Radio Free Leader

By David Burkus

What's Radio Free Leader about?

Radio Free Leader is a podcast dedicated to helping you lead smarter by tearing down the walls between the ivory tower and the corner office. Each week, host David Burkus interviews outstanding thinkers and doers in leadership, innovation, and strategy like Daniel Pink, Marcus Buckingham, Tom Rath, Adam Grant, and more.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Radio Free Leader episodes:

09.26.2017
1000 | A Special Announcement from David Burkus on Radio Free Leader
A special announcement for everyone subscribed to Radio Free Leader. Listen to this announcement, then stay connected for updates on future projects at http://davidburkus.com/join
09.11.2017
0827 | How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed with Dan McGinn
Daniel McGinn is the author of "Psyched Up: How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed." McGinn works as a senior editor at Harvard Business Review, where he edits the IdeaWatch and How I Did It sections, manages...
09.05.2017
0826 | The Hidden Force That Creates the World's Greatest Teams with Sam Walker
Sam Walker is The Wall Street Journal’s deputy editor for enterprise, the unit that directs the paper’s in-depth page-one features and investigative reporting projects. A former reporter, sports columnist, and sports editor, Walker founded the Journal’s prizewinning daily sports coverage...
08.29.2017
0825 | How to Unlock The Power of an Unfocused Mind with Srini Pillay
Dr. Srini Pillay is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry (Part-Time) at Harvard Medical School. He is known for combining “head and heart” (figuratively and literally) in an approach to personal development and goal mastery that blends science, spirituality, and horns-grabbing joie...
08.21.2017
0824 | How to Find and Work With a Mentor with Claire Diaz-Ortiz
Claire Díaz-Ortiz is an author, speaker, and technology innovator who has been named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company. Claire was an early employee at Twitter, where she was hired to lead corporate social...
08.14.2017
0823 | How to be Known for Something with Andrew Davis
Andrew Davis is a bestselling author and internationally acclaimed keynote speaker. Before co-founding, building and selling a thriving digital marketing agency, Andrew Davis created programming for local television, produced for NBC’s Today Show, worked for The Muppets in New York...
08.08.2017
0822 | Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age with Jeff Goins
Jeff Goins is the author of four books, including the national best seller, The Art of Work. He is also a full-time blogger, speaker, and entrepreneur. Jeff’s award-winning blog, GoinsWriter.com, has been visited by over four million people from around...
07.24.2017
0821 | How to Kill Email Anxiety, Avoid Distractions, and Get Real Work Done with Jocelyn Glei
Jocelyn K. Glei is obsessed with how we can find more creativity and meaning in our daily work. Her latest book is Unsubscribe, a modern guide to killing email anxiety, avoiding distraction, and getting real work done. Her previous books...
07.17.2017
0820 | How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter with Liz Wiseman
0820 | How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter with Liz Wiseman by David Burkus
07.05.2017
0819 | How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen Within Organizations with Jim Kouzes
Jim Kouzes is a bestselling author, an award-winning speaker and, according to the Wall Street Journal, one of the twelve best executive educators in the United States. Currently Jim is Dean’s Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, at...
06.28.2017
0818 | Finding, Creating, and Using Thresholds to Create Change with David Gray
Having been involved in a lot of well-intentioned innovation and change initiatives in industry, government and small businesses, Dave Gray noticed that people have an astonishing ability to miscommunicate and misunderstand one another, and often work at cross-purposes to the...
05.23.2017
0817 | Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong with Eric Barker
Eric Barker’s humorous, practical blog, "Barking Up the Wrong Tree", and book of the same name, presents science-based answers and expert insight on how to be awesome at life. Over 290,000 people subscribe to his weekly newsletter and his content...
05.16.2017
0816 | The Art and Practice of Breakthrough Thinking with Judah Pollack
Judah Pollack is an author and speaker. He has worked with everyone from US Army Generals and Special Forces to non-profit founders and social good pioneers. A regular speaker at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Judah engages people in asking...
05.08.2017
0815 | Why Innovation Needs Liberal Arts with Scott Hartley
SCOTT HARTLEY is a venture capitalist and startup advisor. He has served as a Presidential Innovation Fellow at the White House, a partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures, and a venture partner at Metamorphic Ventures. Prior to venture capital, Hartley worked...
04.25.2017
0814 | Unleash Your Team's Productive Power with Michael Mankins
Michael C. Mankins is a partner in Bain & Company's San Francisco office and a leader in the firm's Organization practice. He is also a senior member of Bain's Strategy and Industrial Goods & Services practices. Much of his work has focused...
04.20.2017
0813 | Outsmart Yor Instincts with Adam Hansen
