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Thinkers & Ideas

Thinkers & Ideas

By BCG Henderson Institute

Inspiring and thought-provoking conversations with leading thinkers about influential ideas on business, technology, economics, and science. Hosted by Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, and Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Global Chief Economist of BCG.

For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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2% Companies with Knut Haanaes

Thinkers & IdeasNov 15, 2019

00:00
09:57
How to Stay Smart in a Smart World with Gerd Gigerenzer

How to Stay Smart in a Smart World with Gerd Gigerenzer

In 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 cost-benefit of using technology, and how we can do to better equip ourselves as individuals and societies to deal with this.

In particular, he argues that shaping the context for using AI or improving the skills of users may often yield greater returns than improving the technology itself. He proposes that using AI without doing either of these things can cause the atrophy of skills, create ambiguity around truthfulness, and foster unhealthy reliance. He proposes various practical strategies for making ourselves smarter in an increasingly algorithmic world.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jan 31, 202327:16
Harvard Business Review at 100 with Adi Ignatius

Harvard Business Review at 100 with Adi Ignatius

Adi 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.

Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Adi shares his unique perspective on the origin of big ideas, as well as the trends and technologies that underlie them. They also discuss the evolution of HBR’s content curation, accessibility, market exposure, and commitment to its mission over time.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jan 18, 202322:51
The Patient Priority with Stefan Larsson and Jennifer Clawson

The Patient Priority with Stefan Larsson and Jennifer Clawson

Stefan 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 worked in both private- and public-sector organizations to create new value-based business models to improve health outcomes.

In their new book, Patient Priority: Solve Health Care's Value Crisis by Measuring and Delivering Outcomes That Matter to Patients co-authored with Josh Kellar, Managing Director and Partner in BCG’s Chicago office, Stefan and Jennifer discuss based on their decades of experience in the healthcare industry some of the bright spots of progress and innovation in our journey towards value-based healthcare, while laying out an ambitious and compelling path for the journey still ahead.

In conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, they discuss a value and outcome-based approach to healthcare, explaining how value in healthcare needs to include both the outcomes that matter to patient groups and the resources needed to deliver those outcomes. They also opine on the approach as a template for addressing other complex organizational challenges.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jan 05, 202324:47
Unreasonable Hospitality with Will Guidara

Unreasonable Hospitality with Will Guidara

Will 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 both the people you work with and those you serve, and the impact of digging deeper to explore new creative approaches that turn ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Dec 15, 202228:31
How the Future Works with Brian Elliott

How the Future Works with Brian Elliott

Brian 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 our knowledge-based economy.

In conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Brian discusses ways leaders can optimize for better outcomes by extending the more flexible approach we take towards different customers and applying this model to individual employees within their company. By doing so, leaders can make work more productive, fairer, more attractive to employees, and even a source of 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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Dec 13, 202229:08
Purpose and Profit with George Serafeim

Purpose and Profit with George Serafeim

George 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 environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues into business have come from being seen as a trade-off to a compliment, with some companies now viewing it as a key driver of economic value.

In discussion with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, George describes key trends that have contributed to this shift in perception and behavior, outlining how companies, investors, and employees can use these societal trends to drive impactful change in their businesses, their investments, and their lives.

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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Dec 02, 202232:38
Power and Prediction with Joshua Gans

Power and Prediction with Joshua Gans

Joshua 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 economics of A.I. through the lens of decision systems.

In conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Joshua discusses how the transformational potential of A.I. is only unlocked if decision systems are reconsidered holistically, mirroring the pattern observed in previous technological revolutions like the application of steam power, electricity, or digital communication.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Nov 15, 202230:35
HANGRY with Mike Evans

HANGRY with Mike Evans

Mike 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 financial performance as an oblique goal, and knowing when to let go and abandon ideas when they are no longer working. They also discuss the necessity and challenges of cultivating entrepreneurialism within large established companies.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Nov 01, 202227:53
IDEAFLOW with Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn

IDEAFLOW with Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn

Jeremy 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 skill and applied to any problem.

Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Jeremy and Perry discuss the concept of “ideaflow”, which can be described as the rate at which one is able to generate ideas. They share various techniques for leaders to master and implement a culture of ideaflow, such as setting up metrics that communicate to their teams that they value creativity, creating evaluation and selection techniques to move ideas forward, and deploying diversity.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Oct 25, 202229:44
The Future of Competitive Strategy with Mohan Subramaniam

The Future of Competitive Strategy with Mohan Subramaniam

Dr. 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 explains the concept of digital myopia, referring to the inability of modern-day firms to envision the full scope of value that digital technologies can offer. Together, they evaluate the success factors of famous tech giants and how legacy companies can effectively compete with them.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Oct 12, 202227:26
Rita McGrath and Roger L. Martin on the Nature of Competitive Advantage

Rita McGrath and Roger L. Martin on the Nature of Competitive Advantage

In 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.

