The Insightful Leader
Business & Finance
About
Expert advice and cutting-edge discoveries from one of the world's leading business schools.
Episodes
- Insight Unpacked S3E2 | Why Companies Can't Keep Their Climate Commitments
They say they want to do better. In the second episode of "Insight Unpacked: Can We Still Build a Green Economy?" we look at an oil company, a tech giant, and an Italian energy provider to explore why net-zero pledges have barely moved the…
- Insight Unpacked S3E1 | The Climate Crisis Is Here. Will We Ever Fix It?
Saving the planet is going to take more than net-zero pledges and shopping green. In the first episode of our series, "Insight Unpacked: Can We Still Build a Green Economy?" we take the current temperature of the climate fight.
- Introducing Insight Unpacked, Season 3
Introducing Insight Unpacked, Season 3: Can We Still Build a Green Economy? In the last decade, we've seen powerful people and organizations take on the issue of climate change — making big pledges to reduce their carbon emissions by adapt…
- When It Comes to Biases, AI's Only Human
The AI models informing many of our decisions are riddled with preconceptions. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, two experts outline how bias creeps in.
- Automation, Answers, and Advice—a Playbook for AI Adoption
So you've tinkered with AI, but now you want to level up. Here are tips from Kellogg faculty on using the tech more effectively.
- The Global Trends Shaping the Way We Do Business
Uncertainty is everywhere. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we examine the effect of geopolitics on everything from Barbies to Sharpies.
- How Do Those Valentine's Day Roses End Up in Your Bouquet? It's Complicated.
Millions of blooms. Two continents, One day. And a very busy airport. On this (rerun) episode, we hear how our favorite symbol of love gets from point A to point B.
- The Authentic Appeal of Influencer Marketing
On this episode of The Insightful Leader, learn why companies should embrace the social-media testimonial, warts and all.
- Focus on Your Story, Not Your Résumé
As your career progresses, it can be easy to get stuck in a narrow professional lane. Learn how to break free on this episode of The Insightful Leader.
- I Respectfully Disagree
From ketchup on hot dogs to politics, it can be hard to talk constructively about polarizing issues. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we play a game to recognize the traps we often fall into and learn how to avoid them.
- In Workplace Negotiations, Put the Relationship First
It's not just about salary. On this episode of The Insightful Leader's "Ask Insight," we hear how to approach some common work tensions by finding common ground.
- Managing Layoffs without Compromising Your Morals
There's no "correct" approach to laying people off, but on this episode of The Insightful Leader, we discuss how you can maintain your integrity through the process.
- When We Get Too Comfortable, It's Tough to Take Flight
On this episode of The Insightful Leader, an executive coach offers three tales of leaders who let complacency get in the way of success.
- How to Stay Resilient in the Face of a Major Setback
When Kellogg's Craig Wortmann lost a portion of his leg to cancer, he felt like he lost part of his identity, too. On this episode of The Insightful Leader podcast, he offers a guide to "bouncing back better."
- Insight Unpacked S2E6 | When a Healthcare Expert Becomes a Patient
In this bonus episode of our series, "Insight Unpacked: American Healthcare and Its Web of Misaligned Incentives," a healthcare economist must make critical decisions with partial information. Also: Do you have advice on how to be a good h…
- Preventing a Potential Culture Clash at Work
On this episode of The Insightful Leader: when Fuyao Glass opened a U.S. factory, it underestimated the importance of translating company culture.
- Workers Are Stressed Out. Here's How Leaders Can Help.
On this (rerun) episode of The Insightful Leader: You can't always control what happens at work. But reframing setbacks, and instituting some serious calendar discipline, can go a long way toward reducing stress.
- What Rom-coms Can Teach Business Leaders
On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we'll discuss how these movies can help us navigate conflict and tackle power dynamics.
- How Should You Present Yourself at Work?
Be yourself! No, not like that. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we help you navigate the competing advice about how much to share and hold back. This episode originally aired in January of 2024.
- Avoiding the Likability Trap at Work
Plus: insecure employees and a flagging culture. On this episode of The Insightful Leader's "Ask Insight," a conversation with Professor Harry Kraemer. This is a (favorite!) rerun. We'll have a couple more in the coming weeks, with new epi…
- You Have an Idea for a New AI Tool. Now What?
On this episode of The Insightful Leader: two researchers offer tips on how to get AI development right.
- Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi on Her Climb to the Top
On this episode of The Insightful Leader, Kellogg's Ellen Taaffe interviews her mentor about success, self-belief, and supporting the next generation of leaders.
- How to Get Delegation Right, Part 3 of 3
On this episode of The Insightful Leader's "Ask Insight," we finish our conversation by getting real about the emotional stakes that make delegating hard.
- How to Get Delegation Right, Part 2 of 3
On this episode of The Insightful Leader's "Ask Insight," our conversation continues with a discussion of which tasks and functions to delegate—and which to keep.
- How to Get Delegation Right, Part 1 of 3
It's a tricky skill to master. On this episode of The Insightful Leader's "Ask Insight," a Kellogg professor and executive coach says it begins with assessing your team members and playing to their strengths.
