Shows
Thinkers & IdeasThe Microstress Effect with Rob Cross and Karen DillonA “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...
2023-04-1835 minThinkers & IdeasThink Bigger with Sheena IyengarIn 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...
2023-04-1133 minThinkers & IdeasThe Crisis of Democratic Capitalism with Martin WolfIn 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 po...
2023-03-2129 minThinkers & IdeasSustainability, Technology, and Finance with Georg Kell and Andreas RascheIn their book Sustainability, Technology, and Finance: Rethinking How Markets Integrate ESG, Georg Kell and Andreas Rasche explore the swiftly emerging and crucially important nexus among sustainability, finance, and technology.Kell is Chairman of the tech company Arabesque, which uses AI and data to assess sustainability performance and guide investments. He is also founder of the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. Rasche is a professor of business in society and Associate Dean of Copenhagen Business School. Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, they discuss the bleeding edge of sustainability th...
2023-03-1326 min
Thinkers & IdeasDirect with Kathryn JudgeThis conversation was recorded on November 16th, 2022.In her book Direct: The Rise of the Middleman Economy and the Power of Going to the Source, law professor Kathryn Judge examines the changing role of intermediaries in the economy.Judge, an expert on banking, financial markets, and regulation, is the Harvey J. Goldschmid Professor of Law and Vice Dean for Intellectual Life at Columbia Law School. Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Judge discusses both the positive and negative impacts of intermediaries in the economy.She explains that although they have...
2023-02-2728 minThinkers & IdeasLeading Through Inflation with Ram CharanThis conversation was recorded on November 28th, 2022. Ram Charan is a business consultant, author, and CEO advisor who has had more than 40 years of experience advising executives and boards of top companies around the world. Ram has authored 30 books and sold over 4 million copies globally.In his latest book, Leading Through Inflation: And Recession and Stagflation, Ram provides hands-on guidance for business leaders to navigate inflation. He explains how leaders are challenged in doing and emphasizes the importance of taking a macro-view, looking forward, understanding inflations drivers, looking at particulars for a business or industry, m...
2023-02-1026 min
Thinkers & IdeasHow to Stay Smart in a Smart World with Gerd GigerenzerIn his latest book, How to Stay Smart in a Smart World: Why Human Intelligence Still Beats Algorithms, psychologist Gerd Gigerenzer examines how humans need to adapt in order to make the best use of new technologies like AI.Gerd Gigerenzer is director of the Harding Center for Risk Literacy at the University of Potsdam and director emeritus of the Center for Adaptive Behavior and Cognition at the Max Planck Institute and is an expert on human decision making. Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the uses and limits of AI, the...
2023-02-0127 min
Thinkers & IdeasHarvard Business Review at 100 with Adi IgnatiusAdi Ignatius is the Editor in Chief of Harvard Business Review (HBR). Prior to joining HBR, Adi worked for many years at Wall Street Journal as the Moscow and Beijing bureau chief, and subsequently served as deputy managing director of Time. He has authored several books, including Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Premier Zhao Ziyang and President Obama, the Path to the White House.In this special episode of Thinkers & Ideas, Adi discusses Harvard Business Review at 100, which highlights the 30 articles that helped popularize some of the best and most enduring business ideas.
2023-01-1822 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldBusiness Impact on Nature with Tony GoldnerIn this episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Tony Goldner, Executive Director of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures.Together, they discuss the urgent need to address businesses’ impact on nature and the opportunities and risks that businesses face. They discuss the role that business ecosystems, corporate transparency, and public-private partnerships can play in the solution. Goldner also explains the similarities and differences with the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and the imperative for businesses to focus on climate and nature simulta...
2023-01-1224 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Patient Priority with Stefan Larsson and Jennifer ClawsonStefan Larsson, MD, Ph.D. is a pioneer in the field of value-based health care. Dr. Larsson is an independent advisor to healthcare organizations, a BCG senior advisor, a co-founder and board member of the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM), a non-profit that works to create global standards for measuring health outcomes, and a distinguished fellow on the Health and Healthcare team of the World Economic Forum.Jennifer Clawson is a Partner and Director in BCG’s Madrid office and a global head of the firm’s Center for Value in Health Care. She has work...
2023-01-0524 min
Thinkers & IdeasUnreasonable Hospitality with Will GuidaraWill Guidara made his name in the hospitality industry as the co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, transforming it from a "good" New York restaurant to a 3 Michelin star establishment that was ranked number one on "The World's 50 Best Restaurants" list in 2017.In his new book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, Will shares his personal memoir and manifesto, outlining his business management philosophy on the art of service.Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Will discusses how to be intentional in the pursuit of relationships with...
2022-12-1628 min
Thinkers & IdeasHow the Future Works with Brian ElliottBrian Elliott is an Executive Leader at Future Forum. He has spent the last three decades leading teams and building companies as a startup CEO, a product leader at Google, and Senior Vice President at Slack.In his book How the Future Works. Leading Flexible Teams to do the Best Work of Their Lives, co-authored by Sheela Subramanian and Helen Kupp, he points out that the way we worked in pre-pandemic times is no longer effective and the concept of nine-to-five, five-days-a-week, in-office work environments does not resonate with most employees today, or with the requirements of...
2022-12-1329 min
Thinkers & IdeasPurpose and Profit with George SerafeimGeorge Serafeim is the Charles M. Williams Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He is one of the leading academics and voices on corporate purpose, sustainability, and the integration of ESG concerns into business strategy and investing. George is the co-founder of KKS Advisors, a leading sustainability strategy consulting firm, an academic partner at State Street Associates, a board member of Liberty Mutual, and has served on the inaugural Standards Council of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board.In his new book, Purpose and Profit: How Business Can Lift up The World, George describes how incorporating...
2022-12-0332 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldThe Challenges and Values of Achieving Organizational Sustainability with David StantonIn the latest episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews David Stanton, CEO of UGSI Solutions, an infrastructure technology supplier to water, wastewater, and energy industries.Together, they discuss the challenges and values of helping companies enhance their sustainability by effectively dealing with their waste streams to achieve operational efficiencies and business model advantages. Stanton explains the shift in perspective that organizations face when deciding how to best allocate their waste so that it can be reinvested into the economy instead of simply di...
