Radio Free Leader
182 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 6 years ago - ★★★★★ - 48 ratingsRadio 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.
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Episodes
0718 | Leading in the Social Age with Mark Babbitt
May 03, 2016 14:21 - 24 minutes - 18 MBMark Babbitt is President of SwitchandShift.com, a site and consultancy dedicated to leadership in the Social Age. He is co-author of "A World Gone Social." In this interview, we talk about how the world, and the world of work, has changed and how leaders have to adapt to survive.
0717 | The Journey of Exceptional Leaders with Ron Carucci
April 26, 2016 01:22 - 29 minutes - 21.8 MBRon Carucci is a principal at Navalent, an organizational consulting and leadership consulting firm, and former Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior. He is co-author (with Eric Hansen) of "Rising to Power." In this interview, we break down Ron's 10 year study of the career paths of executives and discover the patterns in the journey of exceptional leaders.
0716 | The Market Value of Leaders with Dave Ulrich
April 19, 2016 15:10 - 27 minutes - 20.4 MBDave Ulrich is the Rensis Likert Collegiate Professor of Business Administration at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and a partner at the RBL Group consulting firm. He is the author the new book "The Leadership Capital Index," which proposes a Moody's or Standard and Poor's type rating for leadership. In this interview, we talk about the difference leaders make and how they create measurable value for all stakeholders.
0715 | When to Compete and When to Cooperate with Maurice Schweitzer
April 12, 2016 15:18 - 28 minutes - 21 MBMaurice Schweitzer is the Cecilia Yen Koo Professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his Ph.D. from the Wharton School. He is co-auhor, with Adam Galinksy, or the new book Friend & Foe. Combined, Galinsky and Schweitzer have published over 250 scientific articles and chapters in the fields of management, psychology, and economics. Their work has been cited in The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The New Yorker, Na...
0714 | How Superbosses Master The Flow Of Talent with Sydney Finkelstein
April 06, 2016 11:44 - 28 minutes - 21.5 MBSydney Finkelstein is the Steven Roth Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and the director of Tuck’s Center for Leadership. He is consistently voted one of the top thinkers in management by Thinkers50. In this episode, we discuss what he calls "SuperBossess" (also the title of his new book), and the role that exceptional managers play in personal and organizational success.
0713 | How Tiny Clues Yield Huge Insights with Martin Lindstrom
March 30, 2016 17:19 - 27 minutes - 20.6 MBMartin Lindstrom is the bestselling author of "Buyology" and one of the world's foremost marketing consulting. His new book, "Small Data," argues that it's the tiny clues (not the big data conclusions) that yield breakthrough insights. In this interview, we discuss small data, how a boyhood Martin once got sued by LEGO, and why he spends most nights sleeping in other people's homes.
0712 | How to Build a High Performing Culture
March 22, 2016 20:14 - 33 minutes - 25.6 MBNeed Doshi and Lindsay McGregor are partners in life, work, and writing. The are the founders of the consulting firm Vega Factor and authors of "Primed to Perform." In this interview, we dive deep into culture, systems, and motivation. We define TOMO and outline how the science of motivation can help build high performing cultures.
0711 | The World of Work with Michael Bungay Stainer
March 16, 2016 16:16 - 47 minutes - 37 MBMichael Bungay Stanier is the author of The Coaching Habit, whose new book touches on similar themes as my new release, Under New Management. So in this special joint venture episode, Michael and I discuss the future of work, the changes that are coming, and why managers need to get better at coaching their people in order to survive the shift.
0710 | Writing the Org Chart in Pencil with Liann Eden
March 09, 2016 16:46 - 29 minutes - 23.1 MBLiann Eden is the co-founder of Eden McCallum, a consultant firm with no consultants. Using an innovative organizational design, Eden is able to bring the brightest consultants to client projects by forming bespoke teams. In this interview, we talk about how the model developed and why writing the org chart in pencil is the way of the future.
0709 | The Power of Transparency with Dane Atkinson
March 01, 2016 19:17 - 29 minutes - 23 MBDane Atkinson is the founder and CEO of SumAll, a company that made headlines for committing to salary transparency and sharing with employees what every other employee gets paid. In this interview, Dane and I discuss the downsides of secrecy and the surprising upside of pay transparency.