As a new product professional, Adam has always believed in the power of possibility—accepting new approaches, questioning conventional wisdom, and being open to anything. This impulse led him to a career in developing new products for innovative companies such as...
04.13.2017
0812 | How To Lead In A Crisis with Melissa Agnes
Melissa Agnes is a sought-after, international crisis management keynote speaker. She delivers powerful talks that help today’s organizations understand the realities that loom when crisis strikes. Her customized presentations provide tools and strategies that create a proactive, crisis-ready corporate culture....
04.06.2017
0811 | The Vision Of Art with Erik Wahl
Erik Wahl is an internationally recognized graffiti artist, # 1 best-selling author and entrepreneur. Erik redefines the term “keynote speaker.” Pulling from his history as both a businessman and an artist, he has grown to become one of the most sought-after corporate...
03.29.2017
0810 | Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone with Andy Molinsky
Andy Molinsky is a Professor at Brandeis University’s International Business School. Andy helps people develop the insights and courage necessary to act outside their personal and cultural comfort zones when doing important, but challenging, tasks in work and life. His work has been...
03.22.2017
0809 | Becoming The Person Others Follow with Joshua Spodek
Joshua Spodek, bestselling author of Leadership Step by Step, is an Adjunct Professor at NYU, leadership coach and workshop leader for Columbia Business School, columnist for Inc., and founder of Spodek Academy. He has led seminars in leadership, entrepreneurship, creativity,...
03.16.2017
0808 | The Science of Creating High Performance Companies with Paul Zak
Paul Zak is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. Pauls’s two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the...
03.07.2017
0807 | How Successful Organizations Respond to Customers with Josh Seidan
Josh Seiden is a designer who has spent most of his career working on the design of complex software applications and integrating design into the product development process. Over the course of 25 years working in technology Josh has developed...
02.14.2017
0806 | How Leaders Succeed By Breaking Down Silos
Heidi K. Gardner, PhD, is a Distinguished Fellow in the Center on the Legal Profession at Harvard Law School. Her research focuses on leadership and collaboration in professional service firms. Gardner has lived and worked on four continents, including positions...
01.31.2017
0805 | Why Creativity Gets Rejected...And How To Accept It with Jennifer Mueller
Jennifer earned her PhD in Social and Developmental Psychology at Brandeis University, and has been on the faculty of many top business schools including the Wharton School, Yale School of Management and NYU's Stern School of Business. She published the...
01.26.2017
0804 | How to Create Meaning with Scott Mautz
0804 | How to Create Meaning with Scott Mautz by David Burkus
01.19.2017
0803 | How to Create a Culture of Innovation with Soren Kaplan
Soren Kaplan is the author of the best-selling and award-winning book "Leapfrogging," an affiliated professor at the Center for Effective Organizations at USC's Marshall School of Business, a contributing writer for Fast Company, a leading keynote speaker, and the founder...
01.10.2017
0802 | How To Lead In Multiple Sectors with Laura Gassner Otting
Laura Gassner Otting has spent the last 20 years working to strengthen organizations that weave our social and civic fabric. Through "Limitless Possibility," Laura collaborates with entrepreneurs and investors to push past the doubt and indecision that consign great ideas...
01.05.2017
0801 | How To Work With Millennials with Brad Szollose
Brad Szollose is the foremost expert on cross-generational leadership development strategies and the award-winning author of "Liquid Leadership: From Woodstock to Wikipedia." Brad is a former C-level executive of a publicly traded company that he co-founded which went from entrepreneurial...
12.13.2016
0740 | How To Fail Properly with Justin Brady
Justin Brady is the founder of the Creativity Cultivator podcast, a in-demand designer, and a consultant/speaker to companies large and small who want to help their people enhance their creative potential. In this interview, we discuss failure, in particular what...
11.29.2016
0739 | How The World Sees You with Sally Hogshead
Sally Hogshead is an American author, professional speaker, chief executive officer of Fascinate, Inc and a former advertising executive. She is the author of Fascinate and How the World Sees You. Over the past decade, Hogshead has studied the science...
11.15.2016
0738 | Why Should Anyone Work Here with Gareth Jones
Gareth Jones is a Fellow of the Centre for Management Development at London Business School. He is co-author (with Rib Goffee) of “Why Should Anyone Be Led By You?” and the new book “Why Should Anyone Work Here?” In this...
11.03.2016
0737 | The Disciplined Pursuit Of Less with Greg McKeown
Greg McKeown writes, teaches, and speaks around the world on the importance of living and leading as an Essentialist. He has spoken at companies including Apple, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Salesforce.com, Symantec, and Twitter and is among the most popular bloggers...
10.25.2016
0736 | Innovating The Future with Seth Stone