2022-11-1827 min
Thinkers & IdeasPower and Prediction with Joshua GansJoshua Gans is a Professor of Strategic Management and the holder of the Jeffrey S. Skoll Chair of Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He is also the Chief Economist of the University’s Creative Destruction Lab.In 2018, together with Ajay Agrawal and Avi Goldfarb, he published Prediction Machines, an exploration of how basic tools from economics provide clarity about the AI revolution and a basis for action by leaders.The trio’s latest book, “Power and Prediction: The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence” explains the economic...
2022-11-1530 min
Thinkers & IdeasHANGRY with Mike EvansMike Evans made his name as the founder of GrubHub, which he co-founded back in 2004, guiding it to a successful IPO in 2014. Since then, he has bicycled across the United States, founded Fixer.com, a handyperson service and B-Corp focused on social impact, and written a memoir titled HANGRY: A Startup Journey focused on how to start and grow a business.In conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Mike discusses a central theme in his new book, the art of starting something from nothing. The conversation touches on the importance of iterative experimentation, treating...
2022-11-0127 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldBringing Sustainability to the Fore in Fashion with Art and Annin PeckIn the newest episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Art and Annin Peck.Art is the former CEO of GAP Inc. and Executive Chair and Partner at fashion start-up The Great as well as a Boston Consulting Group alum. Annin leads sustainability at GAP Inc. as the Director of ESG Strategy and Business Integration.They discuss the evolution of GAP Inc.’s sustainability strategy, how ambitious goals can drive business innovation, the force multiplier effects that data and technology can...
2022-10-2739 min
Thinkers & IdeasIDEAFLOW with Jeremy Utley and Perry KlebahnJeremy Utley is a Director of Executive Education at Stanford’s d.school and an adjunct professor at Stanford’s School of Engineering. He is the host of the d.school’s widely known program, “Stanford’s Masters of Creativity.”Perry Klebahn is an adjunct professor and Director of Executive Education at Stanford’s d.school. Previously he served as COO for Patagonia and CEO of Timbuk2.In their new book, IDEAFLOW: The Only Business Metric That Matters, Jeremy and Perry explain that creativity is not reserved for a select few, but can be developed like any other...
2022-10-2529 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldCorporate Governance and Sustainability with Peter Tollman and Ron SoonieusIn the newest episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — is joined by BCG Senior Advisors Peter Tollman and Ron Soonieus. They discuss how CEOs and Boards partner to create strategic advantage through sustainability, the evolution of corporations’ roles in society, and the criticality of the G in ESG.Ron’s perspective is informed by his decades of experience on both sides of the corporate agency divide as an executive and board member. Peter leads BCG’s CEO Advisory program where his decades o...
2022-10-1330 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Future of Competitive Strategy with Mohan SubramaniamDr. Mohan Subramaniam is a Professor of Strategy and Digital Transformation at the IMD Business School. His research is focused on the digital transformation of incumbent industrial firms, specifically, new sources of competitive advantage in the digital age.In his latest book, The Future of Competitive Strategy: Unleashing the Power of Data and Digital Ecosystems, Mohan discusses how companies must adapt their competitive strategies to capture the value from data, suggesting that the context of competitive strategy has shifted from industries to digital ecosystems.In conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Mohan...
2022-10-1327 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldContinuous Process Improvement and Sustainability with Tony TheneIn this episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Tony Thene, President and CEO of Carpenter Technology, a global leader in high-performance specialty alloy materials.They discuss how Carpenter Technology has applied their learnings from their CPI expertise in materials, manufacturing, and processes to develop their sustainability initiatives as well as diversity, inclusion, and safety among their labor force.***About the BCG Henderson InstituteThe BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicate...
2022-09-2932 min
Thinkers & IdeasRita McGrath and Roger L. Martin on the Nature of Competitive AdvantageIn this special episode of the Thinkers & Ideas podcast, Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, is joined by two of the leading minds in strategy to discuss the nature of competitive advantage.Join Rita McGrath and Roger L. Martin as they debate whether competitive advantage is more or less sustainable today, whether it has shifted in nature and whether it will shift prospectively. In addition to defending their own positions, they discuss how two very different views of competition can be reconciled. They also offer thoughts for open questions in strategy which merit further consideration.
2022-09-2841 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldCreating Advantage from Trustworthy Sustainability Data with Antoine GirosIn the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Antoine Giros — Vice President of Certification Global Service Line for Bureau Veritas Group, a leader in testing, inspection and certification services.They discuss how Bureau Veritas Group has shaped its strategy and innovation agenda to create a competitive advantage for itself and for its clients by creating transparency of high-quality, trustworthy sustainability data. Antoine shares how important it is to build the right digital systems to bring sustainability data to senior decision-makers to...
2022-09-1523 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Upside of Uncertainty with Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon FurrNathan Furr is an Associate Professor of Strategy at INSEAD. His research focuses on how new and established firms adapt to technology, change, and enter new markets. Susannah Harmon Furr is a designer, entrepreneur, and art historian with a research focus on the Dutch Baroque period. She is the founder of a successful women’s clothing line inspired by her research on intricate embroidery.In their new book, The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown, Nathan and Susannah introduce a positive outlook on uncertainty, and how all possibility and success arise from un...
2022-09-1337 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldLessons on Sustainable Finance and Investing with Nili GilbertIn the latest episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Nili Gilbert — Vice-chairwoman of Carbon Direct, Chair of the Investment Committee for the David Rockefeller Fund, Chair of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero Advisory Panel, and Chair for U.S. Policy for the UN Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance.Together, they discuss how asset owners and asset managers are taking collective action to reshape the financial ecosystem and use finance to shape the global economic system, while at the same time creating a un...
2022-09-0133 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldThe Long View and Sustainability with Mark PrestonIn this episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Mark Preston, Executive Trustee and Chief Executive at Grosvenor.Grosvenor is a global privately held trustee-owned organization whose operations span urban property, food and AgTech, rural estate management, and support for philanthropic initiatives. The firm’s history dates back over 340 years and currently manages over £11 billion in assets under management across its portfolios. Beneficial ownership of the firm remains with the Grosvenor family, the Duke of Westminster being the primary beneficiary.Mark’s three...
