Radical Candor: Communication at Work

While the podcast team is taking a Radical Sabbatical, Kim is interviewing authors of the books that have had a big impact on her in the past two years.

In this episode, Kim speaks with Rob Lalka, the author of The Venture Alchemists - How Big Tech Turned Profits Into Power.

In this episode of Radical Sabbatical, Kim sits down with Rob Lalka, author of Venture Alchemist, to study what the founders of Facebook, Google, and the “PayPal Mafia” were saying and writing before anyone was paying attention to them. They explore what separates the leaders who stayed grounded from the ones who didn't. They ask a hard question: does it matter if a leader got corrupted by too much money and power or if they started out bad to the bone?

Every leader (indeed, every one of us) has good and bad inside. The one that wins is usually the one that gets fed. The question is whether the venture capital model feeds the good — or does it feed the bad, setting founders up to be corrupted by their own success?

Kim and Rob explore the contrasting origins of major tech companies like Facebook and Google. They discuss the implications of Mark Zuckerberg's early actions (for example, an IM while in college with a friend who asked him how he got access to people’s personal information and he replied “they trusted me, the dumb f–ks;”). What does it mean that Google’s founders started out thinking Google would have to be a non-profit so that advertising wouldn’t bias information but wound up selling trillions of ads?

The conversation also delves into the impact of the PayPal Mafia and the controversial book by Thiel and Sachs, The Diversity Myth. Rob discusses the complexities of free speech and the implications of outlier behavior. He emphasizes the importance of moral leadership in corporate culture and critiques the philosophical influences of figures like Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman on business ethics. Rob expresses hope for the future, particularly through the potential of his students to create positive change in society.

Books & Articles mention by Rob:

George Packer - article in The Atlantic - The Venture-Capital Populist

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/06/david-sacks-crypto-ai-venture-capital/686941/

Max Chafkin - The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and the Rise of the Silicon Valley Oligarchs

https://elmstreetbooks.com/book/9781984878557

Jimi Soni - The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501197266?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Guest Background: Rob Lalka is the author of The Venture Alchemists - How Big Tech Turned Profits Into Power. He is also the Albert R. Lepage Professor in Business and executive director of the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Tulane University. He is on the board of directors of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Public Democracy, Inc., and Venture For America in New Orleans. Previously, he served on the U.S. Secretary of State’s policy planning staff and in the State Department’s Office of Global Partnerships, was a director at Village Capital, and was a senior advisor at the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.

CHAPTERS

(00:40) Introduction to Alchemy and Venture Capital

(03:04) The Power Dynamics in Business Models

(05:33) Zuckerberg's Origin Story and Its Implications

(07:40) The Contrast with Google's Founding Philosophy

(09:47) The Role of Advertising in Business Models

(12:43) The Historical Context of Business Practices

(14:59) The Golden Spike and Economic Inequality

(14:59) The Impact of the PayPal Mafia and Diversity Myth

(22:00) The Controversy of Free Speech and Homophobia

(25:07) Outlier Behavior and Its Implications

(28:03) The Rape Issue and Its Consequences

(30:27) Moral Leadership and Corporate Culture

(33:08) Philosophical Influences on Business Ethics

(40:30) Hope for the Future and the Role of Education

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Keywords

venture capital, alchemy, business models, Zuckerberg, Google, advertising, economic inequality, PayPal Mafia, diversity myth, entrepreneurship free speech, outlier behavior, corporate culture, moral leadership, business ethics, philosophy, education, AI

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While the podcast team is taking a Radical Sabbatical, Kim is interviewing authors of the books that have had a big impact on her in the past two years.

Building high-performance teams, especially in dynamic industries, can be one of the biggest challenges a leader faces. Sometimes passionate founders or senior leaders can go from passionate advocate to authoritarian autocrat. Left unchecked, this can lead to organizations underperforming in the long term and missed opportunities. So where is the balance?

In this episode, Kim speaks with Liz Wiseman, the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers. Liz and Kim explore the pitfalls of authoritarian leadership, the power of multipliers, and how leaders can foster environments where everyone does the best work of their lives and builds the best relationships of their careers. Liz does point out that there are certain, limited instances where a top down, “command and control” approach is the right choice (for example, during an acute crisis), but these instances should be rare and targeted. They also discuss practical strategies for managing diminishing leaders and creating impact regardless of leadership style. They also talk about the importance of understanding power dynamics in leadership.

Guest Background: Liz Wiseman is a researcher and executive advisor who teaches leadership to top organizations worldwide. She wrote the New York Times bestsellers Multipliers, The Multiplier Effect, and Wall Street Journal bestsellers Rookie Smarts and Impact Players.