Dr. Seth Stone is an organizational consultant focused on helping leaders uncover latent potential and thrive in the global marketplace using the components of innovation. He’s also the host of the LeadThis podcast. In this interview, we discuss how the...
10.18.2016
0735 | How To Focus In A Distracted World with Cal Newport
Cal Newport is a writer and an assistant professor of computer science at Georgetown University. He also runs the popular website Study Hacks: Decoding Patterns of Success. He is the author of "Deep Work" and "So Good They Can't Ignore...
10.11.2016
0734 | How to Bring Innovation to Life with Thomas Wedel-Wedellsborg
Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg is a partner at The Innovation Architects, a management consulting firm in New York City. He is co-author of "Innovation as Usual." He is a frequent speaker at corporate events and has worked with managers in nearly all...
10.04.2016
0733 | Why Only Is Better Than Best with Srinivas Rao
Srinivas Rao uses the internet to make things, and leads a creativity and innovation revolution while he does. Rao is the author of “Unmistakeable” and the founder of the Unmistakeable Creative podcast, where he's interviewed over five hundred creative people....
09.27.2016
0732 | Designing A Better Future with Lisa Kay Solomon
Lisa Kay Solomon is co-author of "Design a Better Business." She is a well-known thought leader in design innovation with a focus on building the leadership skills required to ignite change and create lasting impact. Lisa is Principal Faculty and...
08.30.2016
0731 | Why Leaders Need Visual Intelligence with Amy Herman
Amy E. Herman is the author of Visual Intelligence and the creator of The Art of Perception course, where she uses works of art to train police officers, medical professions, and everyone else how to be more effective on the...
08.15.2016
0730 | The Power of Now with Max McKeown
Dr. Max McKeown is the author of 7 books, including the new book #Now, as well as The Strategy Book, winner of the Commuter Read at the Chartered Management Institute Book of the Year 2013 and Amazon's Best Business Books...
07.26.2016
0729 | Managing for Happiness with Jurgen Appelo
Jurgen Appelo is a pioneering management consultant who helps creative organizations survive and thrive in the twenty-first century. He is the author of Managing for Happiness, andd the CEO of the global business network Happy Melly. In this interview, we...
07.20.2016
0728 | The Art of Strategic Gifting with John Ruhlin
John Ruhlin is the founder of The Ruhlin Group, a gift logistics company that helps clients like the Chicago Cubs, Wells Fargo, Caesar s Entertainment, Miami Dolphins, Morgan Stanley, and The John Maxwell Company execute year-round gifting strategies. He is...
07.13.2016
0727 | How to Get Momentum When You're Stuck with Jason and Jodi Womack
ason and Jodi Womack are the wife and husband team behind the Get Momentum Leadership Academy, a coaching program designed to help people realize their full potential. They are also the co-authors of the aptly-titled book "Get Momentum." In this...
06.29.2016
0726 | How Happiness Accelerates Success with Emma Seppälä
Emma Seppälä is Science Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University and a leading expert on health psychology, well-being, and resilience. Her research has been featured in the New York Times, ABC News,...
06.21.2016
0725 | How Markets Shape Us with Tim Sullivan
Tim Sullivan is the co-author of The Inner Lives of Markets. He is editorial director of Harvard Business Review Press and has worked at Basic Books, Portfolio, and Princeton University Press, where he helped build one of the most successful...
06.14.2016
0724 | How The Work Place Affects Work with Leigh Stringer
Leigh Stringer is a workplace strategist who blends her master's in architecture with her MBA and a passion for research with practical application. She works for EYP, an architecture, engineering and building technology firm. She is also author of "The...
06.08.2016
0723 | Why Learning Beats Knowing with Liz Wiseman
Liz Wiseman teaches leadership to executives around the world. She is president of The Wiseman Group, a leadership research and development center headquartered in Silicon Valley, California. Her newest book is Rookie Smarts and, in this interview, we discuss why...
06.02.2016
0722 | How to Speak and Change the World with Nancy Duarte
Nancy Duarte is a communication expert and he of Duarte, Inc. Her firm has created more than a quarter of a million presentations for the world’s most influential businesses, institutions, causes, and authors. As a persuasion specialist Nancy developed a...
05.25.2016
0721 | The Truth About The 10,000 Hour Rule with Anders Ericsson
Anders Ericsson is the world's foremost expert on expertise and the author of "Peak: Secrets From The New Science of Expertise." He is a Conradi Eminent Scholar and professor or psychology at Florida State University. His work has been written...
05.20.2016
0720 | What Millennials Want at Work with Bruce Pfau
Bruce N. Pfau is KPMG’s Vice Chair of Human Resources and Communications. He holds a PhD in Psychology from Loyola University of Chicago. He is also co-author of "The Human Capital Edge: 21 People Management Practices Your Company Must Implement...
05.10.2016
0719 | Fixing the Fatal Flaws of Thinking with Matthew E May
Matthew E. May is an award-winning author and noted thought leader on strategy and innovation. A popular speaker, facilitator, and coach, he works with individuals and organizations all over the world. His new book, "Winning the Brain Game," attacks the...