0708 | Leading Team Genius with Tim Sanders
February 23, 2016 20:42 - 31 minutes - 23.6 MBTim Sanders is the former Yahoo! Chief Solutions Officer and the author of four books, including the new book "Dealstorming." He is a co-founder of the research consultancy Deeper Media, Inc. and a top-rated speaker, lecturing widely at sales rallies, company kickoffs, and conventions. In this interview, we discuss why sales is everyone's business, how to prepare for meetings, and how to lead team's to genius solutions.
0707 | The Power of Reciprocal Loyalty with Daniel Korschun
February 16, 2016 18:36 - 30 minutes - 23.8 MBDaniel Korschun is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business and the author of "We Are Market Basket." In this interview, we discuss how the uniqueness of a business was due to the unique leadership of Arthur T. Demoulas and how reciprocal loyalty made for a successful business and a revolutionary act of followership.
0706 | How Transformation Works with Roger Martin & Sally Osberg
February 09, 2016 18:34 - 35 minutes - 58.3 MBStrategy guru Roger L. Martin and Skoll Foundation President and CEO Sally R. Osberg are co-authors of "Getting Beyond Better: How Social Entrepreneurship Works." In this interview, they describe how social entrepreneurs target systems that exist in a stable but unjust equilibrium and transform them into entirely new, superior, and sustainable equilibria. All of these leaders—call them disrupters, visionaries, or changemakers—develop, build, and scale their solutions in ways that bring about ...
0705 | Creating an Environment That Energizes Everyone with Shawn Murphy
February 02, 2016 15:46 - 27 minutes - 47.4 MBShawn Murphy is CEO and founder of Switch & Shift, an organization dedicated to the advancement of human-centered organizational practices and leadership. He is the author of The Optimistic Workplace. In this interview, Shawn and I discuss why our best work is the product of a positive environment and how to build that environment.
0704 | Correcting Leadership BS with Jeffrey Pfeffer
January 26, 2016 16:43 - 25 minutes - 45.9 MBJeffrey Pfeffer is the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, where he has taught since 1979. In this interview, we take a hard-hitting dissection of the leadership industry and ways to make workplaces and careers work better.
0703 | Becoming An Authentic Leader with Bill George
January 19, 2016 15:24 - 23 minutes - 41.8 MBBill George is professor of management practice at Harvard Business School, where he has taught leadership since 2004. Mr. George is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Medtronic. He is the author of the new book, Discover Your True North, an updated version of his bestseller True North. In this interview, we discuss how to become an authentic leader.
0702 | Energizing Your Work and Life with Tom Rath
January 12, 2016 21:45 - 28 minutes - 47.9 MBTom Rath is a researcher, author, and filmmaker who studies the role of human behavior in business, health, and well-being. He has been described by business leaders and the media as one of the greatest thinkers and nonfiction writers of his generation. Tom’s most recent work includes the bestselling book Are You Fully Charged? and the documentary Fully Charged. In this interview, we discuss the key elements of energizing one’s work and life.
0701 | Career Advice for Leaders with Daniel Pink
January 04, 2016 15:27 - 39 minutes - 71.2 MBDaniel H. Pink is the author of five provocative books — including three long-running New York Times bestsellers, A Whole New Mind, Drive, and To Sell is Human. Dan’s books have been translated into 34 languages and have sold more than 2 million copies worldwide. In this interview, I catch up with what Dan is working on now, and get some counterintuitive career advice.
0700 | David Burkus
December 24, 2015 16:35 - 2 minutes - 5.23 MBA new year's announcement from David Burkus, host of LDRLB....or...wait....host of Radio Free Leader.
0625 | Whitney Johnson
December 15, 2015 18:53 - 23 minutes - 43.8 MBWhitney Johnson is the leading thinker on driving corporate innovation through personal disruption. She cofounded Rose Park Advisors, a boutique investment firm, with Clayton Christensen, and was an Institutional Investor-ranked analyst for eight consecutive years, including at Merrill Lynch. She is the author of Disrupt Yourself: Putting the Power of Disruptive Innovation to Work. In this interview, we describe how to upend your career and move into the leadership role you've always wanted.