2022-08-1831 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldLessons From Purpose-Driven Media with Gary KnellIn the first episode of season 2 of Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Gary Knell — former Chairman of National Geographic Partners, former CEO of Sesame Street, and former CEO of National Public Radio.Together, they discuss how National Geographic, Sesame Street, and NPR staked out their competitive advantage by anchoring themselves in purpose-driven media and how purpose can serve companies to navigate this period of disinformation and distrust. Gary shares his perspective on the role of media in shaping the context for sustainability and how companies...
2022-08-0426 min
Thinkers & IdeasEveryday Superhero with Tony O'DriscollTony O’Driscoll is a Professor of Business Administration at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and the Pratt School of Engineering. He has authored two books on learning and organizational performance and numerous articles for publications such as the Harvard Business Review and The Financial Times.In his latest book Everday Superhero: How You Can Inspire Everyone and Create Real Change at Work, a graphic novel co-authored with Gary Zamchick, Tony tells the story of a change champion, Mae B, a middle manager faced with a heroic challenge, hampered by an ineffective traditional approach to chan...
2022-08-0126 min
Thinkers & IdeasSolvable with Albrecht Enders and Arnaud ChevallierAlbrecht Enders is a Professor of Strategy and Management and Co-Director of the Transition-To-Business Leadership Program at IMD Business School. Together with Arnaud Chevallier, Professor of Strategy, Director of Global Management Programs, and Director of Science in Sustainable Management and Technology at IMD Business School he recently co-authored Solvable: A Simple Solution to Complex Problems, which walks readers through critical steps needed to solve any complex problem, specifically how to make a good decision when information is limited.In conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Albrecht and Arnaud share insights from the book, address...
2022-07-0822 min
Thinkers & IdeasTomorrow’s Capitalist with Alan MurrayAlan Murray is the President and CEO of Fortune Media. He is a lifelong journalist having previously held leadership positions at the Wall Street Journal and CNBC.In his latest book, Tomorrow’s Capitalist: My Search for the Soul of Business, Alan discusses the history and future of corporate capitalism, suggesting that a variety of social, political, technological, and environmental forces are fundamentally reshaping the accountabilities of businesses beyond profit generation.In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Alan discusses key insights from his new book including: the progress and challenges he...
2022-06-0228 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Long Game with Dorie ClarkDorie Clark teaches executive education at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. She is the author of 5 books including Entrepreneurial You and Reinventing You. Clark has been named one of top 50 business thinkers by Thinkers50.In her latest book The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World Clark explains how almost anything is attainable through small, methodical steps taken day by day. She urges her readers to optimize for interesting, as a first step in discovering one’s passion, suggesting that if one keeps...
2022-05-1730 min
Thinkers & IdeasA New Way to Think with Roger L. MartinRoger L. Martin is a Professor Emeritus of Strategic Management and former Dean at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. He is a trusted strategic adviser to the CEOs of many global companies. Roger has consistently been featured in the Thinkers50 list, where he was named the world’s number one management thinker in 2017. He has authored 12 books, including When More is Not Better in which he discusses how growing inequality in American society poses a threat to democratic capitalism (listen to our interview about the book with Roger here).In his latest book, A Ne...
2022-05-0333 min
Thinkers & IdeasRedesigning Work with Lynda GrattonLynda Gratton is a Professor of Management Practice at London Business School and the CEO and founder of HSM advisory. Lynda has authored over ten books, including The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity co-authored together with Andrew J. Scott.In her new book, Redesigning Work: How to Transform Your Organization and Make Hybrid Work for Everyone, Lynda discusses how to deliberately redesign work taking into account not only the specifics of each job, and the new possibilities for flexibility around time and place but also a range of other technological, social and...
2022-04-2629 min
Thinkers & IdeasBe Logical - Be Creative - Be Critical with Luc de BrabandereLuc de Brabandere is a Senior Advisor at BCG, a BCG Henderson Institute Alumni Fellow, co-founder of CartoonBase, and an invited Professor at The Brussels Solvay School and ETH Zurich. He is the co-author of Thinking in New Boxes, which offers a new paradigm for business creativity.In his most recent book, Be Logical, Be Creative, Be Critical: The Art of Thinking in a Digital World, together with Lina Benmehrez, Brabandere deals with the role of thinking in business and provides a rich analysis of how digital technologies are affecting our thinking processes.Building on...
2022-04-0825 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Voltage Effect with John A. ListJohn A. List is a Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago and Chief Economist at Walmart. List is co-author of The Why Axis, a fellow of The Econometric Society, and an editor of the Journal of Political Economy.His new book, The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale, focuses on the necessity of scaling ideas and the things that help and get in the way of doing this.List argues the only ideas worth pursuing are the ones with the potential to make a significant impact on...
2022-03-3130 min
Thinkers & IdeasMoonshot with Dr. Albert BourlaDr. Albert Bourla is Chairman and CEO of Pfizer Inc., and author of Moonshot: Inside Pfizer’s Nine-Month Race to Make the Impossible Possible, a new book that chronicles how Pfizer achieved what many believed to be impossible: the creation of a high efficacy, safe, and producible at-scale mRNA vaccine within a tenth of the expected time.In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Dr. Bourla discusses the critical enablers of Pfizer’s success, both:Internally at Pfizer’s mass mobilization effort that enabled the world’s largest pharmaceutical company to act as a...
2022-03-0928 min
Thinkers & IdeasCorporate Explorer with Andy Binns and Charles O'ReillyAndrew Binns and Charles O’Reilly are co-founders of Change Logic, a Boston-based strategic advisory firm. Charles is a Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and author of multiple other books on business management.They partnered with Michael Tushman, Professor at Harvard Business School, to coalesce their decades of collective experience in innovation and corporate transformation to create the Corporate Explorer: How Corporations can Beat Startups at the Innovation Game.In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Andy and Charles discuss insights from the new book.Wh...
2022-02-2232 min
Thinkers & IdeasDeep Purpose with Ranjay GulatiRanjay Gulati is an organizational scholar and professor of business at Harvard Business School.His latest book, Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies shares the stories of companies that pursue what he calls a “deep purpose”. Ranjay studied the actions, cultures, and leadership companies pursuing purpose — where they succeed and where they fall short, to help other leaders in “walking the razor’s edge” to achieve both commercial value and social good through purpose.Ranjay calls for a reform of business, built around the idea that companies can and should use purpose not only to achi...