What's Radio Free Leader about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Radio Free Leader episodes:

1000 | A Special Announcement from David Burkus on Radio Free Leader

0827 | How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed with Dan McGinn

0826 | The Hidden Force That Creates the World's Greatest Teams with Sam Walker

0825 | How to Unlock The Power of an Unfocused Mind with Srini Pillay

0824 | How to Find and Work With a Mentor with Claire Diaz-Ortiz

0823 | How to be Known for Something with Andrew Davis

0822 | Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age with Jeff Goins

0821 | How to Kill Email Anxiety, Avoid Distractions, and Get Real Work Done with Jocelyn Glei

0820 | How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter with Liz Wiseman

0819 | How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen Within Organizations with Jim Kouzes

0818 | Finding, Creating, and Using Thresholds to Create Change with David Gray

0817 | Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong with Eric Barker

0816 | The Art and Practice of Breakthrough Thinking with Judah Pollack

0815 | Why Innovation Needs Liberal Arts with Scott Hartley

0814 | Unleash Your Team's Productive Power with Michael Mankins

0813 | Outsmart Yor Instincts with Adam Hansen

0812 | How To Lead In A Crisis with Melissa Agnes

0811 | The Vision Of Art with Erik Wahl

0810 | Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone with Andy Molinsky

0809 | Becoming The Person Others Follow with Joshua Spodek

0808 | The Science of Creating High Performance Companies with Paul Zak

0807 | How Successful Organizations Respond to Customers with Josh Seidan

0806 | How Leaders Succeed By Breaking Down Silos

0805 | Why Creativity Gets Rejected...And How To Accept It with Jennifer Mueller

0804 | How to Create Meaning with Scott Mautz

0803 | How to Create a Culture of Innovation with Soren Kaplan

0802 | How To Lead In Multiple Sectors with Laura Gassner Otting

0801 | How To Work With Millennials with Brad Szollose

0740 | How To Fail Properly with Justin Brady

0739 | How The World Sees You with Sally Hogshead

0738 | Why Should Anyone Work Here with Gareth Jones

0737 | The Disciplined Pursuit Of Less with Greg McKeown

0736 | Innovating The Future with Seth Stone

0735 | How To Focus In A Distracted World with Cal Newport

0734 | How to Bring Innovation to Life with Thomas Wedel-Wedellsborg

0733 | Why Only Is Better Than Best with Srinivas Rao

0732 | Designing A Better Future with Lisa Kay Solomon

0731 | Why Leaders Need Visual Intelligence with Amy Herman

0730 | The Power of Now with Max McKeown

0729 | Managing for Happiness with Jurgen Appelo

0728 | The Art of Strategic Gifting with John Ruhlin

0727 | How to Get Momentum When You're Stuck with Jason and Jodi Womack

0726 | How Happiness Accelerates Success with Emma Seppälä

0725 | How Markets Shape Us with Tim Sullivan

0724 | How The Work Place Affects Work with Leigh Stringer

0723 | Why Learning Beats Knowing with Liz Wiseman

0722 | How to Speak and Change the World with Nancy Duarte

0721 | The Truth About The 10,000 Hour Rule with Anders Ericsson

0720 | What Millennials Want at Work with Bruce Pfau

0719 | Fixing the Fatal Flaws of Thinking with Matthew E May