Leadership Next

AI promises to upend almost every industry in the coming years. SAP, the German software behemoth, is no exception, although the company has already been investing heavily in AI for more than a decade. On this week’s episode of Leadership Next, Diane talks to Christian Klein, the 44-year-old CEO of SAP. Klein grew up at SAP, starting as an intern, and spent years climbing the ranks before being named solo CEO in 2020. The wide-ranging interview covered the need for regulation in the field of AI, the intersection between sustainability and technology, and SAP’s culture.

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Pharmaceutical companies are often the poster children for what's wrong with the health care system. New drugs can take decades of development and cost billions of dollars in R&D, and once they clear the FDA, consumers are too often met with sticker shock and high prices for their meds. Dave Ricks, CEO of drugmaker Eli Lilly, this week's guest on Leadership Next, says drug development is very hard—so hard that most of the thousands of Lilly employees who work on R&D for the company may never work on a drug that's actually released. Diane spoke to Ricks about how AI will impact drug development, why health care shouldn't be a political football, and the company's smash-hit obesity drug Tirzepatide.

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In 2000, Malcolm Gladwell published The Tipping Point, identifying the key players and small, seemingly inconsequential decisions that together can make ideas, products, and behaviors spread like a virus. Gladwell was hailed as a guru whose concepts were embraced as a how-to guide for marketers and policymakers. In his latest book, Revenge of the Tipping Point, Gladwell revisits the themes from his original book to examine how they’ve held up and also been manipulated to create negative impacts. In this week’s episode of Leadership Next, Diane Brady speaks to Gladwell about his perspective on The Tipping Point today, as well as on topics from leadership to the decline of local news.

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How do you create an online community that can foster in-person connections? That's what Nextdoor, the social network for neighbors, has been trying to do since its 2008 founding. This week's guest on Leadership Next is current—and former—CEO Nirav Tolia. Tolia, a longtime entrepreneur, talks to Diane about returning to the company he cofounded, what people gain by getting to know their neighbors, and what it's like to be on Shark Tank.

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When Patti Poppe took over as CEO of the massive California utility Pacific Gas & Electric in 2021, the company had gone through a very rough period. It was found liable for multiple California wildfires, dealt with a bankruptcy, and paid billions of dollars in settlements to fire victims. Poppe says the size and importance of the opportunity at PG&E is what drew her to the turnaround. On this week’s episode of Leadership Next, Poppe, the first woman to lead two separate Fortune 500 companies, talks to Diane about PG&E’s progress towards going carbon-free, its massive safety overhaul, and how love has shaped her leadership philosophy.

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When T-Mobile burst on the scene in 2002, the wireless market was already saturated with big players like Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T. To make inroads, the company became “The Uncarrier,” famous for customer-centric contracts with better pricing and more user-friendly terms and features. Twenty-two years later, T-Mobile today is one of the biggest telecom companies in the world. On this week’s episode of Leadership Next, Diane speaks to CEO Mike Sievert, who took over for John Legere in 2020. Sievert, a longtime technology executive, has interests that go way beyond wireless. He’s also a pilot. Topics covered include innovation in the wireless space, how AI will change telecom, and what happens when a company goes from startup to incumbent.

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Hiring is always high stakes for CEOs. The right hire can help drive an organization to new heights, and the wrong one can take years to recover from. So, most business leaders are keenly aware of how important it is to hire well. Yet, there's no silver bullet. On this week's episode of Leadership Next we speak to Indeed CEO Chris Hyams. According to Hyams, demand for in-person jobs is way up, while remote jobs, which gained in popularity during the pandemic, have seen fewer openings recently but continue to be sought after by job seekers. In addition, Hyams provided interesting perspective on the impact of generative AI on jobs, and shared insights from Indeed’s treasure trove of data.

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Climate change will force almost every industry to move away from dependence on fossil fuels. Automotive is no exception, where EVs are gaining in popularity in certain sections of the United States and across the globe. This week on Leadership Next, Diane speaks to Bill Nash, CEO of CarMax, one of the nation’s largest car resellers. Nash started his career at electronics retailer Circuit City, which was at that time CarMax's parent company. The episode is a wide-ranging conversation about trends in the car industry, the impact of high interest rates on consumers' buying habits, and the Tesla effect on the EV market.

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The climate crisis will require a whole host of solutions—spanning technology, investment, and policy. It’s this intersection that is now the focus for Tom Steyer, who’s had a hugely successful career as an investor, and more recently a Democratic political candidate. Through his company Galvanize Climate Solutions, Steyer is now investing in firms on the forefront of the climate fight. On this episode of Leadership Next, he spoke to Diane about the future of EVs, investing in infrastructure to combat climate change, and China’s climate opportunity.

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Technology has fundamentally altered retail shopping habits, as savvy customers know they can buy almost anything they want with a single tap of their smartphones. But JCPenney, the iconic American department store brand, says customers still value in-store shopping. For Marc Rosen, who had a long career at Levi Strauss & Co. and Walmart before taking over as JCPenney CEO in 2021, customer focus has been key. On this week’s episiode of Leadership Next, Rosen talks to Diane about back-to-school shopping, why customers don’t like to buy clothing where they get groceries, and about how technology continues to shake up retail.

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