2022-02-0827 min
Thinkers & IdeasWinning the Right Game with Ron AdnerRon Adner is Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Ron previously authored the book The Wide Lens: What Successful Innovators See that Others Miss.His new book, Winning the Right Game: How to Disrupt, Defend, and Deliver in a Changing World, is a handbook on how leaders and companies can succeed in an era of ecosystem-based disruption.Adner views his book not as a replacement for traditional competitive strategies, but a necessary supplement for leaders who need to both compete in traditional industries as well as emergent cross-industry...
2021-12-0930 min
Thinkers & IdeasRule of the Robots with Martin FordMartin Ford is an entrepreneur, futurist, and author of multiple books, including the New York Times bestseller Rise of the Robots.He recently published a sequel, Rule of the Robots, in which he claims that the best way to understand the impact of artificial intelligence on the economy and society is to see it as a utility analogous to electricity — in fact, “the electricity of intelligence.”In Ford’s view, while general AI is unlikely to be achieved in the near term, AI will still widespread disruptive effects as an “explosion of specific applications” reach every aspect of...
2021-11-2329 min
Thinkers & IdeasNet Positive with Paul Polman and Andrew WinstonPaul Polman was the CEO of Unilever from 2009 to 2019, the first from outside the company in its century-plus history, and has been described by the Financial Times as “a standout CEO of the past decade.” Today he works to accelerate action by business to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which he helped develop.Andrew Winston is one of the world’s most widely read writers and leading thinkers on sustainable business. His books on sustainability strategy, have sold more than 150,000 copies in seven languages.Together they just published a new book, Net Positive: How Courag...
2021-11-1127 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Human Element with Loran Nordgren and David SchonthalLoran Nordgren is Professor of Management and Organizations at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. His research explores the basic psychological processes that guide how we think and act.David Schonthal is Clinical Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Kellogg, as well as Faculty Director of Kellogg’s Zell Fellows Program, a selective venture accelerator program designed to help student entrepreneurs successfully launch or acquire new businesses.Their new book, The Human Element, focuses on how to get people to say yes to a new idea or innovation. Many believe that the best (and perhaps only...
2021-11-0228 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Exponential Age with Azeem AzharAzeem Azhar is the creator of Exponential View, a global platform for in-depth tech analysis. He is a member of the WEF’s Global Futures Council, a contributor to publications including the Financial Times and the MIT Technology Review, and the host of HBR’s Exponential View podcast.His new book, The Exponential Age, explores how the emergence and exponential advancement of key technologies have led us to a new era of human society and economic organization — the “Exponential Age”.In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Azhar discusses insights from his new b...
2021-10-1928 min
Thinkers & IdeasOpen Strategy with Christian StadlerChristian Stadler is a Professor of Strategic Management at Warwick Business School and a member of the Editorial Board of the Strategic Management Journal and Strategic Organization. Through his research, Christian primarily examines long-term corporate sustainability — how companies grow, adapt, and beat their competitors through learning, innovating, and diversifying.Together with Julia Hautz, Kurt Matzler, Stephan Friedrich von den Eichen, he recently published Open Strategy, a persuasive call to action for companies to “open up” their strategy process to people outside the C-suite — whether they are external customers, internal employees, or complete bystanders.The authors argue that histo...
2021-10-1228 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Burnout Epidemic with Jennifer MossJennifer Moss is an award-winning author, speaker, and radio columnist, reporting on topics related to happiness and workplace well-being. Her articles have appeared in Forbes, the Society of Human Resource Management, Fortune, and Harvard Business Review.Since March 2020, many of us have been operating in crisis mode; quick pivots, learning new policies, and processes on the fly, working from home while juggling family priorities all under the mental fog of chronic stress. Burnout is real and it has increased significantly since the pandemic struck.Jennifer’s new book, The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic St...
2021-09-2821 min
Thinkers & IdeasAI 2041 with Kai-Fu LeeKai-Fu Lee is the CEO of Sinovation Ventures and the New York Times bestselling author of AI Superpowers. Lee was formerly the President of Google China and a senior executive at Microsoft and Apple. He chairs the Artificial Intelligence Council at the World Economic Forum.His new book, AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future, co-authored with Chen Qiufan, is a literary call-and-response: Qiufan calls to Lee with one fictional chapter on the future of AI, and Lee responds to Qiufan with a supporting, nonfictional analysis of those futures. Each chapter deals with the applications of a different...
2021-09-1423 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Power of Trust with Sandra SucherSandra Sucher is a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School and an internationally recognized trust researcher.Her new book, The Power of Trust: How Companies Build It, Lose It, Regain It, co-authored with Shalene Gupta, is an exploration of the changing nature of trust. The book leverages interdisciplinary research, alongside key business case studies, to help elaborate on the four components of trust: competence, motives, means, and impact.In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Sucher explains how companies, build, lose, and regain trust in today’s world, an...
2021-08-1331 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Family Business Handbook with Rob LachenauerRob Lachenauer is the CEO at BanyanGlobal, an organization that advises the owners of the world’s leading family enterprises on strategy and governance.He recently co-authored a book, Harvard Business Review Family Business Handbook: How to Build and Sustain a Successful, Enduring Enterprise, that provides an overview of the success factors for family businesses, based on his experience as a family business advisor.In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Lachenauer argues that family businesses can represent both the best and worst forms of capitalism, outlines what separates the be...
2021-07-2727 min
Thinkers & IdeasRemote Work Revolution with Tsedal NeeleyTsedal Neeley is Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. Her work focuses on how leaders can scale their organization by developing and implementing global and digital strategies and regularly advises top leaders who are embarking on virtual work and large-scale change that involves global expansion, digital transformation, and becoming more agile.The rapid changes brought on by Covid-19 were unprecedented but remote work (and the concerns that accompany it) are not new. In her new book, Remote Work Revolution, Neeley provides evidence-based answers to these pressing concerns as well as practical guidance for internalizing...
2021-07-1426 min
Thinkers & IdeasRethinking Competitive Advantage with Ram CharanRam Charan is a world-renowned business advisor, author, and speaker who has spent the past 40 years working with many of the top companies, CEOs, and boards.Ram has authored over 30 books since 1998 that have sold over 4 million copies in more than a dozen languages. His recent book, Rethinking Competitive Advantage, explains the source of digital giants’ competitive advantage and describes the path for other companies to develop their own.In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Ram provides an overview of how leaders — of both traditional and digital companies— can increase t...
