Radio Free Leader

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 very things they are trying to accomplish. In 1993 He founded XPLANE, the visual thinking company, to help people develop shared understanding, so they can make better, faster decisions, and work better together to create more lasting, sustainable impact. In this interview, we discuss what's blocking many people from making lasting change, and how to overcome it.

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 is syndicated by Time Magazine, The Week, and Business Insider. He has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic Monthly, and the Financial Times. In this interview, we talk about why common sense wisdom about success is soften so wrong, and what is right.

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 what does it mean to be human? In this interview, we dive deep into how your brain thinks, and how to trigger breakthrough thinking.

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 at Google, Facebook, and Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society. Hartley first heard the term "fuzzy" at Stanford, to refer to any liberal arts major at Stanford. In this interview, we discuss his observations that many of the most innovative "techie" firms need liberal arts minds as well.

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 on the strategic and organizational initiatives that drive performance and long-term value. He is the co-author of "Time, Talent, Energy: Overcome Organizational Drag and Unleash Your Team’s Productive Power." In this interview, we discuss how the organization's most precious resources rarely end up on a balance sheet.

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 M&M/Mars, Melaleuca and American Harvest, before joining Ideas To Go in 2001. His path to innovation process started with an MBA in product management from Indiana University. He also cultivated his passion for New Product Development as the VP of Association Development for PDMA, and has also enriched his own practice through training in Innovation Engineering. In this interview, we discuss how our biased hold us back...and how to hold them back in return.

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. In this interview, we discuss how leaders can best respond to a crisis.

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 speakers available today. Erik’s on-stage painting seamlessly becomes a visual metaphor to the core of his message, encouraging organizations toward profitability through innovations and superior levels of performance. His list of clients includes AT&T, Disney, London School of Business, Microsoft, FedEx, Exxon Mobil, Ernst & Young, and XPrize; Erik has even been featured as a TED presenter. The responses received have been nothing short of incredible, with standing ovations to prove it.

Erik’s bestselling business book "Unthink" was hailed by Forbes Magazine as THE blueprint to actionable creativity and by Fast Company Magazine as “Provocative with a Purpose.” His provocative new book, "The Spark & the Grind: Ignite the Power of Disciplined Creativity," shares how you can train yourself to become creative in your business and everyday life.

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 featured in Harvard Business Review, Inc. Magazine, Psychology Today, the Financial Times, the Boston Globe, NPRand Voice of America. Andy was awarded as a Top Voice for LinkedIn for his work in education. In this interview, we discuss if outside your comfort zone is really where the magic happens.

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, and sales at Harvard, Princeton, MIT, INSEAD, the New York Academy of Science, and in private corporations. He holds five Ivy League degrees, including a PhD in Astrophysics and an MBA, and studied under a Nobel Prize winner. In this interview, we discuss how leadership development is a practice, and how to practice being the leader others want to follow.