The Innovation Show

📘 Guest: Joel Schwartzberg, author of Get to the Point & The Language of Leadership
In this episode, we cut through the noise and get straight to the point—literally. Communication expert and author Joel Schwartzberg returns to discuss the art and science of clarity in communication. Whether you're a leader, innovator, speaker, or simply want to stop rambling and start resonating, this episode is packed with practical, game-changing advice.
We explore:
Why having a clear point is the cornerstone of influence

How to sharpen your message with Joel's "I believe" and "XY" tests

The power of pausing, volume, and emotional contagion in speech

How to handle interruptions with grace and still deliver your message

Real-life analysis of effective speeches (including a powerful moment from Demi Moore)

The role of AI in crafting and questioning your communication

Sticking the landing: how to end your message with lasting impact

💡 If you've ever struggled to communicate a big idea or felt your message wasn't landing—this episode is your ultimate toolkit.
🔗 Show Notes & Resources:
Joel's website: joelschwartzberg.net

Book: Get to the Point (Updated 10-Year Anniversary Edition)

Sponsored by: Kyndryl.com

Innovation Show https://thethursdaythought.substack.com

In this episode, we sit down with Gary Klein, author of Seeing What Others Don't, to explore the fascinating science behind insights and how organizations can foster smarter thinking and innovation. Klein dives deep into over 120 real-world stories he's collected—ranging from Daniel Boone to Napoleon—and explains the two powerful triggers behind most breakthroughs: connections and anomalies.
Discover how organizations often suppress insights, and why a focus on predictability and perfection can kill innovation. Learn about his new concept of Insight Audits and how leaders can shift their environments to better capture the power of spontaneous insight.
00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message
00:27 Guest Introduction: Gary Klein
00:59 Collecting Stories of Success
02:19 The Down Arrow vs. The Up Arrow
04:43 Investigating Insights
05:38 Themes of Insight: Connections and Discrepancies
07:10 Historical Models of Insight
09:16 Organizational Barriers to Insight
11:17 The Perfection and Predictability Traps
15:06 Case Studies: Missed Discoveries
25:14 The Garden Path Phenomenon
32:30 Insight Audits in Organizations
36:48 Ideas That Escape: Case Studies and Suppression
37:27 The Battle of Midway: Intelligence and Strategy
41:38 The 1973 Yom Kippur War: Ignored Warnings
47:23 Napoleon's Tactical Genius at Toulon
50:58 Creative Desperation: The Mann Gulch Fire
58:42 Yellow Fever: The Mosquito Hypothesis
01:06:46 Daniel Boone: Abandoning the Project Plan
01:10:47 Conclusion and Resources
 
Find Gary here: https://www.shadowboxtraining.com/our-team/people/gklein/
 
Find Seeing What Others Don't: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights here:
https://amzn.to/4qNlekq
 
Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review if you enjoy these deep dives into cognitive science, decision-making, and innovation.
 
More at theinnovationshow.io
 
Gary Klein, insight generation, organizational innovation, decision making, cognitive psychology, seeing what others don't, leadership, business strategy, Aidan McCullen, the innovation show

In this timeless episode of The Innovation Show, Aidan McCullen sits down with Scott Galloway, Clinical Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern, for a prescient conversation that remains highly relevant today.
Recorded nearly a decade ago, this episode dives deep into:
The rise of the algorithm-driven economy

How tech giants like Amazon and Facebook dominate using data and intelligence

The decline of traditional media and the shift to subscription-based models

The retail apocalypse and how Amazon continues to reshape consumer behavior

The emerging power of voice technology and screenless interaction

 
Scott also offers strategic insights into the future of media, marketing, and retail, with takeaways that still resonate in today's digital landscape.
This episode is brought to you with thanks to our sponsor, Kyndryl, helping global enterprises harness the power of AI and digital infrastructure for competitive advantage.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction

01:15 Algorithm-Driven Economy

08:46 Subscription Models

12:48 Traditional Media Challenges

24:40 Retail Apocalypse & Amazon

29:02 Rise of Voice Technology

33:01 Conclusion and Sponsor Message

 
Learn more at: https://www.kyndryl.com
Subscribe to The Innovation Show for weekly insights into innovation, transformation, and leadership.