0624 | Aaron Olson & BK Simerson
December 01, 2015 16:02 - 22 minutes - 40.9 MBAaron Olson and BK Simerson are the authors of Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results. In this interview, we discuss why leadership and strategy are mistakingly treated as separate topics and how effective leaders drive strategic change.
0623 | Fred Kiel
November 17, 2015 15:09 - 19 minutes - 33.3 MBFred Kiel is the author of "Return on Character." He is is a founding partner of the leadership development and strategic analytics firm KRW International and a pioneer in the field of executive coaching. In this interview, we discuss his recent research showing how the character of corporate leaders can make a tangible difference to the bottom line.
0622 | Mike Figliuolo
October 27, 2015 14:56 - 19 minutes - 34.8 MBMike Figliuolo is the Founder and Managing Director of thoughtLEADERS, LLC - a leadership development and training firm. He's also the author of "Lead Inside the Box" and "One Piece of Paper." Mike graduated as an Honor Graduate from West Point and served in the US Army. He was a consultant with McKinsey & Co. and also had several executive roles at Capital One Financial and Scotts Miracle-Gro. In this interview, we discuss how smart leaders guide their teams to exceptional results.
0621 | Josh Davis
October 13, 2015 14:17 - 23 minutes - 42 MBJosh Davis, Ph.D., is the director of research and lead professor at the NeuroLeadership Institute, a global institute dedicated to synthesizing scientific research and guiding its use in the business and leadership domains. He has taught at Columbia University, New York University, and Barnard College of Columbia University. He is the author of "Two Awesome Hours: Science-Based Strategies to Harness Your Best Time and Get Your Most Important Work Done." In this interview, we discuss why work...
0620 | Susan Fowler
September 28, 2015 11:45 - 29 minutes - 53.9 MBSusan Fowler is the author of "Why Motivating People Doesn't Work...And What Does." She is the lead developer of The Ken Blanchard Company's Optimal Motivation program, which has been implemented worldwide. In this interview, we discuss strategies for optimal motivation and what Maslow’s hierarchy won’t tell you about motivation.
0619 | Jean-Philippe Vergne
September 14, 2015 16:29 - 25 minutes - 45.6 MBJean-Philippe Vergne is the author of "The Pirate Organization." He is an assistant professor of strategy at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. His ongoing research on the global arms industry received the inaugural Grigor McClelland Doctoral Dissertation Award in 2011. In this interview, we discuss how pirates and misfits preserve the spirit of capitalism.
0618 | Ryan T Hartwig
September 01, 2015 20:51 - 18 minutes - 33.8 MBRyan Hartwig is Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies at Asuza Pacific University, where he teaches courses on Group Communication and Leadership. He is co-author of "Teams That Thrive." In this interview, we discuss the myth of meaningful work, its leadership implications, and Ryan's recent TEDx talk on the subject.
0617 | Todd Henry
August 18, 2015 20:57 - 25 minutes - 47 MBTodd Henry is the founder of Accidental Creative, a company that helps creative people and teams be prolific, brilliant and healthy. He regularly speaks and consults with companies about how to develop practices that lead to everyday brilliance. His new book, Louder Than Words, outlines the role of a authentic voice as an individual and a leader.
0616 | Donald Sull & Kathleen Eisenhardt
August 04, 2015 14:12 - 17 minutes - 31.1 MBDonald Sull is a global expert on strategy and execution in turbulent markets. He is a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Kathleen Eisenhardt is the S. W. Ascherman Professor of Strategy at Stanford, a highly cited author, and the co-director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. The are the authors of the new book "Simple Rules: How to Thrive in a Complex World." In this interview, we talk about the complexity that surrounds all of us, and how by developing a few s...
0615 | Lee Cockerell
July 20, 2015 13:43 - 24 minutes - 46.2 MBLee Cockerell is the former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World Resort. As the Senior Operating Executive for ten years Lee led a team of 40,000 Cast Members and was responsible for the operations of 20 resort hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, a shopping and entertainment village, and the ESPN sports and recreation complex. In this interview, we discuss how Lee created and led Disney magic and how you can too, no matter who you work for.