Rita McGrath is a Professor of Strategy at Columbia Business School and the Founder of Valize, a company focused on helping organizations to build lasting innovation capabilities and long-term growth. She has been consistently named one of the world’s top 10 management thinkers in the Thinkers 50 ranking. Rita’s latest book, Seeing Around Corners is a guide to anticipating and capitalizing on disruptive inflection points shaping the marketplace — you can listen to our conversation with her about the book here.

Roger L. Martin is a Professor Emeritus at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and a trusted strategy advisor to CEOs of worldwide companies including Procter & Gamble, Lego, and Ford. In 2017, Roger was named the number one management thinker by Thinkers 50. His most recent book, A New Way to Think — which he discussed with us on the show earlier this year — challenges leaders to rethink dominant mental models by revisiting misconceptions and pitfalls in the application of common frameworks and ideas.

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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Sep 28, 202241:46
The Upside of Uncertainty with Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr

The Upside of Uncertainty with Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr

Nathan 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 uncertain situations.

Nathan and Susannah discuss with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, their toolkit for productively managing uncertainty, “the uncertainty first aid cross”. They outline four distinct stages — reframe, prime, do and sustain — and number tools for each. Toward the end of their discussion, they touch upon the similarities and connections between harnessing individual and institutional uncertainty, as well as how the authors have applied their approaches in their own careers.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Sep 13, 202237:27
Everyday Superhero with Tony O'Driscoll

Everyday Superhero with Tony O'Driscoll

Tony 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 change.

Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Tony discusses how Mae B’s enlightened approach to leadership is a parable for the change challenges that organizations face today.

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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Aug 01, 202226:25
Solvable with Albrecht Enders and Arnaud Chevallier

Solvable with Albrecht Enders and Arnaud Chevallier

Albrecht 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 both the technical and people side of problem-solving, and provide concrete ways to adopt an evidence-based approach while managing key stakeholders.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jul 08, 202222:56
Tomorrow’s Capitalist with Alan Murray

Tomorrow’s Capitalist with Alan Murray

Alan 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 sees on various aspects of stakeholder capitalism; the evolution of ESG reporting; issues and approaches to collective action problems such as climate change; and the trend towards business becoming more human.

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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jun 02, 202228:32
The Long Game with Dorie Clark

The Long Game with Dorie Clark

Dorie 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 optimizing their choices for things that feel interesting, it begins to carve a path to reaching something purposeful.

Clark suggests three core arguments to achieve long term success and purpose, including creating white space; the act of opening ones mind to new opportunities, focus where it counts; the ability to decided which goals are the right ones, and, lastly, keeping the faith; the act of deploying strategic patience and sustaining effort in the face of adversity.

Joining Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Clark dives deeper into the challenges of long-term thinking and finding one’s purpose through everyday steps forward.

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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

May 17, 202230:38
A New Way to Think with Roger L. Martin

A New Way to Think with Roger L. Martin

Roger 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 New Way to Think: Your Guide to Superior Management Effectiveness, Roger challenges us to rethink many dominant mental models, revisiting common misconceptions and pitfalls in the application of common frameworks and ideas. He urges leaders to continuously develop their own ideas to lead and reinvent the future and explores fourteen management topics from this perspective.

Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Roger delves into the intricacies of human ingenuity, change, competitive advantage, and the importance of building organizations that recognize the uniqueness of talented individuals.

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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

May 03, 202233:49
Redesigning Work with Lynda Gratton

Redesigning Work with Lynda Gratton

Lynda 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 ethical factors. She introduces a powerful framework for matching the needs of each type of work, by considering four productivity modes modes: energy, focus, coordination, and collaboration.

Based on her experience supporting companies around the world, Lynda suggests three groups that play an integral role in redesigning work: leaders in their narrative and role modeling, line managers in working and building accountabilities, and the employees themselves.

Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Lynda dives deeper into how to embrace the historic inflexion point we currently find ourselves at, to redesign work for better employee satisfaction and retention, better customer engagement, and higher productivity.

