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 Stephan Meier, a Columbia Business School Professor and expert on behavioral strategist. His recent book, “The Employee Advantage”, explains how companies that put their employees first are more profitable, innovative, and appealing to top talent, and how customer-centric tools can be repurposed to support employees.
00:00 Welcome to Thought Sparks: The Employee Advantage Unveiled
01:38 What Really Sparked 'The Employee Advantage'? Stephan's Pandemic Revelation
04:08 The ROI of Putting People First: Why Employee-Centric Companies Outperform
08:05 United's Turnaround Secret: How Oscar Munoz Revolutionized a Struggling Airline
09:26 Beyond Cost Centers: Zeynep Ton's Groundbreaking Research on Employee Value
10:28 The Science of Motivation: What Truly Engages People Beyond Compensation
13:00 The Reading Rebellion: How Stephan's Son Revealed a Universal Truth About Motivation
17:06 Netflix for Work Tasks? How AI Matchmaking Creates Perfect Employee Challenges
21:08 Permissionless Organizations: Why Hierarchy Is Becoming Obsolete
23:04 The Great Economic Transformation: From Mass Production to Information Ecosystems
25:04 Movie Crew Capitalism: Why Small Teams Are the New Organizational Building Blocks
28:32 The Career Zigzag Advantage: Why Linear Paths Lead to Dead Ends
33:27 The NASA Janitor Test: Does Everyone in Your Company Know Their True Purpose?
39:47 AI as the Great Democratizer: Augmenting Human Potential Instead of Replacing It
49:15 The Co-Leader Revolution: How AI Creates Superior Leadership Conversations
52:37 What Sports Teams Know That Businesses Don't: AI's Coaching Superpowers
57:05 Tom Friedman's Olympic Athlete Paradox: Training for Unknown Future Skills
59:52 Beyond Theory: Implementing the Employee Advantage in Your Organization
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.
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