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 Sabina Nawaz, author of the book “You’re the Boss” leadership secrets of the world’s most successful managers. Their conversation covers the fascinating concept of leading through pressure, which when managed correctly, creates new avenues for innovation and growth, and fosters resiliency.
1:51 How a Book Begins: 12,000 pages of Data on what it’s like to work with a boss
3:29 Managing at Microsoft: Sabina’s Personal Leadership Transformation
4:58 How Pressure - And Not Just Power - Corrupts
6:35 The Power of Doing Nothing Under Pressure
7:46 “Blank Space”: How Mental Rest Can Help Reveal Insights
10:42 How Micro Habits Change Your Day, 10 Seconds At A Time
12:31 Time Portfolios: Rethinking How You Spend Your Days, In Small Steps
14:29 “Still Doing Their Previous Job”: When Duties Collect With Promotions
16:26 “Innocent Saboteurs”: How Good Intentions Go Awry
17:32 42 Questions For Senior Leaders To Get Real Insights
19:50 Power As A Broken Volume Knob: Muted Employees, Amplified Managers
20:42 The Danger of the Singular Story: Avoiding Acting On Incomplete Information
23:55 “Don’t Act Until You Have At Least Three Stories”
25:47 Mission-Driven Strategy: How Purpose Underlies Forking Paths
27:08 Practicing Divergent Thinking To Accommodate For Crises
28:41 Trust and The 7 Communication Fault Lines
33:57 Executive Symbolism: What A Leader’s Actions And Expressions Communicate
35:46 The 5 Steps to Framing A Meeting
39:50 Leadership Insights from General Electric, Honeywell, and Build-A-Bear Workshop
42:15: Sharon Price John’s “Stop Doing Stupid Stuff, Start Doing Smart Stuff”
44:28 Cultural Transformation in The Age of AI and Dematerialization
49:51 Combining Empathy And Accountability in the Future of Work
51:33 The Benefits and Limitations of Bureaucracy
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
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