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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Apr 26, 202229:29
Be Logical - Be Creative - Be Critical with Luc de Brabandere

Be Logical - Be Creative - Be Critical with Luc de Brabandere

Luc 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 his knowledge and experience as a corporate philosopher, Brabandere suggests that firms should focus on creatively reinventing themselves with new tools, rather than using current digital tools to optimize existing processes or systems.

In a discussion with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Brabandere explores the implications of logic, critical thinking, and creativity in business today.

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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Apr 08, 202225:07
The Voltage Effect with John A. List

The Voltage Effect with John A. List

John 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 human lives — and translating an idea into widespread impact requires scalability: the capacity to grow and expand in a robust and sustainable way.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, List discusses the art of scaling, “voltage amplifiers”, “voltage drops” and gives advice on avoiding false positives, knowing when to quit an idea, not being deceived by averages, and the importance of behavioral economics in business.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Mar 31, 202230:00
Moonshot with Dr. Albert Bourla

Moonshot with Dr. Albert Bourla

Dr. 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 nimble startup: complete with bold and risky decisions making, rejection of bureaucracy, and challenging corporate norms at every step of the process, and
  • Externally at how Pfizer navigated a charged political environment and complicated web of international bodies to collaborate with partners to develop and deliver the vaccines.

***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Mar 08, 202228:20
Corporate Explorer with Andy Binns and Charles O'Reilly

Corporate Explorer with Andy Binns and Charles O'Reilly

Andrew 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.

While large corporations have relationships, assets, and capabilities to leverage at an advantage over startups, they must overcome impediments to innovation such as bureaucracy, a bend towards efficiency, and risk aversion. The book serves as a philosophical and tactical playbook to help large established corporations overcome these obstacles through all three stages of innovation: from ideation, and incubation, to scaling. The authors aim to encourage more managers to follow the path to become a Corporate Explorer and for more senior leadership teams to give them the strategic, financial, and organizational support they need.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Feb 22, 202232:46
Deep Purpose with Ranjay Gulati

Deep Purpose with Ranjay Gulati

Ranjay 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 achieve social good but to help achieve greater commercial performance through clarity of direction and inspiration and engagement of employees.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Ranjay discusses insights from the new book.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Feb 08, 202227:55
Winning the Right Game with Ron Adner

Winning the Right Game with Ron Adner

Ron 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 ecosystems.

In a discussion with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Adner shares insights from the book, using several vivid company examples.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Dec 09, 202130:19
Rule of the Robots with Martin Ford

Rule of the Robots with Martin Ford

Martin 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 social and economic life.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Ford describes how that disruption will occur and how we will need to manage and regulate it, in order that the benefits outweigh the costs to society.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Nov 23, 202129:25
Net Positive with Paul Polman and Andrew Winston

Net Positive with Paul Polman and Andrew Winston

Paul 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 Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take, which outlines a framework to help leaders build net positive companies that profit by contributing more to the world than they use or take.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, the authors share insights from the book, discuss key takeaways of the recent COP26 meeting, and explore how can CEOs drive collective action addressing massive challenges and profound shifts that threaten humanity and biodiversity, building thriving businesses as a result.

***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Nov 11, 202127:34
The Human Element with Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal

The Human Element with Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal

Loran 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) way to convince people to embrace a new idea is to heighten the appeal of the idea itself. However, the authors argue, this neglects the other half of the equation — the psychological “Frictions” that oppose change.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Insitute, the authors share insights from the book, explore the causes of frictions, and provide guidance on how we can identify and overcome them.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Nov 02, 202128:55
The Exponential Age with Azeem Azhar

The Exponential Age with Azeem Azhar

Azeem 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 book, the prospects for business in the new age, job transformation, and how technology can help us to tackle the greatest challenge we face, climate change.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Oct 19, 202128:40
Open Strategy with Christian Stadler

Open Strategy with Christian Stadler

Christian 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 history is flooded with examples of companies, governments, and individuals who faced problems that could have been solved with openness — the book analyzes these examples to warrant the overall premise of opening up strategy.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Christian discusses insights from the book and how open strategy can be used in all three elements of the strategic design process (ideation, formulation, execution).
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Oct 12, 202128:10
The Burnout Epidemic with Jennifer Moss

The Burnout Epidemic with Jennifer Moss

Jennifer 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 Stress and How We Can Fix It, attempts to explain burnout and provide the strategies to navigate these challenging times.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Jennifer explores the causes and implications of burnout, the responsibilities of both the employee and the employer in identifying and preventing burnout, and tangible solutions to combat it — helping leaders to distinguish between good intentions and effective policies.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Sep 28, 202121:06
AI 2041 with Kai-Fu Lee