0614 | Heidi Grant Halvorson
July 06, 2015 14:13 - 27 minutes - 49.5 MBHeidi Grant Halvorson is a social psychologist and Associate Director of the Motivation Science Center at Columbia Business School. She is the author of four bestselling books, including "Nine Things Successful People Do Differently" and her new book No One Understands You and What To Do About It." In this interview, we discuss the cognitive biases that make authentic interactions so difficult...and what to do about it.
0613 | Dan Ariely
June 22, 2015 14:05 - 21 minutes - 41.4 MBDan Ariely is a behavioral economist and triple New York Times bestselling author. His most recent projects include Timeful, a calendar app aimed at using behavioral science to maximize productivity, a documentary on dishonesty, and Irrationally Yours, a compilation of essays on applying behavioral economics to every day life. In this interview, we discuss how to better bridge the gap between social science and everyday practice.
0612 | Nilofer Merchant
June 08, 2015 13:45 - 31 minutes - 60.1 MBNilofer Merchant is the Jane Bond of Innovation. From working with Steve Jobs at Apple, to defeating Microsoft in an epic industry battle, to advising the C-Suites of GE, IBM, Logitech and more, Merchant brings a world-class pedigree to her work. You’ve probably seen her byline and ideas in publications like the Harvard Business Review, Wired, and Oprah. A TED speaker, she shares the stage with luminaries regularly, including Malcolm Gladwell, and Bono (yes, THAT Bono). In this interview, we ...
0611 | Michael Lee Stallard
May 25, 2015 15:18 - 19 minutes - 36.2 MBMichael Lee Stallard is the author of "Connection Culture: The Competitive Advantage of Shared Identity, Empathy, and Understanding at Work." He is co-founder and president of E Pluribus Partners and a respected and recognized expert on the human connection aspects of leadership and culture. He speaks, teaches, coaches and consults for clients including General Electric, Google, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, NASA, Texas Christian University, U.S. Department of Treasury and Yale New Haven Healt...
0610 | Tom Rath
May 11, 2015 14:00 - 28 minutes - 50.4 MBTom Rath is the author of several best-selling books, including Strengths Finder 2.0, Strengths-Based Leadership and Eat Move Sleep. His latest book, Are You Fully Charged?, focuses on the small actions that make a big difference in everyday effectiveness in life and work. In this interview, we talk about The 3 keys to energizing your work and life
0609 | Dorie Clark
April 27, 2015 14:04 - 21 minutes - 41.4 MBDorie Clark is the author of "Reinventing You" and "Stand Out." A former presidential campaign spokeswoman, she is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Entrepreneur, and the World Economic Forum blog. Clark is a marketing strategy consultant and speaker for clients including Google, Microsoft, Yale University, Fidelity, and the World Bank. She is an Adjunct Professor of Business Administration at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a Visiting Professor...
0608 | Chris White
April 13, 2015 13:56 - 20 minutes - 35.8 MBChristopher J. White is Managing Director of the Center for Positive Organizations and adjunct faculty in Management & Organizations at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He is the author (with Gerald Davis) of "Changing Your Company From the Inside Out." In this interview, we talk about how to make even large, established companies a force for good through social intrapreneurship.
0607 | Ray Fisman & Tim Sullivan
March 31, 2015 01:14 - 29 minutes - 53.2 MBRay Fisman and Tim Sullivan are the authors of newly updated and paperback edition of "The Org: The Underlying Logic of the Office." Fisman is the Lambert Family Professor of Social Enterprise at Columbia Business School. Tim Sullivan is the editorial director of Harvard Business Review Press. In this interview, we discuss why even illogical seeming organizational practices have purpose and how to renovate an organization without tearing the whole thing down.
0606 | Herminia Ibarra
March 16, 2015 17:00 - 19 minutes - 35.8 MBHerminia Ibarra is an expert on professional and leadership development. She is the Cora Chaired Professor of Leadership and Learning at INSEAD, the founding director of The Leadership Transition executive education program at INSEAD. She is the author of "Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader." In this interview, we discuss how managers and executives at all levels can step up to leadership by making small but crucial changes in their jobs, their networks, and themselves.
