The Insightful Leader

What’s It Take to Get on a Board, Anyway?

It’s not like applying for a job. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, an expert demystifies the process.

AI Is a Tool. How Do We Want to Use It?

Generative AI is like “a hammer looking for a nail.” On this episode of The Insightful Leader: we have to decide what the nail should be.

Need to Make a Point? Tell a Good Story.

Plus: more leadership advice in this episode of The Insightful Leader’s “Ask Insight” series.

Need Product Inspiration? Meet Your Customer in the Wild.

On this episode of The Insightful Leader: a consumer anthropologist takes us behind the scenes as she interviews a “pet parent.”

Can Complexity Science Help Us Understand Organizations?

On this episode of The Insightful Leader: From climate change to neuroscience, this new approach is reshaping how we study complicated systems.

The Complicated Promise of ESG

On this episode of The Insightful Leader: Are companies as socially responsible as they claim? And how much should investors care?

How Should You Present Yourself at Work?

Be yourself! No, not like that. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we help you navigate the competing advice about how much to share and hold back. Book links:  The Mirrored Door: Break Through the Hidden Barrier that Locks Successful Women in Place. Embrace the Power of You: Owning Your Identity at Work Advertising Strategy Cambridge Handbook of Consumer Psychology Creative Brief Blueprint

Get Inside Your Customer’s Mind

On this episode of The Insightful Leader: how understanding consumer mindsets can help you make the sale.

Podcast: Using AI Comes with a Tradeoff. Now Multiply That by 8 Billion.

On this episode of The Insightful Leader podcast: what happens when everyone uses the same generative AI tools?

Avoiding the Likeability Trap at Work

Plus: insecure employees and a flagging culture. On this episode of The Insightful Leader’s “Ask Insight,” more from our conversation with Professor Harry Kraemer.

You’re the Boss! Now What?

On this episode of The Insightful Leader’s “Ask Insight,” Professor Harry Kraemer discusses how to lead your former peers and build trust with your team.

Insight Unpacked BONUS | Why Canada Goose Soared and Shinola Sputtered

Luxury is dominated by older brands. So what happens when newer entrants try to break through? In the second of two bonus episodes, we show what can go right—and wrong.

Insight Unpacked BONUS | So You Want to Be a Luxury Brand

So opulent! So exclusive! In the first of two bonus episodes, we explore everything that helps brands like Ferrari and Manolo Blahnik scream luxury.

The Case for Admitting (Some) Flaws at Work

On this episode: Why showing vulnerability can actually be a boon for leaders.

Platforms Are Experimenting on Their Users…a Lot. Is That Okay?

On this episode of The Insightful Leader: Opaque algorithms on platforms like LinkedIn, Uber, and TaskRabbit have more power than ever. It’s starting to impact livelihoods.  Please take our quick listener survey: https://kell.gg/survey

How to Prepare for Your New Algorithmic Coworker

For better or worse, generative AI is here to stay. On this episode of The Insightful Leader: What could it mean for you and your team?

How to Discuss Performance Issues

Please take our listener survey: kell.gg/podsurvey On this episode of the Insightful Leader: giving negative feedback is not easy, but such critiques can be meaningful for both parties if you use the right roadmap.

How to Tell Compelling Stories with Data Visualizations [rerun]

On this episode of The Insightful Leader: a blueprint for making strong (and honest) arguments with data.

How to Discuss Politics When You Disagree

Talking politics in this polarized climate is a dicey proposition. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, an expert in the psychology of persuasion offers tips on how to approach the topic constructively.

Is There a Right Way to Monitor Worker Productivity?

In this episode of The Insightful Leader, we consider the benefits and drawbacks of keeping a very close eye on employees.

“It’s Hard to Regulate U.S. Banks!”

Silicon Valley Bank spectacularly collapsed—and a new analysis suggests that its precarious situation is not as much of an outlier as we’d hope. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we learn what went wrong and what should happen next.

Workers Are Stressed Out. Here’s How Leaders Can Help.

On this episode of The Insightful Leader: You can’t always control what happens at work. But reframing setbacks, and instituting some serious calendar discipline, can go a long way toward reducing stress.

How Last Fall’s Climate Bill Is Creating Opportunities for Businesses

With major incentives starting to kick in, here's how the legislation is poised to affect the economy.

How Letting Teams Fail Can Help Them Succeed

It can be tempting for leaders to swoop in to solve problems. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we hear from a U.S. Army colonel about why doing so is a disservice.

What to Expect When Joining a Family-Owned Business

There are cons—but a lot of pros, too. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we’ll explore what it’s like to work at a family business when you’re not a family member.

Does Your Life Reflect What You Value?

Please take our listener survey: kell.gg/podsurvey In this episode of The Insightful Leader, a former CEO explains how to organize your life around what really matters—instead of trying to do it all.

China’s Economy Is in Flux. Here’s What American Businesses Need to Know.

On this episode of The Insightful Leader: the end of “Zero Covid,” escalating geopolitical tensions, and China’s potentially irreplaceable role in the global supply chain.