2021-06-2931 min
Thinkers & IdeasNoise with Olivier SibonyOlivier Sibony is a Professor at HEC Paris and an Associate Fellow of Saïd Business School in Oxford University.Together with Daniel Kahneman and Cass R. Sunstein he recently published a new book, Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment, which focuses on the scatter inherent in decision making.Learn more about how noise differs from bias, how it arises, and how it can be reduced through what the authors call decision-making hygiene.In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Sibony discusses how noise differs from bias, how n...
2021-05-2829 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldLessons from Schneider Electric (Part II)In the newest episode of our Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young—a BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation—continues his interview with Schneider Electric’s Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Olivier Blum.Together, they discuss the importance of innovation to reframe and unlock sustainability as a source of advantage. In these efforts, it is critical to engage customers and empower employees to drive sustainable innovations. Olivier explains how Schneider created a culture around sustainability that belongs to all their associates, allowing them to deliver on their bold ambitions across both environme...
2021-05-2715 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldLessons from Schneider Electric (Part II)In the newest episode of our Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young—a BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation—continues his interview with Schneider Electric’s Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Olivier Blum.
Together, they discuss the importance of innovation to reframe and unlock sustainability as a source of advantage. In these efforts, it is critical to engage customers and empower employees to drive sustainable innovations. Olivier explains how Schneider created a culture around sustainability that belongs to all their associates, allowing them to deliver on their bold a...
2021-05-2715 min
Thinkers & IdeasFramers with Kenneth Cukier and Francis de VéricourtKenneth Cukier is a New York Times bestselling author on technology and business, a journalist at The Economist, and an Associate Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.Francis de Véricourt is a Professor of Management Science and the Director of the Center for Decisions, Models and Data at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin.Together with Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, they recently published a new book, Framers: Human Advantage in an Age of Technology and Turmoil.In Framers, the authors outline how to use the uniqu...
2021-05-2228 min
Thinkers & IdeasManifesto for a Moral Revolution with Jacqueline NovogratzJacqueline Novogratz is the founder and CEO of Acumen, an impact investment fund that has partnered to build more than 100 social enterprises that bring basic services like affordable education, health care, clean water, energy, and sanitation to more than 300 million people across Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and the United States.In her latest book, Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World, published in May 2020, she explains that continued technological advancement and market solutions won’t solve the defining problems of our time (inequality and climate change). She calls for a moral revolution to...
2021-05-1826 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldLessons from Schneider Electric (Part I)In this episode of our Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — a BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Schneider Electric’s Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Olivier Blum.Schneider Electric was recently named the world’s most sustainable company by Corporate Knights, a leading global sustainable business publication. David and Olivier discuss how the company achieved this, by transitioning from having Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives that were separate from the business to making sustainability a core source of business advantage.Olivier has a unique perspective on this transformation, having held a ra...
2021-05-1318 minBuilding Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldLessons from Schneider Electric (Part I)In this episode of our Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — a BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Schneider Electric’s Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Olivier Blum.
Schneider Electric was recently named the world’s most sustainable company by Corporate Knights, a leading global sustainable business publication. David and Olivier discuss how the company achieved this, by transitioning from having Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives that were separate from the business to making sustainability a core source of business advantage.
Olivier has a unique perspective on this transformation...
2021-05-1318 min
Thinkers & IdeasHow Boards Work with Dambisa MoyoDambisa Moyo is an economist and best-selling author who focuses on macroeconomics and global affairs. She currently serves on the boards of Chevron Corporation and the 3M Company. Previously, she was a board member of Barclays, Barrick Gold, and Seagate Technology, and worked at Goldman Sachs and at the World Bank.Her new book, How Boards Work: And How They Can Work Better in a Chaotic World, builds on her experience as a board member of global companies. She argues that today’s boards have three main tasks: shaping the company strategy, selecting leaders (in particular the CE...
2021-05-0524 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Global Rule of Three with Jagdish Sheth, Can Uslay, and Raj SisodiaIn the absence of excessive regulation or anti-competitive practices, industries are observed to evolve toward an optimal market structure called the Rule of Three. This entails that a market with three full-line generalist firms that are volume-driven and with numerous successful small specialists that are margin-driven. In their new book, The Global Rule of Three, Can Uslay, Associate Professor of Marketing at the Rutgers Business School; Jagdish Sheth, Professor of Marketing at the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University; Raj Sisodia is Professor of Global Business at Babson College argue that even after industries globalize, the Rule of...
2021-04-2825 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldHarnessing Purpose for SustainabilityIn our next episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young, our BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation, interviews BrightHouse CEO Ashley Grice.Ashley discusses how Purpose helps companies articulate how they differentially and authentically solve a need in the world, bringing the ideas of environmental and societal sustainability and sustainable business together.Following the proliferation of the concept for corporate Purpose in the last few years, Ashley anticipates Purpose will become even more relevant as societies work to recover from the series of crises that occurred...
2021-04-2214 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldHarnessing Purpose for SustainabilityIn our next episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young, our BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation, interviews BrightHouse CEO Ashley Grice.
Ashley discusses how Purpose helps companies articulate how they differentially and authentically solve a need in the world, bringing the ideas of environmental and societal sustainability and sustainable business together.
Following the proliferation of the concept for corporate Purpose in the last few years, Ashley anticipates Purpose will become even more relevant as societies work to recover from the series of crises that occurred...
2021-04-2214 min
Thinkers & IdeasFutureproof with Kevin RooseKevin Roose is an award-winning technology columnist for The New York Times, and the New York Times bestselling author of three books: Futureproof, Young Money, and The Unlikely Disciple. He writes and speaks regularly on many topics, including automation and A.I., social media, disinformation and cybersecurity, and digital wellness.His most recent book, Futureproof, focuses on the question, how can we be happy, successful humans in a world that is increasingly built by and for machines?In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute he discusses insights from the book...
2021-04-1331 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldCross-sector partnerships for SustainabilityIn the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Vicki Escarra, Former Global CEO, Opportunity International; Former President & CEO, Feeding America; and Former CMO, Delta Airlines.Vicki shares her inspiring journey across the private and social sectors. She reflects on the importance of cross-sector collaboration to drive meaningful, societal impact at scale while generating benefits for all organizations involved, including corporations. She shares her lessons learned on what it takes to build effective strategic partnerships for collective impact. Organizations involved need to: Set...