CHAPTERS

(00:33) Introduction to Radical Sabbatical and Guest Liz Wiseman

(02:06) The Flaws of Authoritarian Leadership

(06:06) Diminishers vs. Multipliers: Leadership Styles

(12:16) When Authoritarian Leadership is Necessary

(20:27) The Balance of Command and Collaboration

(23:36) The Impact of Leadership Styles

(26:34) Navigating Innovation and Crisis

(29:30) The Balance of Authority and Collaboration

(32:35) Lessons from Great Leaders

(36:38) Understanding Accidental Diminishers

(45:03) The Impact of Perfectionism on Team Dynamics

(46:09) Understanding Accidental and Intentional Diminishers

(47:26) The Drive to Contribute: Empowering Impact Players

(48:56) Leading Through Influence: The Role of Impact Players

(51:06) Strategies for Thriving Under Diminishing Leadership

(52:26) Multiplying Up: Turning Diminishment into Empowerment

(55:47) The Power of Listening and Adapting

(01:01:04) Leveraging Bosses' Strengths for Better Outcomes

(01:03:01) Building Relationships on a Level Playing Field

(01:03:55) Understanding and Sharing Power in Leadership

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While the podcast team is taking a Radical Sabbatical, Kim is interviewing authors of the books that have had a big impact on her in the past two years.

How can parenting skills help us become better team members and leaders in the workplace? Sure, you can’t “ground” your direct report when they screw up an important project, but the lessons of good parenting can certainly help us all be better at building effective and healthy teams.

In this episode, Kim speaks with Dr. Becky Kennedy, the author of Good Inside, a New York Times #1 bestseller. Dr. Becky’s background as a clinical psychologist and years of experience working with families give her valuable insights into navigating the stresses of raising kids amid a busy work schedule. She has developed a loyal following among parents. Kim and Dr. Becky talk about how these two worlds overlap and, in some cases, where they don’t. For example, they talk about how “repair” and taking responsibility for handling something poorly can play a key role in increasing connection among team members.

Guest Background: Dr. Becky is the clinical psychologist and mom of three behind the breakthrough parenting company Good Inside. She specializes in helping parents become sturdy leaders in their homes by sharing the skills and strategies parents need to raise resilient kids. Dr. Becky is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a TED speaker, and the host of the chart-topping podcast Good Inside with Dr. Becky, and has amassed a global following of millions of parents.

Dr. Becky received a BA in Psychology and Human Development, Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude, from Duke University and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University. She has a certificate in Relational Psychotherapy from the Steven Mitchell Center.

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Introduction to Radical Kindness and Good Inside

(03:02) Balancing Boundaries and Connection in Parenting

(05:56) The Impact of Unfinished Business from Childhood

(08:54) Curiosity as a Tool for Effective Communication

(12:02) Connection Capital: Building Relationships with Kids

(14:55) The Importance of High-Impact Moments

(17:53) Repairing Relationships After Mistakes

(20:56) Modeling Accountability for Children

(24:09) Changing the Narrative Around Parenting and Guilt

(27:06) Compassionate Criticism in Parenting and Work

(29:04) Understanding Anger and Setting Boundaries

(29:59) Compassionate Discipline: Balancing Boundaries and Understanding

(32:24) Two Truths: Boundaries and Emotions

(34:38) The Power of Belief: Encouraging Better Behavior

(36:01) Redefining 'Nice': The Importance of Respectful Communication

(39:31) Emotions as Information: Listening to Our Feelings

(41:27) The Role of Emotions in Leadership and Parenting

(44:32) Curiosity Over Fury: Navigating Emotional Responses

(52:04) Preventing Bullying: Safety and Intervention Strategies

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While the podcast team is taking a Radical Sabbatical, Kim is interviewing authors of the books that have had a big impact on her in the past two years.

In this episode, Kim speaks with Heather McGhee, the author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, a New York Times bestseller. Heather takes Kim on a journey through US history, demonstrating how efforts to exclude some of us from public goods harm all of us, starting with public swimming pools in the United States. As Heather describes in The Sum of Us, “By World War II, the country’s two thousand pools were glittering symbols of a new commitment by local officials to the quality of life of their residents, allowing hundreds of thousands of people to socialize together for free…A Pennsylvania county recreation director said, “Let’s build bigger, better, and finer pools. That’s real democracy. Take away the sham and hypocrisy of clothes, don a swimsuit, and we’re all the same.” These swimming pools were remarkable public resources. The Fairground Park Pool had a sandy beach, elaborate diving boards, and a capacity of 10,000 people. However, when cities across the country were forced to integrate these pools, they chose to fill them in with dirt instead. Nobody got to swim–except people wealthy enough to join private clubs.