AI 2041 with Kai-Fu Lee

Kai-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 technology and explores the human dilemmas which arise as a result. This novel approach not only educates, engages, and entertains readers but also encourages to think ahead on the moves we need to takes as companies and societies in order to maximize benefits and minimize negative consequences.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Insitute, Lee shares his thinking and predictions on artificial intelligence’s potential applications, its social impact, and also the regulations required to tame it.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Sep 14, 202123:45
The Power of Trust with Sandra Sucher

The Power of Trust with Sandra Sucher

Sandra 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, and suggests concrete steps for leaders to assess and enhance trust.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Aug 13, 202131:42
Three Days at Camp David with Jeffrey E. Garten

Three Days at Camp David with Jeffrey E. Garten

Jeffrey Garten was Dean of the Yale School of Management until 2005, before that Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade, and before that a Wall Street investment banker. In his new book, Three Days at Camp David: How a Secret Meeting in 1971 Transformed the Global Economy, he tells a detailed narrative of the forces and protagonists that led up to the “Nixon Shock” and the breakdown in the gold standard that altered the post-war economic order.

In a conversation with Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, BCG’s global chief economist, Garten argues that the “Nixon Shock” was the right decision, and that the US is experiencing many similar pressures today, and that — while calling a turning point is difficult — the global monetary order may be nearing one.

***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jul 28, 202129:41
The Family Business Handbook with Rob Lachenauer

The Family Business Handbook with Rob Lachenauer

Rob 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 best from the worst, and describes the steps needed to build enduring family businesses.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jul 27, 202127:54
Remote Work Revolution with Tsedal Neeley

Remote Work Revolution with Tsedal Neeley

Tsedal 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 and applying best practices.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Neeley introduces a trust palette and a “trust curve” to understand which types of trust are particularly challenging in a remote setting and how they develop over time, and explains how agile teams can (perhaps surprisingly) still thrive in a remote setting.

***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jul 14, 202126:48
Rethinking Competitive Advantage with Ram Charan

Rethinking Competitive Advantage with Ram Charan

Ram 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 their chances of success in the digital age. He proposes 6 rules which redefine the precepts of competition.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jun 29, 202131:53
The Power of Creative Destruction with Philippe Aghion

The Power of Creative Destruction with Philippe Aghion

Philippe Aghion is professor of economics at the London School of Economics and Collège de France and INSEAD, and formerly of Harvard University.

He joins BCG Global Chief Economist Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak in conversation to discuss his new book The Power of Creative Destruction: Economic Upheaval and the Wealth of Nations, a broad take on the different variants of capitalism and their shortcomings. Among other things, the conversation zooms in on the trade-off between innovation/growth and social protection and what could be done to balance these more effectively. Prof. Aghion makes the case that capitalism can both be innovative and inclusive if the right policies are pursued.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jun 11, 202123:46
Noise with Olivier Sibony

Noise with Olivier Sibony

Olivier 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 noise happens, and gives practical suggestions for how to reduce noise across industries and use cases.

***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

May 28, 202129:13
Framers with Kenneth Cukier and Francis de Véricourt

Framers with Kenneth Cukier and Francis de Véricourt

Kenneth 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 unique human capability of framing to generate new options and structure decision-making effectively.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Cukier and de Véricourt discuss framing‘s unexploited potential, how it can enhance decision making in uncertain times, and how we can better educate ourselves to become better framers.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

May 21, 202128:44
Manifesto for a Moral Revolution with Jacqueline Novogratz

Manifesto for a Moral Revolution with Jacqueline Novogratz

Jacqueline 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 reimagine and reform technology, politics, and business.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, she discusses insights from her new book, including on moral imagination, and patient capital.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

May 18, 202126:56
How Boards Work with Dambisa Moyo

How Boards Work with Dambisa Moyo

Dambisa 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 CEO), and safeguarding the company’s culture, ethics, and values.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, she discusses insights from her new book, the boards’ role in strategy, and how boards can and should support C-suite leaders while providing oversight for the company.

***

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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

May 05, 202124:56
The Global Rule of Three with Jagdish Sheth, Can Uslay, and Raj Sisodia

The Global Rule of Three with Jagdish Sheth, Can Uslay, and Raj Sisodia

In 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 Three prevails.