2021-04-0818 minBuilding Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldCross-sector partnerships for SustainabilityIn the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Vicki Escarrra, Former Global CEO, Opportunity International; Former President & CEO, Feeding America; and Former CMO, Delta Airlines.
Vicki shares her inspiring journey across the private and social sectors. She reflects on the importance of cross-sector collaboration to drive meaningful, societal impact at scale while generating benefits for all organizations involved, including corporations. She shares her lessons learned on what it takes to build effective strategic partnerships for collective impact. Organizations involved nee...
2021-04-0818 min
Inspiring the Next GameHow Data Sharing Changes Business StrategyPlatforms and ecosystems perform a fundamental function to connect companies, share data, and enable innovation. Michael Cusumano, Sloan Management Review Distinguished Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School, has researched platform businesses and competition for over 30 years.In this episode of the Inspiring the Next Game podcast, he explores the role of data in platform competition with Massimo Russo, BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching the Internet of Things, data economy, and its impact on business.***About the BCG Henderson InstituteThe BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s th...
2021-03-2614 min
Inspiring the Next GameHow Data Sharing Creates Value for CustomersWhat if data your customers have on your product or service could enhance the customer experience, but you don’t have access to that data?In the first episode of the Inspiring the Next Game podcast, Sherry Sanger, Chief Marketing Officer of Penske Transportation Solutions, discusses Penske’s success in accessing connected truck data to create a valuable service built on aggregated data shared by customers, with Massimo Russo, BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching the Internet of Things, data economy, and its impact on business.***About the BCG Henderson InstituteThe BCG...
2021-03-2613 min
Inspiring the Next GameHow Data Sharing Changes Business StrategyPlatforms and ecosystems perform a fundamental function to connect companies, share data, and enable innovation. Michael Cusumano, Sloan Management Review Distinguished Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School, has researched platform businesses and competition for over 30 years.
In this episode of the Inspiring the Next Game podcast, he explores the role of data in platform competition with Massimo Russo, BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching the Internet of Things, data economy, and its impact on business.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think ta...
2021-03-2614 minInspiring the Next GameHow Data Sharing Creates Value for CustomersWhat if data your customers have on your product or service could enhance the customer experience, but you don’t have access to that data?
In the first episode of the Inspiring the Next Game podcast, Sherry Sanger, Chief Marketing Officer of Penske Transportation Solutions, discusses Penske’s success in accessing connected truck data to create a valuable service built on aggregated data shared by customers, with Massimo Russo, BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching the Internet of Things, data economy, and its impact on business.
***
About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Inst...
2021-03-2613 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldLessons from EnevaIn the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation and Heitor Carrera — BCG Senior Partner in Sao Paolo, Brazil — interview Pedro Zinner, CEO of Eneva, a major Brazilian energy company.Together, they discuss the evolving context in Brazil, underscoring the increasing investor demands for companies to embed sustainability into corporate strategy and operations. Pedro describes how Eneva initiated its sustainability journey and shares lessons learned. To get started, companies need to align on and measure ESG KPIs to establish their baseline, set challenging ta...
2021-03-2511 minBuilding Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldLessons from EnevaIn the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation and Heitor Carrera — BCG Senior Partner in Sao Paolo, Brazil — interview Pedro Zinner, CEO of Eneva, a major Brazilian energy company.
Together, they discuss the evolving context in Brazil, underscoring the increasing investor demands for companies to embed sustainability into corporate strategy and operations. Pedro describes how Eneva initiated its sustainability journey and shares lessons learned. To get started, companies need to align on and measure ESG KPIs to establish their baseline, set challenging ta...
2021-03-2511 min
Inspiring the Next GameWhat Is the Data Economy?Over the past decade, a growing numbers of companies have come to view data as a strategic asset. At the same time, sensors, connected devices, and leaps in AI have all contributed to the generation of higher-value data. What are the implications for businesses? Check out this episode to hear more.Host: Massimo Russo, BCG Henderson Institute Fellow Guest: Karalee Close, Global Leader of Boston Consulting Group's Technology Advantage practice***About the BCG Henderson InstituteThe BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to explo...
2021-03-2504 minInspiring the Next GameWhat Is the Data Economy?Over the past decade, a growing numbers of companies have come to view data as a strategic asset. At the same time, sensors, connected devices, and leaps in AI have all contributed to the generation of higher-value data. What are the implications for businesses? Check out this episode to hear more.
Host: Massimo Russo, BCG Henderson Institute Fellow
Guest: Karalee Close, Global Leader of Boston Consulting Group's Technology Advantage practice
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to ex...
2021-03-2404 min
Thinkers & IdeasBusiness Model Innovation Strategy with Raffi Amit and Chris ZottRaphael Amit, Professor of Management at the Wharton School, and Christoph Zott, Professor of Entrepreneurship at IESE Business School, have co-published extensively on all aspects of business model innovation strategy. Their new book, Business Model Innovation Strategy: Transformational Concepts and Tools for Entrepreneurial Leaders, is a guide on business model design for leaders.In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute the authors argue that business model innovation does not replace traditional strategy, but instead complements it by providing new opportunities to disrupt the market or reinvigorate an established firm, by creating an...
2021-03-1622 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldLessons from Veolia and RenaultIn the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Christine Rodwell — former Vice President, Social & Sustainable Impact at Renault and Former Vice President, Business Development Cities at Veolia.Together, they discuss how the role of sustainability in corporate strategy has changed over time. Looking ahead, companies need to clearly define the impact they want to create for society; develop a focused sustainability strategy aligned with that vision; and fully embed sustainability into the core of the business and in every employees’ incenti...
2021-03-1120 minBuilding Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldLessons from Veolia and RenaultIn the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Christine Rodwell — former Vice President, Social & Sustainable Impact at Renault and Former Vice President, Business Development Cities at Veolia.
Together, they discuss how the role of sustainability in corporate strategy has changed over time. Looking ahead, companies need to clearly define the impact they want to create for society; develop a focused sustainability strategy aligned with that vision; and fully embed sustainability into the core of the business and in every employees’ i...