0605 | L. David Marquet
March 02, 2015 16:52 - 25 minutes - 45.3 MBL. David Marquet is the author of Turn The Ship Around and the new workbook Turn YOUR Ship Around. He is a former submarine captain in the US Navy and sought-after leadership authority. In this interview, we discuss how to turn followers into leaders.
0604 | John Richard Bell
February 16, 2015 20:17 - 20 minutes - 37.9 MBJohn Richard Bell is a retired CEO, a strategy consultant, and author of "Do Less Better." In this interview, we discuss the power of strategic sacrifice in complex world.
0603 | Ron Friedman
February 02, 2015 22:25 - 19 minutes - 37.5 MBRon Friedman, Ph.D. is an award-winning psychologist and founder of ignite80, a consulting firm that helps smart leaders build extraordinary workplaces. He is the author of The Best Place to Work. In this interview, we discuss the science behind creating an extraordinary workplace.
0602 | Edward Hess
January 19, 2015 16:10 - 26 minutes - 44.1 MBEd Hess is the author of "Learn or Die" and a host of other great books. He is professor of business administration and Batten Executive-in-Residence at the Darden Graduate School of Business. His current research focuses on innovation systems and organizational learning cultures, behaviors, and processes. In this interview, we talk about who to use science to build a leading-edge learning organization.
0601 | Joshua Wolf Shenk
January 05, 2015 22:17 - 26 minutes - 49.7 MBJoshua Wolf Shenk is a curator, essayist, and author, most recently, of "Powers of Two." His magazine pieces include cover stories in Harper’s, Time, and The Atlantic, where his essay "What Makes Us Happy?" was the most read article in the history of that magazine’s website. In this interview, we discuss how the essence of innovation starts in creative pairs, not solo work.
0526 | Max McKeown
December 22, 2014 23:27 - 19 minutes - 34.2 MBMax McKeown is the author of "The Innovation Book." Max holds a PhD and MBA with a speciality in strategic change and an MSc in Psychology. He teaches at Warwick Business School and consults with companies such as Phillips, Langham Hotels, Oracle, PWC, Microsoft, and Virgin. In this interview, we discuss how to manage ideas and execution for outstanding results.
0525 | Chris Taylor
December 08, 2014 17:23 - 24 minutes - 46.8 MBChris Taylor is the founder of actionablebooks.com, a training and development company that spreads actionable insights from business books in the form of summaries and workshops. In this interview, we discuss the role of culture in leading virtual teams.
0524 | Warren Berger
November 23, 2014 22:20 - 25 minutes - 48.5 MBWarren Berger is the author of "A More Beautiful Question." He is a journalist and book author who has spent his career profiling a wide range of highly creative people and companies, sharing best practices and innovation secrets with readers. In this interview, we discuss the power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas
0523 | S. Chris Edmonds
November 10, 2014 12:22 - 18 minutes - 35.2 MBS. Chris Edmonds is the author of "The Culture Engine." He is a S. Chris Edmonds is a sought-after speaker, thought leader, and executive consultant. Chris has been a senior consultant with the Ken Blanchard Companies since 1995. In this interview, we talk about how to use culture to drive results, inspire people, and transform your workplace.
0522 | Tanveer Naseer
October 27, 2014 16:22 - 30 minutes - 55.8 MBTanveer Naseer is the co-author of "Leadership Vertigo." He is also the Principal and Founder of Tanveer Naseer Leadership, a leadership coaching firm that works with executives and managers to help them develop practical leadership and team-building competencies to guide organizational growth and development. In this interview, we discuss why even the best leaders go off course and how they can get back on track.
0521 | Scott Eblin
October 13, 2014 15:26 - 21 minutes - 32.1 MBScott Eblin is the the author of "Overworked and Overwhelmed: The Mindfulness Alternative," and founder of the Eblin Group, a professional development firm committed to helping executives and managers improve their leadership presence by being fully present. In this interview, we talk about the growing number of overwhelmed leaders and how mindfulness and purpose contribute to better leadership and better lives.