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 Scott Barry Kaufman, a Columbia University psychologist and expert in intelligence, creativity, and human potential. They share insights into empowerment, shifting our mindsets, and actualizing our full potential in both personal and professional contexts.

00:00 Meet Scott Barry Kaufman: Author of "Rise Above" & Expert on Overcoming Victim Mindset to Unlock Human Potential

00:58 Teaching the Science of Living Well: When Students Face Uncertain Futures

01:42 The Philosophy Job Market Reality: "They Never Were Really in a Job Anyway"

02:54 From Special Ed to Human Potential: What Sparked Scott's Life Mission

04:36 The Hidden Sources of Victim Mindset: Beyond External Circumstances

06:01 Beautiful Monsters: Making Peace with Your Dark Side

07:18 Being vs. Doing: Why We've Lost Focus on Character Over Achievement

09:22 What's Your End-of-Life Plan? Forget Five-Year Goals

11:32 Defining Victim Mindset: When Past Trauma Becomes Your Identity

12:18 The Empowerment Mindset: Yes-And Your Life Like Improv Comedy

13:26 Honest Love: The Third Way Between Coddling and Bootstrap Mentality

15:44 Why Abused Women Stay: The Counterintuitive Psychology of Attention

17:03 Self-Actualization Coaching vs. Trauma-Informed Therapy

21:03 "You Are Not Broken": Finding Light Within After Trauma

22:35 Continued Freshness of Appreciation: Seeing Beauty Despite Your Past

24:49 Let People Wallow Sometimes: Why There's No Expiration Date on Growth

28:48 Growth Motivation vs. Growth Mindset: Beyond Carol Dweck's Framework

31:30 Beyond Growth Mindset: Why 'Empowerment Mindset' Is the New Framework

35:41 The Consciousness Shift: From "I Have To" to "I Get To"

38:49 "Nobody's Coming to Save You": Breaking Out of Special Ed

47:09 Who This Book Is Really For: Are You Sick of Spinning Your Wheels?

49:16 20 Years From Now: When Humans and AI Merge

57:30 Human-Centered Leadership: What Love Means in the Workplace

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.

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.

• Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube

• Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.

• Connect with Rita on TikTok

• Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack.

• Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com

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 Martin Reeves, Chair of the BCG Henderson Institute. Their conversation pulls from Reeves’ recent book "Like: The Button That Changed the World”, to explore how digital feedback has shaped our culture, political institutions, and innovation practices, with case studies from Cambridge Analytica, Apple, McDonald’s, TikTok, and more.00:00 Meet Martin Reeves: BCG's Chairman & Author of "Like: The Button That Changed the World00:58 7 to 100 Billion Uses Per Day: How Kids Define Status Through Digital Feedback03:01 The Roman Colosseum Myth That Fooled Silicon Valley03:49 From Ancient Painting to American Psyche: How Art Reproductions Shaped Culture06:49 The Disruption Hidden in Plain Sight: Why Cheap Reproductions Changed Everything07:42 From TV Set-Top Boxes to Digital Revolution: The Evolution of Feedback08:27 "Don't Make Me Think": Why the Apple Watch Isn't Actually a Watch09:24 The "Uber of Everything" Problem: Why Naming Your Innovation Is Strategic10:28 The 50-Company Secret: Why Innovation Heroes Don't Actually Exist12:29 The Innovation Nobody Predicted: How Tactical Problems Become Business Gold15:38 The Transistor Truth: Why Innovation Is Really Just Advanced Tinkering16:41 Why 70% of Scientists Can't Predict Their Own Breakthrough Discoveries20:03 The $2 Billion Advertising Bubble: Why 89% of Ads Vanish Into Thin Air22:09 When Cambridge Analytica Proved Digital Feedback Actually Works26:18 The McDonald's McLean Disaster: When Market Research Lies to You35:32 The TikTok Experiment: Manufacturing Sentiment at Government Scale38:45 When Bots Like Bots: The Hidden Economy of Manufactured Influence46:13 The Future of Corporations: Do We Still Need Mega-Companies?47:32 From Savannah to Silicon Valley: Why Our Brains Aren't Built for Modern Business54:23 Science Fiction Strategy: Using Imagined Futures to Plan for Today55:48 The Philanthropic Corporation: When Work Provides Purpose, Not Just Income59:20 Why Innovation Books Take on Lives of Their Own (And What's Next for AI)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. 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.Watch Thought Sparks episodes on ⁠YouTube⁠Follow Rita on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠X⁠ and ⁠Blue Sky⁠.Connect with Rita on ⁠TikTok⁠Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on ⁠Substack⁠. Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com

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 Robert Pasin, Chief Wagon Officer at Radio Flyer. They take a deep dive into the history of the iconic wagon brand and the three generations of Pasin’s family that have helmed the brand. Covering everything from the e-commerce revolution that transformed how retail operated to shutdowns that threatened the brand as a whole, they share strategic insights applicable across sectors.

