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 boss

3:29 Managing at Microsoft: Sabina’s Personal Leadership Transformation

4:58 How Pressure - And Not Just Power - Corrupts

6:35 The Power of Doing Nothing Under Pressure 

7:46 “Blank Space”: How Mental Rest Can Help Reveal Insights

10:42 How Micro Habits Change Your Day, 10 Seconds At A Time

12:31 Time Portfolios: Rethinking How You Spend Your Days, In Small Steps

14:29 “Still Doing Their Previous Job”: When Duties Collect With Promotions

16:26 “Innocent Saboteurs”: How Good Intentions Go Awry

17:32 42 Questions For Senior Leaders To Get Real Insights 

19:50 Power As A Broken Volume Knob: Muted Employees, Amplified Managers

20:42 The Danger of the Singular Story: Avoiding Acting On Incomplete Information

23:55 “Don’t Act Until You Have At Least Three Stories”

25:47 Mission-Driven Strategy: How Purpose Underlies Forking Paths

27:08 Practicing Divergent Thinking To Accommodate For Crises

28:41 Trust and The 7 Communication Fault Lines

33:57 Executive Symbolism: What A Leader’s Actions And Expressions Communicate

35:46 The 5 Steps to Framing A Meeting 

39:50 Leadership Insights from General Electric, Honeywell, and Build-A-Bear Workshop

42:15: Sharon Price John’s “Stop Doing Stupid Stuff, Start Doing Smart Stuff”

44:28 Cultural Transformation in The Age of AI and Dematerialization

49:51 Combining Empathy And Accountability in the Future of Work

51:33 The Benefits and Limitations of Bureaucracy

Thought 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. 

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