🔮 Navigating the Accelerated S-Curve with Paul Nunes | Big Bang Disruption & Shark Fin Strategy
Welcome to episode 2 of our exclusive Harvard Business School series! 🎓 Join host Aidan McCullen as he interviews Paul Nunes, renowned as the King of the S-Curve, in a masterclass on navigating today's fast-evolving business cycles.
📈 Discover how exponential technology change is collapsing traditional life cycles and creating "Shark Fin" business models—where sudden success can be catastrophic and strategic timing is everything. Paul explains how companies like Netflix, Apple, Peloton, and Intel navigated (or missed) these cycles and what it means for your business.
🔥 Learn about Big Bang Disruption, the death of early adopters, managing multiple S-curves, the rise of orchestrator firms, and how strategy must evolve for verticalized industries, fleeting advantage, and supply chain complexity.
 
⏰ Timestamps for Key Topics:
00:00 - Introduction and Welcome
00:26 - The Evolution of S-Curves
01:43 - What is the Shark Fin Strategy?
03:52 - Managing Multiple S-Curves
05:29 - Rapid Market Change & Business Lifecycle
07:42 - Case Studies: American Giant & Peloton
10:30 - The New Supply Chain Realities
18:01 - Is Vertical Integration Still Viable?
24:13 - Strategy in the Age of Compression
24:34 - Industry Diversification & Component Thinking
25:17 - Nvidia, Intel, and Strategic Orchestration
27:02 - Innovation vs. Manufacturing Models
33:15 - Capital Investment, Risk & Timing
39:06 - Why the Chief Strategy Officer Role is More Crucial Than Ever
47:55 - Final Reflections & Thank Yous
💡 Whether you're a strategist, innovator, entrepreneur, or business leader, this episode is a must-watch to future-proof your thinking and strategy.
📚 Based on Paul's seminal works: Jumping the S-Curve, Big Bang Disruption, and Pivot to the Future
🔗 Watch, learn, and subscribe for more expert-led strategy content!
#SCurve #BigBangDisruption #PaulNunes #SharkFinStrategy #BusinessStrategy #Innovation #ChiefStrategyOfficer #AidanMcCullen #HBS #Nvidia #Intel #Netflix #Apple #Peloton #ExponentialChange #FutureOfBusiness

Based on a ten-year study, Teresa Amabile reveals why retirement—and any major life transition—requires far more psychological work than we expect.
In this special episode of The Innovation Show, recorded at Klarman Hall at Harvard Business School, Aidan McCullen sits down with renowned psychologist and researcher Teresa Amabile to explore one of the most underestimated transitions we face: the move out of a long-held role and into what comes next.
Drawing on a ten-year study of 120 professionals—many healthy, financially secure, and highly accomplished—Amabile reveals a striking insight: when people hear the word retirement, their dominant associations are fear, uncertainty, and loss of identity. And that fear has little to do with money or health.
This conversation reframes retirement as a broader human challenge: how we navigate endings, detach from identities that once defined us, and rebuild a life structure that still allows for progress, meaning, and contribution. Amabile outlines the four core tasks people must work through when leaving a career, why these tasks rarely happen in a neat sequence, and why "it takes work to stop working."
The discussion also examines the role organisations play—often poorly—in this transition. From sidelining experienced contributors to missing opportunities for knowledge transfer, Aidan and Teresa explore how meaningful final assignments, creative work, rituals, and continued post-retirement connection can dramatically improve outcomes for both individuals and institutions.
Along the way, Amabile introduces the Four A's framework—Alignment, Awareness, Agency, and Adaptability—as a practical lens for navigating not only retirement, but any major life or career transition. The episode closes with a nuanced exploration of purpose, showing how meaning in later life often shifts away from grand missions toward day-to-day quality, relationships, and contribution.
This is not an episode about "retiring early" or financial planning. It's about renewal, identity, and preparing—psychologically, relationally, and structurally—for the transitions we all know are coming, but rarely prepare for.
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Special Guest Welcome
00:13 The Concept of Preparing for the Future
00:37 Introducing Theresa Am Abate
00:43 Gifts and Gratitude
01:47 Sponsor Acknowledgment
02:04 The Word 'Retirement' and Initial Reactions
02:39 Research Findings on Retirement Perceptions
05:21 The Four Tasks of Retirement
07:01 Framework for Renewal and Organizational Change
13:16 The Role of Organizations in Supporting Retirees
18:50 The Importance of Rituals and Celebrations
24:37 Life Structure and Retirement
31:24 Practical Actions and The Four A's Framework
37:17 Finding Purpose in Retirement
40:45 Final Thoughts and Messages
Recorded live at Harvard Business School with thanks to the production team Dave, Ellie and Simona and sponsor Kyndryl.