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, welcomes Sylvia Acevedo, a trailblazer with experience spanning NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to executive roles at Apple, Dell, and IBM, and serving as the CEO of the Girl Scouts.

1:56: The Trailblazer’s Playbook: From a Dirt Road Town to NASA and the C-Suite

4:33: Sylvia’s Origins: A Girl Scouts Model Rocket and Lessons in Failure

8:31: Breaking Big Goals into Smaller Pieces

11:25: “Don’t Leave a Cookie Sale Until You Hear No 3 Times”: Lessons in Tenacity from the Girl Scouts

14:01: “Girls Like You Don’t Go to College”: Becoming One of the First Hispanics to Earn a Graduate Engineering Degree from Stanford

18:06: Innovating Above and Beyond at IBM

21:23: A Mental Checklist to Reach the C-Suite

30:50: Building Back Better after Failure at Autodesk

33:58: “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There”: The Link Between Personal and Professional Growth

36:58: Family Tragedy, and Sylvia’s Transition from Technology to Education

39:05: The Power of Influence in Changing Opinion

42:09: Leading the Girl Scouts: Empowering Girls in Civics, Technology, and Entrepreneurship

46:11: Historically Women’s Colleges and the Girl Scouts: The Role of Single-Gender Spaces

48:49: Leadership in Chip Manufacturing

53:07: The Story of Sylvia’s Name, and Bilingual Systems Thinking

54:46: The Power of Taking Even Small Actions

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, sits down with Don Tapscott, CEO of the Tapscott Group, Chairman and co-Founder of the Blockchain Research Institute, and author of “You to the Power of Two”.

00:00: Introductions and Don’s Expertise in Blockchains and Identic AI

3:04: Predictions about the Web, Revisited 20 Years On

5:20: Blockchain and The Transition from the Internet of Information to the Internet of Value

7:27: A Personalized Future with Identic AI

11:18: The 3 Phases of Digital Identities

13:10: Digital Feudalism: How Digital Conglomerates Own Our Digital Identities

18:14: “What’s the Ghost in the Machine?”: When AI Gets Embedded in Daily Life

20:06: The Jobs Question: How AI Will Affect the Nature of Employment

26:00: From Firms to Individual Contractors: When Units of Value Creation Become Smaller

31:12: The Need for a New Social Contract in the Age of AI

37:29: Rebuilding the AI Stack Around a Decentralized Physical Infrastructure

42:155: Movement Building for Self-Sovereignty over a Digital Future

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 Peter Capelli of Wharton and HR Strategist Ranya Nehmeh. Their book, In Praise of the Office, is a research-based assessment of the benefits and drawback of both in-person and remote work.

1:10: WFH, RTO, WFM: Acronym Soup Around Where We Should Work

3:01: Working From Home in the Early Days in the COVID-19 Pandemic

5:52: What Has Not Been Working Well, From Employer Perspectives

7:29: Generational Differences: Why Junior and Senior People Have Different Experiences with Remote Work

9:31: The Allen Curve: Poor Information Flows and Shrinking Networks

12:38: Cubicles, Long Tables, and Hot Desking: How the Physical Office Has Evolved

15:37: Why CFOs Loved Remote Work

19:50: Individual Contributors Can Thrive in Remote Work Settings

22:57: Where New Hires Get Lost in Remote Work Settings

24:10: The Intentionality of a Hybrid Setup

26:14: Why Anchor Days Fall Short

28:15: Collaboration and Learning: When KPIs Don’t Measure What Makes Work Happen

32:03: Cohorts, Friendships, and The Social Elements of Work

34:30: Identifying When Remote Work Has Become a Problem

38:30: What Leadership Misses

43:00: Blowback to the Book: How Capelli and Nehmeh Struck a Chord

46:13: Understanding Where People Land on the RTO Debate

49:40: Case Studies: Netflix and Toss

57:07: Gen Z’s Return to the Office

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 Rob Siegel, Lecturer in Management at Stanford University , a venture investor, a former operator, and author of The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross-Pressures That Make or Break Today’s Companies.

1:10: Teaching Systems Leadership with GE CEO Jeff Immelt 2:10: “Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?”: Lessons in Strategy from Janis Joplin

4:57: Playing for the Long Term and the Short Term, How Leaders Deal with Cross Pressures

8:11: The Benefits of Bureaucracy: Insights from Rita’s Forthcoming Book

9:50: Globalization 1.0 and Globalization 2.0

13:09: A Plea For Serious Leadership, Not Cage Match Challenges

15:40: “Leadership is about Everybody but You”: Kathy Mazzarella’s Leadership at Graybar

18:25: Moving from Megalithic Companies to Constellations of Capability

20:03: Purpose, and the False Choice Between Being Ambitious and Being Kind

24:30: Investing in Your People: Lessons from the Rise and Fall of GE’s Crotonville

29:48: Traffic Lights vs. Traffic Circles: Designing Sensing Systems

33:39: Developing AI as a Thought Partner

37:58: How Leaders Can Accept that Change is Difficult

42:00: Capitalism's Current Transition: Climate and the Economy 47:02: Bright Spots in Education

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 Cheryl McKissack Daniel, the fifth-generation leader of McKissack & McKissack, the nation’s oldest Black-owned design and construction services firm. Her book, “The Black Family Who Built America”, traces her family’s narrative from enslavement to building iconic American buildings, such as the National Civil Rights Museum, and Barclays Arena. Cheryl shares her insights and strategies for success in a white male-dominated industry.

