What Great CEOs Do Differently Today | Rich Lesser (Global Chair, BCG)​

Richard Lesser reflects on leading BCG through a decade of disruption that saw the firm triple revenues while expanding into digital, advanced analytics and AI.​

He shares why CEOs must balance short-term earnings with long-term vitality, why engagement with governments has shifted from optional to essential, and why complacency is the real threat in an era defined by generative AI, geopolitical tension and declining institutional trust. For Rich, the defining leadership advantage was not prior expertise, but the capacity to learn faster than the world was changing.​

In this episode, Rich also discusses:​

1. How BCG invested early in digital and AI before the generative AI inflection point​
2. The firm’s expansion into climate and sustainability advisory​
3. The rapid scaling of private capital into a multibillion-dollar platform​
4. What the Edelman Trust Barometer signals for CEOs​
5. Whether consulting remains relevant in the age of AI

Chapter Markers:

00:00:00 – The Leadership Lesson He Didn’t See Coming​

00:00:50 – Richard Lesser’s 40-Year BCG Journey​

00:01:57 – Leading in an Age of Disruption: What’s Changed​

00:03:03 – Balancing Short-Term Performance and Long-Term Vitality​

00:04:13 – Why CEOs Must Become Learners, Not Just Experts​

00:05:00 – The CEO as Statesman: Trust, Government and Polarisation​

00:07:26 – Scaling BCG: Digital, AI and Strategic Inflection Points​

00:09:32 – Climate, Sustainability and Private Capital Expansion​

00:11:26 – Stepping Into the CEO Role: Responsibility and TeamBuilding​

00:14:27 – Building Trust Through Authentic Leadership​

00:16:56 – AI, Generative Tools and the Future of Consulting​

00:21:15 – Energy, Sleep and Self-Awareness at the Top​

00:26:21 – Three Career Lessons for the Next Generation