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 Stephan Meier, a Columbia Business School Professor and expert on behavioral strategist. His recent book, “The Employee Advantage”, explains how companies that put their employees first are more profitable, innovative, and appealing to top talent, and how customer-centric tools can be repurposed to support employees. 

00:00 Welcome to Thought Sparks: The Employee Advantage Unveiled

01:38 What Really Sparked 'The Employee Advantage'? Stephan's Pandemic Revelation

04:08 The ROI of Putting People First: Why Employee-Centric Companies Outperform

08:05 United's Turnaround Secret: How Oscar Munoz Revolutionized a Struggling Airline

09:26 Beyond Cost Centers: Zeynep Ton's Groundbreaking Research on Employee Value

10:28 The Science of Motivation: What Truly Engages People Beyond Compensation

13:00 The Reading Rebellion: How Stephan's Son Revealed a Universal Truth About Motivation

17:06 Netflix for Work Tasks? How AI Matchmaking Creates Perfect Employee Challenges

21:08 Permissionless Organizations: Why Hierarchy Is Becoming Obsolete

23:04 The Great Economic Transformation: From Mass Production to Information Ecosystems

25:04 Movie Crew Capitalism: Why Small Teams Are the New Organizational Building Blocks

28:32 The Career Zigzag Advantage: Why Linear Paths Lead to Dead Ends

33:27 The NASA Janitor Test: Does Everyone in Your Company Know Their True Purpose?

39:47 AI as the Great Democratizer: Augmenting Human Potential Instead of Replacing It

49:15 The Co-Leader Revolution: How AI Creates Superior Leadership Conversations

52:37 What Sports Teams Know That Businesses Don't: AI's Coaching Superpowers

57:05 Tom Friedman's Olympic Athlete Paradox: Training for Unknown Future Skills

59:52 Beyond Theory: Implementing the Employee Advantage in Your Organization

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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