2021-03-1120 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Lonely Century with Noreena HertzNoreena Hertz is an English academic, economist, and author of four books. Having spent 10 years at the University of Cambridge, in 2014 she moved to University College London where she is an Honorary Professor at the Institute for Global Prosperity.Her latest book The Lonely Century: How to Restore Human Connection in a World that’s Pulling Apart focuses on how loneliness has become a defining condition of the twenty-first century. Even before the pandemic, loneliness had become more pervasive and widespread than ever before.In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson In...
2021-03-0223 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldThe Investor Perspective on SustainabilityIn the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Mark Wiseman — Former Global Head of Active Equities and Chair Global Investment Committee, BlackRock; Former President & CEO, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB)Mark shares his perspectives on the evolution and the role of purpose and sustainability in the ability of companies to create value for the long-term, and how that translates in investors’ capital allocation decisions. To win in the years ahead, executives and companies — across sectors and industries — need to build on the skills they have...
2021-02-2517 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldLessons from Unilever (Part II)In the new episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — continues his discussion with Amanda Sourry — former President of Unilever North America.Reflecting on Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan, Amanda shares her thoughts on how companies can and should undertake a purpose-driven sustainability transformation journey to drive business value, shareholder return, and corporate longevity in the decade ahead. This will require purposeful leaders, who seek to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in ways that create new sources of value and advantage for the bu...
2021-02-1114 min
Thinkers & Ideas2030 with Mauro F. GuillénMauro F. Guillén is Professor of International Management at the Wharton School. He served as Director of the Lauder Institute of Management & International Studies between 2007 and 2019.His new book, 2030: How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything, outlines eight interlocking trends that together will reshape society as we know it by 2030.In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Guillén discusses these trends and the steps companies and leaders need to take in order to remain competitive in the future.***Abou...
2021-01-2621 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Six New Rules of Business with Judy SamuelsonJudy Samuelson is executive director of the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program. She previously worked in legislative affairs in California, banking in New York’s garment center, and ran the Ford Foundation’s office of program-related investments.In her new book, The Six New Rules of Business: Creating Real Value in a Changing World, she explores how societal shifts in recent decades have upended the traditional rules of business, calling into question the business’s purpose and its role in society and offering new rules for how to make businesses successful in their new social contexts.I...
2021-01-1325 min
Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldTrailer - Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldDave Young, Fellow at the BCG Henderson Institute and Global Lead for the Total Societal Impact topic at BCG, introduces his new podcast series, Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World. In this series, Dave will interview senior business executives across the world to discuss their experiences and views on what it will take for companies to reunite the two "S-words" of business strategy: sustainability and sustainable competitive advantage.***About the BCG Henderson InstituteThe BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new in...
2020-11-2302 minBuilding Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldTrailer - Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable WorldDave Young, Fellow at the BCG Henderson Institute and Global Lead for the Total Societal Impact topic at BCG, introduces his new podcast series, Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World. In this series, Dave will interview senior business executives across the world to discuss their experiences and views on what it will take for companies to reunite the two "S-words" of business strategy: sustainability and sustainable competitive advantage.
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About the BCG Henderson Institute
The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights fr...
2020-11-2302 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Phoenix Encounter Method with Sameer HasijaThere’s increasing dynamism and stress in business environments and we have “firestorms” ranging everywhere that could consume incumbent businesses at any time. According to Ian C. Woodward, V. “Paddy” Padmanabhan, Sameer Hasija, and Ram Charan, co-authors of The Phoenix Encounter Method, in order to avoid being disrupted, leaders need to go through “phoenix encounters”, in which they contemplate and execute their own disruption.Sameer Hasija, Professor of Technology and Operations Management at INSEAD recently discussed insights from the new book with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute.***About the BCG Henderson Inst...
2020-11-1725 min
Thinkers & IdeasRadical Uncertainty with John KayJohn Kay is one of Britain’s leading economists, and has been a Fellow of St John’s College, Oxford since 1970. His work is centered on the relationships between economics, finance, and business. Today his main focus is on writing and he is renowned for his ability to express complex ideas clearly and succinctly. He is the author of many books, including The Truth about Markets (2003) and Obliquity (2010).In his new book, Radical Uncertainty: Decision-Making Beyond the Numbers, co-authored with Mervyn King, he argues that models have only limited value in guiding business decision making. In a nume...
2020-10-2020 min
Thinkers & IdeasSustainable Investing with Georg KellGeorg 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.Kell, along with Herman Bril and Andreas Rasche, are the co-editors of Sustainable Investing: A path to a new horizon, a unique combination of perspectives from academics and practitioners on how corporate sustainability and sustainable investing are converging and driving change in markets.In a discussion with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Kell discusses the role of the corporate world and finance in making progress on su...
2020-10-1318 min
Thinkers & IdeasJanus Strategy with Loizos HeracleousLoizos Heracleous is Professor of Strategy and Organisation at the Warwick Business School, and Associate Fellow of Green Templeton College and Saïd Business School.In his new book, Janus Strategy, he argues that organizations can accomplish strategies that seek to reach competing goals.Traditional strategy wisdom suggests that there are two generic strategies — differentiation and cost leadership. It is assumed to be impossible to combine both for a prolonged period of time, and those who try succeed only temporarily (in new markets that aren’t competitive yet) or fail at both. However, some organizations prove tha...
2020-10-0624 min
Thinkers & IdeasReimagining Capitalism with Rebecca HendersonRebecca Henderson is an economist, a professor at Harvard Business School, a research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a fellow of both the British Academy and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is an expert on innovation and organizational change, a board member of Idexx Laboratories and of CERES.In her new book, Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire, she argues why and how we need to reimage capitalism if we want to solve today’s big issues. In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson In...
2020-09-2220 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Ethical Algorithm with Michael KearnsMichael Kearns is Professor and the National Center Chair in the Computer and Information Science department of the University of Pennsylvania, where he has secondary appointments in Economics and the Wharton School. He has published widely in machine learning, artificial intelligence, algorithmic game theory, and quantitative finance.His latest book, The Ethical Algorithm: The Science of Socially Aware Algorithm Design, co-authored with University of Pennsylvania colleague Aaron Roth, explores the interplay between societal values and the expanding role of algorithms in our everyday lives. In a discussion with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Professor...
