Leading Through Pressure with Rita McGrath and Sabina Nawaz
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 Sabina Nawaz, author of the book “You’re the Boss” leadership secrets of the world’s most successful managers. Their conversation covers the fascinating concept of leading through pressure, which when managed correctly, creates new avenues for innovation and growth, and fosters resiliency. 1:51 How a Book Begins: 12,000 pages of Data on what it’s like to work with a boss3:29 Managing at Microsoft: Sabina’s Personal Leadership Transformation4:58 How Pressure - And Not Just Power - Corrupts6:35 The Power of Doing Nothing Under Pressure 7:46 “Blank Space”: How Mental Rest Can Help Reveal Insights10:42 How Micro Habits Change Your Day, 10 Seconds At A Time12:31 Time Portfolios: Rethinking How You Spend Your Days, In Small Steps14:29 “Still Doing Their Previous Job”: When Duties Collect With Promotions16:26 “Innocent Saboteurs”: How Good Intentions Go Awry17:32 42 Questions For Senior Leaders To Get Real Insights 19:50 Power As A Broken Volume Knob: Muted Employees, Amplified Managers20:42 The Danger of the Singular Story: Avoiding Acting On Incomplete Information23:55 “Don’t Act Until You Have At Least Three Stories”25:47 Mission-Driven Strategy: How Purpose Underlies Forking Paths27:08 Practicing Divergent Thinking To Accommodate For Crises28:41 Trust and The 7 Communication Fault Lines33:57 Executive Symbolism: What A Leader’s Actions And Expressions Communicate35:46 The 5 Steps to Framing A Meeting 39:50 Leadership Insights from General Electric, Honeywell, and Build-A-Bear Workshop42:15: Sharon Price John’s “Stop Doing Stupid Stuff, Start Doing Smart Stuff”44:28 Cultural Transformation in The Age of AI and Dematerialization49:51 Combining Empathy And Accountability in the Future of Work51:33 The Benefits and Limitations of BureaucracyThought 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 YouTubeFollow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.Connect with Rita on TikTokSign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com
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