and its Critics with John Cassidy

    In Capitalism and Its Critics: A Battle of Ideas in the Modern World, John Cassidy offers a multi-century history of global capitalism, told through the eyes of its dissenters. Cassidy is a staff writer at The New Yorker and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. His new book blends biography, history, and economic analysis to reveal the roots of urgent debates the business world and society face today, as AI, climate change, and inequality are forcing us to reexamine the economic system. In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, Cassidy discusses the main historical themes of capitalism critique, why the system continues to endure, how it is being, and what its future may be in the current context of assaults on the system from both the political left and right. Key topics discussed:  01:44 | The main themes of capitalism critique 04:17 | Why capitalism endures 09:15 | The paradox of state capitalism 14:21 | The misunderstood Luddites 19:09 | Trade tensions and global economic asymmetry 24:45 | The role of unpaid domestic labor in driving the capitalist system 28:50 | The most surprising insights in writing the book 31:33 | The future of capitalism Additional inspirations from John Cassidy: Dot.Con: The Greatest Story Ever Sold (Harper, 2022)How Markets Fail: The Logic of Economic Calamities (Picador, 2010)

    38 min
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4.7
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About

Inspiring and thought-provoking conversations with leading thinkers about influential ideas on business, technology, economics, and science. Hosted by Nikolaus Lang and Adam Job. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Information

  • Creator
    BCG Henderson Institute
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    141
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 BCG Henderson Institute
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    Thinkers & Ideas

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