2020-09-1529 min
Thinkers & IdeasWhat's Your Problem? with Thomas Wedell-WedellsborgThomas Wedell-Wedellsborg is a Harvard Business Press author and an expert on innovation and problem-solving. His first book, “Innovation as Usual”, coauthored with Paddy Miller, was translated into five languages and got Thomas recognized as a “Top 20 International Thinker” by HR Magazine.His new book, What’s Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve focuses on how leaders can solve the right problems. In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Wedell-Wedellsborg says that 85% of companies he surveyed for his book don’t consider themselves to be good at framing p...
2020-09-0922 min
Thinkers & IdeasUncharted with Margaret HeffernanMargaret Heffernan is a Texas-born, Cambridge educated author, former media CEO, award-winning journalist, and BBC documentary maker whose TED Talks have been viewed more than twelve million times. Her six previous books include Willful Blindness, which was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times.In this podcast with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, she discusses insights from her forthcoming book, Uncharted: How to Navigate the Future. Heffernan argues that the future is inherently unpredictable and, as such, we really need to stop force-fitting models for prediction...
2020-09-0127 min
Thinkers & IdeasWhen More is Not Better with Roger L. MartinRoger L. Martin is Professor Emeritus of Strategic Management, at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, where he served as Dean (1998–2013) and as Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute (2013–2019). In 2017 Thinkers50 named him the world's #1 management thinker.In this podcast with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses insights from his new book, When More is Not Better, which analyzes the growing inequality in American society as a threat to the democratic-capitalism underpinning its historical success. Martin posits that treating the economy as a machine and over-emphasizing efficiency drives this inequal distribution of t...
2020-08-2523 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Ages of Globalization with Jeffrey D. SachsJeffrey D. Sachs is a Professor of economics and Director of Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. He is considered to be one of the world’s leading experts on economic development, global macroeconomics, and the fight against poverty.In this discussion with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses insights from his new book, The Ages of Globalization, which describes the dynamics of globalization across history and how it has influenced and has been influenced by economy, culture, geography and technology.In particular he describes the opportunities and challenges of th...
2020-07-1528 min
Thinkers & IdeasHumanocracy with Gary HamelGary Hamel and Michele Zanini's forthcoming book, Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them, highlights bureaucracy's social, economic and strategic shortcomings and proposes 'humanocracy' as an alternative management model.In this discussion with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Gary Hamel discusses why companies need to tackle bureaucracy's shortcomings and shares examples of vanguard firms which have managed to make steps towards realizing the principles of humanocracy.***About the BCG Henderson InstituteThe BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group's think tank, dedicated to exploring...
2020-07-0922 min
Thinkers & IdeasEcosystem Edge with Peter J. WilliamsonPeter J. Williamson is Professor of International Management at the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School and Fellow of Jesus College.He is the coauthor of a new book, Ecosystem Edge, which focuses on how to start and manage ecosystems. In this discussion with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses insights from the book, including ecosystem strategy and innovation.***About the BCG Henderson Institute The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group’s think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, ec...
2020-05-2835 min
Thinkers & IdeasThe Invincible Company with Alex OsterwalderAlex Osterwalder is an author, entrepreneur, and leading thinker on business strategy and innovation. He is the co-founder of Strategyzer and creator of the Business Model Canvas, a tool for designing and mapping business models.Osterwalder is coauthor of a new book, The Invincible Company, which decodes how some of the world’s leading companies have built superior business models and reinvented themselves, and the lessons that other organizations can learn. In this discussion with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Osterwalder discusses insights from the book, including innovation strategy, organization, and how to balance ex...
2020-05-0828 min
Thinkers & IdeasUnderstanding the Economic Impact of COVID-19Earlier this year, Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak rejoined BCG as Chief Economist, Managing Director and Partner based in New York, and head of the Center for Macroeconomics at the BCG Henderson Institute. No one could have imagined how quickly his focus would shift to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this special episode of the BHI podcast, Rich Lesser, CEO of BCG, and Philipp discuss frequently asked questions they are hearing from BCG's clients about the global crisis, what makes this situation unique from an economic perspective, and thoughts on re-opening economies around the world. Listen now and learn more.***
2020-05-0729 min
Thinkers & IdeasLessons from the COVID Crisis: Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, Chairman of LEGO Brand GroupJørgen Vig Knudstorp, Executive Chairman of LEGO Brand Group, recently had a discussion with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, about LEGO’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and preparing for the more permanent shifts in the post-COVID era. Knudstorp discussed changes that are emerging in customer behavior, such as a significant increase in online sales channels, and LEGO’s efforts to increase its technology investments. He also spoke about the importance of “entertaining the inconceivable”—using imagination to think about not only what could go wrong but also to uncover new opportunities. ***
2020-04-1418 min
Thinkers & IdeasLessons from the COVID Crisis: Marco Alverà, CEO of SnamBusiness leaders around the globe are dealing with the unprecedented challenges that the COVID-19 outbreak has brought to companies, economies, and societies. Marco Alverà, Chief Executive Officer of Snam, one of the world's leading energy infrastructure companies, recently sat down virtually with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, to discuss Snam's response to the crisis.Alverà discussed Snam's crisis management measures, as well as opportunities he and his team have identified amid the uncertainty, and his thoughts on how the world might look different after the pandemic.***About the BCG...
2020-04-0816 min
Thinkers & IdeasCompeting in the Age of AI with Karim LakhaniKarim R. Lakhani is the Professor of Business Administration and the Dorothy and Michael Hintze Fellow at the Harvard Business School, coauthor of the provocative new book, Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World. Karim discusses how artificial intelligence is changing how we think about competition and company business models with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute. Listen to their conversation in this episode of the BCG Henderson Institute podcast.***About the BCG Henderson InstituteThe BCG Henderson Institute is t...
2020-03-1222 min
Thinkers & IdeasSeeing Around Corners with Rita McGrathRita Gunther McGrath is a best-selling author, a sought-after speaker, and a professor at Columbia Business School, where she directs a popular program on Leading Strategic Growth and Change. Her new book, Seeing Around Corners, is a guide to anticipating and capitalizing on disruptive inflection points shaping the marketplace. Listen to Rita and Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, discussing Rita's new book and also her reflections on Clay Christensen in this episode of the BCG Henderson Institute podcast.***About the BCG Henderson InstituteThe BCG Henderson Institute is t...
2020-03-0626 min