00:00 Meet Robert Pasin: Chief Wagon Officer & 4th Generation Leader of Radio Flyer

01:16 The 5-Year-Old's First Day at Work: A Magical Factory That Changed Everything

02:09 From Italy to Chicago: The Immigrant Carpenter Who Built an American Icon

03:46 The Mystery Behind the Name "Radio Flyer" Finally Solved0

4:41 The 45-Foot Giant That Launched a Brand at the 1933 World's Fair

06:03 When a 100-Year Company Almost Died: The Early 90s Crisis

07:31 The Plastic Revolution That Blindsided Radio Flyer

09:24 From "We Make Wagons" to "We Create Warm Memories"

11:36 The Bank Meeting That Taught a Young CEO About Cash Flow13:03 The Tricycle That Never Existed (But Everyone Remembered Having)

14:38 Becoming CEO at 28: "Nobody Else Wanted the Job"

18:59 "Plant a Lot of Seeds": How to Innovate Without Betting the Farm

20:07 Inside Radio Flyer's Prototype Shop: Where Ideas Become Reality

22:40 Why Radio Flyer Thinks "Quarter Century, Not Quarter"

29:12 The Day They Shut Down the Factory: A Leadership Test

38:04 From Toys"R"Us to Amazon: Adapting to Retail's Revolution

41:47 Why Focus Groups Lie: The Power of Observing Real Behavior

49:06 The 360 Feedback That Changed Everything

52:50 Electric Bikes and the Next Chapter: Hauling Kids for Another 100 Years

56:47 The One Leadership Skill That Matters Most

58:20 Why Teenage Kids Are the Ultimate CEO Reality Check

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.

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.Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTubeFollow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.Connect with Rita on TikTokSign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack.

Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com

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 Frank Rose, a senior fellow at the Columbia University School of the Arts, and author of “The Sea We Swim In”. Their conversation revolves around narrative thinking and the importance of storytelling in our lives: from iconic brands to political parties to blockbuster movies.

00:00 Meet Frank Rose: Columbia's Digital Storytelling Pioneer & Author of "The Art of Immersion"

1:00 The Hidden Evolution: How Tech Breakthroughs "Burble Along" for Decades Before We Notice

2:12 James Cameron's Avatar Secret: The "Fractal Experience" That Changed Everything

3:40 Nine Inch Nails Meets Alternate Reality: How Trent Reznor Revolutionized Storytelling

7:07 The Great Flip: When Information Became Abundant and Attention Became Scarce

8:30 The $70 Trillion Secret: Why Most Corporate Assets Are Invisible to Accountants

9:33 Psychology's Biggest Mistake: How Scientists Dismissed Stories for Decades (Until Now)

12:10 Why Facts Don't Change Minds: The Emotional Truth About Persuasion

14:36 The Democratic Party's Fatal Flaw: "Who Are You Going to Believe? Us or Your Lying Pocketbook?"

17:19 The Storytelling Trinity: Author, Audience, and Journey (Most People Forget #2)

18:24 Beyond Setting: How "World Building" Creates Universes People Want to Join

21:34 The John Deere Phenomenon: When Brand Loyalty Reaches Casket-Level Devotion

22: 28 Country Music Meets Corporate Strategy: Rita's "John Deere Green" Moment

23:43 The Digital Dozen Revolution: 10 Years of Spotting Storytelling Breakthroughs Without Categories

27:22 Eno: The Film That's Never the Same Twice (Generative Cinema Without AI)

28:40 When Robots Meet Reality: Cat Royale, Fortune-Telling AIs, and Fuel-Sharing Machines

34:38 The Mailchimp Genius: How "Did You Mean Male Chimp?" Became a Marketing Masterclass

37:03 Martha Diamond: The Painter's Painter Who Was Decades Ahead of Her Time

41:21 Van Gogh's Real Hero: How Theo's Widow Made Vincent Famous (Frank's Mission for Martha)

44:27 The Scarcity Revolution: Why Human Connection Now Beats Virtual Reality

45:49 The Elevator Mirror Hack: The Brilliant Problem-Solving Solution That Cost Almost Nothing

51:15 Tesla's Story Crisis: How Elon "Lost the Plot" of Saving the Planet

53:25 The Platform Revolution: Why Owning Your Story Beats Paying for Ads Forever

55:51 The Programmatic Advertising Curse: Suitcase Stalkers and Google's Multiple Personality Disorder

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.

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.Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTubeFollow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.

Connect with Rita on TikTokSign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack.

Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com

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 Karla Trotman, CEO of ElectroSoft, Inc, the largest Black- and woman-owned electronics contract manufacturer in the United States, and author of “Dark, Dirty, Dangerous”. They shed light on the unique challenges that family business face and how Karla broke barriers in the manufacturing industry to lead true innovation. 00:00 Meet Karla Trotman: Manufacturing CEO & Author of "Dark, Dirty, Dangerous" 01:16 From Kitchen Table to Corporate Empire: An Accidental Manufacturing Dynasty 02:20 Why Smart Kids Reject Family Businesses (And How One Changed Her Mind) 03:20 The E-Commerce Pivot That Led Back Home: When Amazon Changed Everything 04:44 Family Business Drama: When Three Siblings Want the Same Company 08:07 The Brutal Honesty That Saved a Family Legacy 09:56 Presidential Training Wheels: Learning to Lead Alongside Your Predecessor 12:13 Breaking Into the Boys' Club: A Woman of Color's Manufacturing Journey 15:46 Busting the Manufacturing Myth: It's Not Dark, Dirty, or Dangerous Anymore 16:36 The Great American Manufacturing Mistake: How We Made Other Countries Rich 20:02 The $70K High School Graduate: When Welding Beats Wall Street 20:38 Why Parents Are Finally Coming to Their Senses About College vs. Trades 22:16 Building Submarines and Changing Lives: The Military's Manufacturing Campaign 40:09 From Windows XP to AI: The Digital Transformation That Almost Broke the Bank 43:01 You Have to Be Crazy to Be an Entrepreneur: Why Everything is a Bet 46:57 The Light Fixture Philosophy: Investing in People, Not Waste 49:02 The DEI Backlash: Why Treating People Equally Became Controversial 51:17 The Blind Spot Solution: Why Diverse Teams Win (Despite Feeling Worse) 55:31 The Wrestling Match: What It's Really Like Being the Only One in the Room 1:00:48 The Conference That Saved Her Company: Why Leaders Must Leave Their Desks 1:01:57 Doing President vs. Being President: The Real Work of Leadership 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. 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.Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTubeFollow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.Connect with Rita on TikTokSign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com

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 Sharon Price John, CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop and author of “Stories and Heart: Unlock the Power of Personal Stories to Create a Life You Love”. This special live episode was taped at Columbia Business School, where Sharon Price John delivered a keynote as part of Columbia Women in Business’s Women’s History Month celebration. They discuss confidence, and how lack of confidence can hamper both personal and professional growth. They identify the 3 reasons for the lack of confidence – fear of failure, pursuit of perfectionism, and negative self talk – and give actionable strategies for how to overcome low self esteem. How striking the balance between confidence and competence is key to success. 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. 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.Watch Thought Sparks episodes on ⁠YouTube⁠Follow Rita on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠X⁠ and ⁠Blue Sky⁠.Connect with Rita on ⁠TikTok⁠Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on ⁠Substack⁠. Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com

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 Lori Rosenkopf, Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and author of “Unstoppable Entrepreneurs: 7 Paths for Unleashing Successful Startups and Creating Value through Innovation”. Their conversation covers how to succeed and persist as an entrepreneur and what it takes to bring innovation to fruition, including case studies from Madison Reed, Nokia, and Square.

Key Takeaways: (Add description and time codes)

0:00 Meet Lori Rosenkopf: Author of Unstoppable Entrepreneurs

00:59 Columbia to Wharton: Two Scholars' Parallel Journeys

3:31 The Six R's That Make Entrepreneurs Truly Unstoppable

4:12 Passionate vs. Pragmatic Entrepreneurs: Two Different Paths to Success

6:55 Recombination: Why Most Successful Innovations Are 90% Familiar, 10% New

8:20 "Unstoppable" vs. "Resilient" – The Psychology Behind Entrepreneurial Persistence

10:29 Madison Reed: Disrupting the Hair Color Industry

13:38 The Bootstrapper's Advantage: Why 80% of Enterprises Avoid Outside Funding

15:36 The Shocking Truth: Only 0.5% of Businesses Take Venture Funding

19:23 Intrapreneurship: How Jackie Reese Built a Bank Inside Square

22:06 The Innovation Arms Race: How Entrepreneurs Drive Corporate Change

23:21 Nokia's Surprising Pivot: Life Beyond Consumer Phones

24:52 From Bell Labs to Co-Working Space: The Evolution of Corporate Innovation

26:28 GenHERation: How COVID Transformed a Bus Tour Into a Thriving EdTech Platform

28:48 Beyond Profit: The Cultural Value Entrepreneurs Create for Society

32:49 Technology Commercialization: Bringing Life-Changing Ideas to Market

35:41 Harlem Capital: Transforming VC Funding for Underrepresented Entrepreneurs

38:31 Search Funds: The Little-Known Path to Business Ownership

40:24 From Funeral Homes to Tech: Unexpected Acquisition Opportunities

43:46 The Real Age of Successful Founders: Why Most Entrepreneurs Aren’t 22-Year-Olds

44:48 Inside Wharton’s VentureLab: Building the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

49:43 AI’s Impact on Jobs: Why Entrepreneurial Thinking Is More Important Than Ever

53:47 How Top Entrepreneurs Navigate Innovation: Risk Is Not an R

54:47 The Madison Reed COVID Pivot: From 12 Stores to 100+ Through Contrarian Thinking

56:09 The Next Chapter: Promoting Unstoppable Entrepreneurs and Its Message

57:52 Breaking Free: Why Entrepreneurship Can Be More Stable Than Corporate Life

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.

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.

• Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTube

• Follow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.

• Connect with Rita on TikTok

• Sign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack.

• Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com