When a market expands from local to regional or from regional to national or from national to global, there are usually shakeouts and mergers in the industry and only three volume-driven players survive as regional, national, or global players. Often,  one company is from each of the three major economic zones of the world: North America, Western Europe, and the Asia — Pacific region.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Insitute, the authors discuss insights from their new book, and also reflect on Bruce Henderson’s original thinking on The Rule of Three and Four.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Apr 28, 202125:36
The Great Demographic Reversal with Charles Goodhart and Manoj Pradhan

The Great Demographic Reversal with Charles Goodhart and Manoj Pradhan

Charles Goodhart is professor emeritus of monetary economics at the London School of Economics. Charles was a member of the monetary policy committee at the Bank of England between ’97 and 2002 and is a fellow of the British Academy.

Manoj Pradhan is the founder of Talking Heads Macro, an independent macro research firm, a former MD in Morgan Stanley’s global macro team, and previously an academic.

The book, The Great Demographic Reversal: Ageing Societies, Waning Inequality, and an Inflation Revival, provides a thought-provoking narrative to the drivers of and outlook for inflation. They conclude that the benign inflation environment of the past three decades was made easy by accommodative global demographics and that the turn in demography will present a much more challenging environment for policy makers going forward.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Apr 23, 202134:60
Futureproof with Kevin Roose

Futureproof with Kevin Roose

Kevin 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, strategies to cope with the increasing roboticization of society, and learnings about how previous technological revolutions have changed our lives and our humanity, for better and worse.
***
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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Apr 13, 202131:20
Business Model Innovation Strategy with Raffi Amit and Chris Zott

Business Model Innovation Strategy with Raffi Amit and Chris Zott

Raphael 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 advantaged system of activities.

***

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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Mar 16, 202122:07
The Lonely Century with Noreena Hertz

The Lonely Century with Noreena Hertz

Noreena 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 Institute she argues that loneliness is not merely a mental health crisis — it is a physical crisis, an economic crisis, and a political crisis that has profound implications on individuals and businesses.

***

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, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Mar 02, 202123:54
The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047 with Lionel Shriver

The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047 with Lionel Shriver

Spoiler Alert

We preface this podcast with a ‘spoiler alert’ as this novel is different from the more formal economics works we usually discuss on this podcast, and we wish to give the listener the chance to opt-out and read the book first if they wish. We greatly enjoyed the read and even if we don’t see eye to eye on much of the economics in this novel, we found the indulgence of literature a valuable endeavor to make more tangible some of the human aspects of economics — including the fear of collapse.

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Lionel Shriver is the author of several prize-winning novels including the best-seller We Need To Talk About Kevin (2003) and A Perfectly Good Family (1996). Her novels typically tackle difficult societal problems. She is also a contributing journalist to publications such as The Economist and The New York Times.

She joins BCG Chief Economist Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak in conversation to discuss her book, The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047, a riveting and dystopian take on the destructive potential of national debt, currency crisis, and inflation as experienced by one fictional family across several generations and socio-economic circumstances. They discuss the novel, why economic dystopian novels are rare, and the way in which the novel can make the fears of economic collapse come alive.

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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Feb 12, 202124:37
2030 with Mauro F. Guillén

2030 with Mauro F. Guillén

Mauro 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.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jan 26, 202121:22
The Six New Rules of Business with Judy Samuelson

The Six New Rules of Business with Judy Samuelson

Judy 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.

In a conversation with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Samuelson discusses insights from her new book and emphasizes the role of business education in changing the business ecosystem for the better.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jan 13, 202125:28
Economic Complexity and Growth Forecasts - a Conversation with Luciano Pietronero

Economic Complexity and Growth Forecasts - a Conversation with Luciano Pietronero

Luciano Pietronero is an Italian statistical physics and full professor at the department of physics at University of Rome Sapienza. He was the founder and director of the Institute of Complex Systems of CNR from 2004 to 2014. Luciano’s research activities have been on fundamental and applied problems in the areas of condensed matter theory, statistical physics, and complex systems. His most recent focus is on economic complexity. He is the author of about 400 papers in leading scientific journals, and he has been awarded the Enrico Fermi Prize, highest award of the Italian Physical Society, in 2008.

In a conversation with Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, BCG Chief Economist, Professor Pietronero discusses using the tools of physics to forecast long-term economic growth, the value and limitations of imposing the rigor of natural science on economics, and why he thinks that the study of nations’ “economic complexity”, a quantification of comparative advantage, is a better predictor of long-term economic growth than existing methods.
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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 from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Dec 18, 202024:53