Starting in the late 1960s, the same illogic was applied to more consequential areas of life than swimming pools. As the public began to perceive that government programs like welfare, healthcare, education, and infrastructure funding would benefit Black and Brown Americans, political support for these public goods collapsed. For example, when Texas rejected Obamacare, its rural hospitals began going bankrupt, resulting in medical deserts and economic devastation in rural Texas towns.

Today, we have a choice: the solidarity dividend that results from public goods that benefit everyone; or the devastation for everyone that results from the kind of zero-sum thinking that would cause a community to destroy public goods rather than make them available to everyone.



Guest Background: Heather McGhee designs and promotes solutions to inequality in America. The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together spent 10 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was long-listed for the National Book Award and Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, among numerous other awards. In the summer of 2022, The Sum of Us was adapted into a Spotify podcast by Higher Ground, the production company of Barack and Michelle Obama. The Sum of Us was adapted into a young adult readers’ version by Random House Children’s in February 2023. The adaptation for middle and high-school students received starred reviews from School Library Journal and Booklist, and Kirkus named it a Best Young Adult Book of the Year.

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Introduction to Radical Sabbatical and Bacon's Rebellion

(02:05) Bacon's Rebellion: A Historical Perspective on Race Relations

(04:49) The Economic Impact of Racism on Society

(06:34) The Race Class Narrative Project and Its Implications

(16:30) Education: The Cost of Inequality

(22:09) Healthcare: The Consequences of Drained Public Goods

(24:37) Racialized Healthcare Politics

(26:32) The Impact of Medicaid Expansion

(28:38) The Mortgage Crisis and Racial Discrimination

(31:24) The Canary in the Coal Mine

(34:58) Unionization and Economic Power

(38:54) Cross-Racial Solidarity in Labor Movements

(42:18) Environmental Justice and Collective Action

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While the podcast team is taking a Radical Sabbatical, Kim is interviewing authors of the books that have had a big impact on her in the past two years.

In this episode, Kim speaks with Oliver Bullough, journalist and author of the highly acclaimed books: Butler to the World: How Britain Helps the World's Worst People Launder Money, Commit Crimes, and Get Away with Anything and Moneyland: Why Thieves and Crooks Now Rule the World and How To Take It Back. Oliver’s new book is called Everybody Loves Our Dollars - How Money Laundering Won.

Oliver describes a moment in his life that shaped each of these books. He was touring the palace of Yanukovych, the corrupt pro-Russian ex-President of Ukraine, horrified at the extravagant opulence, all stolen from the Ukrainian people. “How did you let him get away with this?” Oliver asked his friend. “Well, actually you’re technically in London, not Ukraine, right now,” his friend responded. Who is corrupt, the people who stole the money, or the lawyers, bankers, and accountants in countries that tout their lack of corruption? Oliver describes the systems in place to help the wealthy dodge taxes and the deeply corrupt to hide their theft. Kim and Oliver talk about the corrosive effect on our political institutions and our economy; and how we got here in the post-WWII era.

Guest Background: Oliver Bullough is a journalist and author from Wales who writes about financial crime, the former Soviet Union, and offshore skulduggery.

He lives near Hay-on-Wye, and has previously lived in London, Moscow, St Petersburg and Bishkek. When not working, he likes watching rugby, cooking pizzas, swimming in the river and walking in the hills. You can find him on Twitter at @oliverbullough.

CHAPTERS

(00:00) Introduction to Oliver Bullough and His Works

(03:03) The Evolution of Offshore Finance

(06:06) Naughty Money vs. Evil Money

(09:01) Exploring Yanukovych's Palace and Corruption

(12:11) Understanding Modern Corruption and Kleptocracy

(15:03) The Role of Cryptocurrency in Financial Crime

(18:14) The Dark World of Scams and Trafficking

(21:03) The Banality of Evil in Financial Crimes

(24:03) Legal Challenges in Exposing Corruption

(27:04) Personal Fascination with Eastern Europe and Russia

(29:42) The Allure of Russia: A Personal Journey

(32:06) Putin's Rise: Observations from the Ground

(34:17) The Impact of Neoliberalism on Eastern Europe

(35:22) Bretton Woods: Lessons from History

(40:21) The Corruption of Wealth: Offshore Finance's Role

(44:22) AI and Corruption: A New Era

(48:19) Reputation Laundering: The Case of Dmitry Firtash

(55:19) The Future of Money Laundering: Insights from 'Everybody Loves Our Dollars'

Connect with the Radical Candor team:


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