- The AI Risks Your Business Should Avoid
On this episode of The Insightful Leader, why your trade secrets may not be safe, and other considerations.
- How Huy Fong's Sriracha Went from Hot to Not
When missteps knocked the famous "rooster sauce" off its pedestal, a competitor seized the moment. On this episode of The Insightful Leader: Why one brand sizzled and the other fizzled.
- How to Grow as a Leader Without Burning Yourself Out
In this episode of The Insightful Leader, a former president at Kraft Foods explains why "sometimes just working harder is a complete waste of time."
- Third-Party Cookies Are Crumbling. What's a Marketer to Do?
New rules are making it harder to track customers' online behaviors. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we look at what this means for companies large and small.
- Insight Unpacked S2E5 | American Healthcare—Is This the Best We Can Do?
In the final episode of our 5-episode series, "Insight Unpacked: American Healthcare and Its Web of Misaligned Incentives," we travel overseas, and through our own backyard, in search of a way forward. On this episode, we hear from Kellogg…
- Insight Unpacked S2E4 | The Bargain That Fuels Big Pharma
What will we pay for the next groundbreaking drug? In episode 4 of our 5-episode series, "Insight Unpacked: American Healthcare and Its Web of Misaligned Incentives," we explore the trade-off at the heart of pharmaceutical innovation. On t…
- Insight Unpacked S2E3 | The Misadventures of Insuring America
In episode 3 of our 5-episode series, "Insight Unpacked: American Healthcare and Its Web of Misaligned Incentives," we explain how insurance companies became everybody's favorite villain. On this episode, we talk to Kellogg faculty members…
- Insight Unpacked S2E2 | The Power of the Physician's Pen
We rely on doctors to keep us healthy. In episode 2 of our 5-episode series, "Insight Unpacked: American Healthcare and Its Web of Misaligned Incentives," we learn at what cost. On this episode, we talk to Kellogg professors Craig Garthwai…
- Insight Unpacked S2E1 | The Problem with Megaproviders
In episode 1 of our 5-episode series, "Insight Unpacked: American Healthcare and Its Web of Misaligned Incentives," we investigate how hospital systems got so big—and what that means for our health and our pocketbooks. On this episode, we…
- Introducing Insight Unpacked, Season 2
Introducing Insight Unpacked, Season 2: American Healthcare and Its Web of Misaligned Incentives If you lived in the nineteenth century, and you got sick, it was bad news. Simple urinary tract infections were deadly. Appendicitis killed yo…
- Why Italy's Economy Offers a Cautionary Tale for the U.S.
Since the 1990s, taxes, debt, and regulations have hamstrung the Italian economy. On this episode of The Insightful Leader: Could America be next?
- Why You Need a Killer Answer to "So, What Do You Do?"
A great response to this question can open doors. On this episode of The Insightful Leader: we've got tips for fine-tuning your answer.
- When AI Becomes a TA
Curious about using AI at work? On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we hear from one professor who found a fascinating, low-stakes way to bring AI into his workplace: the classroom.
- What's It Take to Get on a Board, Anyway?
It's not like applying for a job. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, an expert demystifies the process.
- AI Is a Tool. How Do We Want to Use It?
Generative AI is like "a hammer looking for a nail." On this episode of The Insightful Leader: we have to decide what the nail should be.
- Need to Make a Point? Tell a Good Story.
Plus: more leadership advice in this episode of The Insightful Leader's "Ask Insight" series.
- Need Product Inspiration? Meet Your Customer in the Wild.
On this episode of The Insightful Leader: a consumer anthropologist takes us behind the scenes as she interviews a "pet parent."
- Can Complexity Science Help Us Understand Organizations?
On this episode of The Insightful Leader: From climate change to neuroscience, this new approach is reshaping how we study complicated systems.
- The Complicated Promise of ESG
On this episode of The Insightful Leader: Are companies as socially responsible as they claim? And how much should investors care?
- How Should You Present Yourself at Work?
Be yourself! No, not like that. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we help you navigate the competing advice about how much to share and hold back. Book links: The Mirrored Door: Break Through the Hidden Barrier that Locks Successfu…
- Get Inside Your Customer's Mind
On this episode of The Insightful Leader: how understanding consumer mindsets can help you make the sale.
- Podcast: Using AI Comes with a Tradeoff. Now Multiply That by 8 Billion.
On this episode of The Insightful Leader podcast: what happens when everyone uses the same generative AI tools?
- Avoiding the Likeability Trap at Work
Plus: insecure employees and a flagging culture. On this episode of The Insightful Leader's "Ask Insight," more from our conversation with Professor Harry Kraemer.
- You're the Boss! Now What?
On this episode of The Insightful Leader's "Ask Insight," Professor Harry Kraemer discusses how to lead your former peers and build trust with your team.
- Insight Unpacked BONUS | Why Canada Goose Soared and Shinola Sputtered
Luxury is dominated by older brands. So what happens when newer entrants try to break through? In the second of two bonus episodes, we show what can go right—and wrong.