Lead with Purpose

Ron Boire

Lead with Purpose is a long-form series featuring leaders who are building something that matters. Founders, CEOs, board members, and thinkers sit down with Ron Boire, former CEO of Barnes & Noble, Sears Canada, and Brookstone, for unscripted, unedited conversations about how leaders define their purpose, navigate crisis, and make the hard calls that shape their companies, their teams, and their lives: from strategic transformation and the future of work to the human side of leading through technological change. No soundbites. No scripts. Just real dialogue between people who have sat in the chair.

Episodes

  1. JoAnn Garbin, Designing AI for the Forest, Not the Factory [003]

    1 DAY AGO

    JoAnn Garbin, Designing AI for the Forest, Not the Factory [003]

    Lead with Purpose Podcast: Ron Boire and JoAnn Garbin Ron sits down with JoAnn Garbin, author, innovator, and co-founder of Regenerous Labs, a venture studio dedicated to regenerative innovation at the intersection of sustainability and technology. JoAnn spent 25 years building at that intersection before joining Microsoft, where she led efforts to reimagine what a data center could be. Ron and JoAnn explore the rapid pace of AI-driven change, why most leaders are less prepared than they think, how to free yourself from the 80% of work that doesn't require your best thinking, and what it really means to lead from a clear set of values.  Follow JoAnn: Website: www.joanngarbin.comSubstack: joanngarbin.substack.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joanngarbinRegenerous Labs: www.regenerouslabs.comBook: The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft (Post Hill Press, 2025) Follow Ron: Website: www.ronboire.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronboireSubstack: ronboire.substack.comKeynote speaking: www.ronboire.com/keynote-speakingExecutive coaching: www.ronboire.com/executive-coaching

    1hr 37min
  2. Aidan McCullen, A Life Leadership Journey [002]

    28 APR

    Aidan McCullen, A Life Leadership Journey [002]

    Ron sits down with Aidan McCullen, transformation consultant, keynote speaker, author, college professor, and former professional rugby player. Recorded after the two connected at the Reinvention Summit in Dublin, this conversation covers personal reinvention, organizational transformation, resilience, the future of work, AI, and what it really takes to rebuild your identity after losing everything you were known for. The Innovation Show: https://theinnovationshow.io Thinkers50: https://www.thinkers50.com Trinity College Dublin: https://www.tcd.ie The Reinvention Summit: Dublin-based event convening global thinkers to help Ireland build its next chapter Undisruptable: A Mindset of Permanent Reinvention for Individuals, Organizations and Life by Aidan McCullen: https://www.amazon.com/Undisruptable-Permanent-Reinvention-Individuals-Organisations/dp/1119770483 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck: https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322 Negotiate This by Herb Cohen: https://www.amazon.com/Negotiate-This-Caring-But-Not/dp/044669780X The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen: https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Revolutionary-Change-Business/dp/0062060244 Aidan McCullen: https://aidanmccullen.com Website: https://www.ronboire.com Lead with Purpose Podcast: https://www.ronboire.com/podcast

    1hr 15min
  3. Rita McGrath , The Future of Work, AI, and Leading Through Transformation [001]

    21 APR

    Rita McGrath , The Future of Work, AI, and Leading Through Transformation [001]

    Ron sits down with longtime friend and collaborator Rita McGrath, widely regarded as one of the world's leading business strategists and a Thinkers50 top-ranked thinker. Recorded at Columbia Business School, this wide-ranging conversation covers AI and organizational transformation, the future of work, education, universal basic income, and what it means to lead with purpose in an era of accelerating change. Takeaways Long-standing professional relationships can lead to successful collaborations and shared experiences.The future of work is evolving, with a focus on individual and team value creation, as well as the impact of AI and technology. Future of workEducation and skillsEconomic impact Reimagining the concept of a jobRedefining wealth and productivityThe future of education and learningStaying fresh and relevant in a changing world Chapters 00:00 Building Long-Term Collaborations07:42 Academic and Professional Journey13:56 Transition to Columbia Business School23:03 Value Creation and Small Teams31:13 The Death of the Billable Hour01:06:02 Impact of Robotics and Automation on Jobs01:26:01 Staying Fresh and Relevant

    1hr 39min
  • 3 Episodes

About

Lead with Purpose is a long-form series featuring leaders who are building something that matters. Founders, CEOs, board members, and thinkers sit down with Ron Boire, former CEO of Barnes & Noble, Sears Canada, and Brookstone, for unscripted, unedited conversations about how leaders define their purpose, navigate crisis, and make the hard calls that shape their companies, their teams, and their lives: from strategic transformation and the future of work to the human side of leading through technological change. No soundbites. No scripts. Just real dialogue between people who have sat in the chair.

Information

  • Creator
    Ron Boire
  • Years Active
    2k
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ron Boire