00:06 Why This Book Now: Telling True Stories of the American Past

3:34: Origins: From Enslavement to Becoming the First Black Licensed Architects in America

6:47: Breaking Into the “Old Boys’ Club”

15:28: The Barclays Center Arena: The McKissacks’ Role in Revitalizing Downtown Brooklyn

19:37: The Value of Sharing the Whole Story: What Business Books and Memoirs Leave Out

21:04: The Next Generation and Effective Succession Planning

22:30: Advice for Young Black Women Considering Design and Construction

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 Neri Karra Sillaman, founder of Moda Métiers, expert in sustainable fashion, strategy, and entrepreneurship, and winner of the Thinkers50 2025 Radar Award. She’s also the author of Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs.

1:32: Introductions, and Why Study Immigrant Entrepreneurship

3:23: Neri’s Journey: From a Refugee Camp to Luxury Entrepreneurship

10:19: Starting a Family Leather Goods Business

15:04: The 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs

15:28: Being a Bridge Across Cultures

15:47: Vision: Believing in Your Crazy Idea, and Yourself

17:45: Homophilic Ties: Forging Connections Based on Your Identity

20:46: The Chobani Story, and the Power of Co-Building A Business

22:00: What Immigrant Entrepreneurs Understand About Instability and Unequal Access

25:08: “Frying In Your Own Oil”: Lessons in Self-Sufficiency from Neri’s Grandfather

26:56: What American Entrepreneurship Curricula Leave Out

28:19: “What Have You Done With Your One Precious Life?”: Rethinking Business Longevity

32:09: Immigrant Entrepreneurship: Borne out of Necessity

34:34: The Role of Luck: Recognizing It and Turning it into an Advantage

39:05: Chobani’s IPO, and What Hamdi Ulukaya Got Right

40:13: What We Lose When We Demonize Immigrants

44:35: Immigrants’ Role in Creating New Wealth

50:36: How We Misunderstand Failure: Lessons from Amy Edmondson

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 Michael Gervais, a leading performance psychologist and author of the book “The First Rule of Mastery”.

1:14: Free Surfing and Competitive Surfing as an Introduction to Performance Psychology

4:52: The 3 Components of Performance - Training Your Body, Your Technical Skills, and Your Mind

6:03: Allodoxphobia and The Real Fear of Others’ Opinions

7:15: Going from Theory to Applicable Advice

8:17: Unmask, Assess, Redefine - The Book’s 3 Steps to Improving Performance

10:21: Practicing Self-Discovery Through Mindfulness, Journaling, and Conversations

12:20: Mental Systems: Your Brain as the Hardware, Your Mind as the Software

13:42: “Putting Your Own Life Vest On First”, and Supporting Yourself to Support Others

15:33: How the Lack of Social Belonging Impacts Performance

17:40: “Listening Hard” and Practicing Simple Curiosity as Tools for Connection

22:05: Honest Relationships, in Board Rooms and Locker Rooms

25:43: Bringing Coaching Mindsets Into Organizations

26:56: The Importance of Timeliness in Feedback

30:08: Psychological Safety as a Foreground for Improving Performance

32:16: Coaches’ Role as the “Chief Repeating Officer"

34:33: Michael’s Superbowl Experience with the Seattle Seahawks

42:58: The Epidemic of Disengagement, and How Modern Stressors Affect Us

46:44: The Trap of Mechanistic Models of Organizations

48:32: Going Beyond Mental Health to Training Mental Skills

50:08: Taking Courageous Decisions

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 Chesney Snow, Lecturer of Music Theater & Theater at Princeton University, Drama Desk winner, beatboxing pioneer, composer, lyricist, and more. He's created community engaged arts performances centering anti-violence and community building throughout the country, and in this conversation, shares his insights on how art changes lives and forges connections. 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. 00:11: Introductions and “Performing the Peace” at Princeton University’s Keller Center3:47: Chesney’s Early Life 6:52: “This Sandwich Isn’t Sexy” and Focusing on the Stories YOU Want To Tell9:54: “Honor and Heal”, and How to Create Work That Improves Lives11:29: Art and Technology’s Roles in Nurturing Human Connection15:20: Data-Led Approaches to Supporting First Responders’ Mental Health 21:58: Renting an Apartment from Richard Bright: Coming Up on Broadway26:46: The Power of Creative Economy, and Williamsburg’s Transformation28:11: Beatboxing as a Fine Art and as Speech Therapy32:02: MTV Unplugged in Poland, and the Value of Ownership of Music38:05: Improving Wellbeing with Technology40:05: McCarter Theatre and Teaching at Princeton University46:54: A Typical Engagement: Connecting Teaching Artists and Drama Therapists with Law Enforcement Officers, People in Foster Care, and Veterans49:29: The Impact of Art Therapies on De-Escalation41:49: Emphasizing the “Human” in Humanities 55:33: The Value of “Real” Theater in the AI Age59:32: Conclusions, and What’s Coming NextWant to learn more about Rita’s ideas and hear more of her conversations with business leaders and innovators?