How to Engage a Disengaged Employee

On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we hear how leaders can work with their “quiet-quitters” and rebuild morale.

What the FTX Meltdown Means for the Future of Crypto

The implosion of the crypto exchange has sent the industry reeling. We dig into what happened and whether cryptocurrency, as a concept, can weather the storm.

Insight Unpacked S1E5 | Is Your Brand Working?

In the fifth and final episode of our series, “Extraordinary Brands and How to Build Them,” we look at how to measure your brand’s health–and what you should do if you don’t like what you learn. Kellogg professors Julie Hennessy, Jennifer Cutler, Jim Lecinski, and Tim Calkins will explain how to use tools like Twitter to understand how customers feel about your brand, and what happened when Old Spice and Lego started to target surprising new audiences. Finally, we’ll learn how Kellogg prof...

Insight Unpacked S1E4 | How Will You Tell Your Brand’s Story?

In episode 4 of our 5-episode series, “Extraordinary Brands and How to Build Them,” professor Mohan Sawhney discusses the importance of transmedia brand storytelling–and how to do it right. Every brand has a story to tell. But consumers only have so much time, energy, and attention. You will need to find a story that cuts through our collective “story fatigue” and find creative ways to deploy it.

Insight Unpacked S1E3 | What Should Your Brand Look (and Sound and Smell) Like?

In episode 3 of our 5-episode series, “Extraordinary Brands and How to Build Them,” we discuss the associations you want customers to make with your brand, and how to use design to make it happen. On this episode, Kellogg professor Bobby Calder looks at how great brands define themselves, how stale brands revitalize themselves, and why you should use all your senses when creating a brand image. Channel your inner artist, because it’s design time! We discuss clever multimedia campaigns and ...

Insight Unpacked S1E2 | What Should You Name Your Brand?

In episode 2 of our 5-episode series, “Extraordinary Brands and How to Build Them,” we dig into the importance of finding the right name for your brand. With apologies to Shakespeare, a rose by any other name wouldn’t smell as sweet. On this episode, Kellogg professors Paul Earle and Tim Calkins offer advice on where you might look for naming inspiration, what great names convey, and when you should go with something fun and funky versus simple and straightforward. Plus: an NFL franchise w...

Insight Unpacked S1E1 | Why Does Your Brand Need to Exist?

In episode 1 of our 5-episode series, “Extraordinary Brands and How to Build Them,” we reveal the key questions you should answer before you start to craft your brand. Because if you can’t articulate your brand’s value to yourself, you won’t stand a chance of convincing customers. On this episode, Kellogg professors Tim Calkins and Alice Tybout discuss brand purpose, point of difference, and the McDonald’s McLean burger. Visit the episode page for supplementary materials.

Ask Insight | How Can Entrepreneurs Develop a Stellar Sales Pitch?

On this episode of The Insightful Leader podcast, two seasoned entrepreneurs share wisdom from the trenches.

Ask Insight | Managing Up, Managing Across, and Retaining Your Best Employees

On this episode of The Insightful Leader podcast: you asked and our faculty answered. We dig into a mailbox of listener questions on leadership and management.

What One School District’s Fiasco Says About the Strengths and Limits of AI

On this episode of The Insightful Leader: When Boston Public Schools looked to algorithms to solve equity issues and save money, it ran into a roadblock—the complicated lives of parents and students.

What People Get Wrong about Setting Goals

In this episode of The Insightful Leader, we hear how leaders can help their teams—and themselves—turn ambitious goals into reality.

Ask Insight | What Should DEI Work Actually Look Like?

On our first episode of Ask Insight, we learn that changing the status quo will take self-reflection and time.

How to Design Incentives That Motivate Employees

On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we learn why it’s not always as simple as handing out a performance bonus.

Cybersecurity, Part 2 | How to Respond to a Breach

Podcast: Cybersecurity, Part 2 | How to Respond to a Breach

In the second episode of our two-part series, former NSA director Mike Rogers discusses what to do if your defensive tactics have failed and your network is exposed.

Cybersecurity, Part 1 | How to Avoid Becoming a Target

In the first episode of our two-part series, former NSA director Mike Rogers shares strategies for protecting your organization from a cyberattack.

PODCAST: How to Lead a Great Virtual Meeting

Zoom doesn't have to be a drag. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we discuss some rules of the road.

How to Lead a Great Virtual Meeting

Are You Promoting the Right People to Management?

On this episode of The Insightful Leader: How to identify leadership talent—and how to advance the careers of employees who aren’t looking to manage others.

How to Lead During Difficult Times

The good news is you may already have the skills you need. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, we’ll learn about doubling down on that expertise to help your team through a crisis.

Why You Need a Working Knowledge of AI

Business leaders can’t rely solely on data scientists to get the job done. Learn more on this episode of The Insightful Leader.

Businesses Can Slow Climate Change. Here's How.

Individual actions won’t be enough to slow global warming. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, learn how companies—and the people who lead them—need to get involved.

The Art of Giving Good Feedback

On this episode of The Insightful Leader: how to talk so that your team (and boss) will listen.