Positive Leadership Rita McGrath – Seeing Around Corners: Leading Through Uncertainty
13 snips
Oct 15, 2025 In a thought-provoking conversation, Rita McGrath, a strategy and innovation expert from Columbia Business School, shares insights on navigating uncertainty in leadership. She warns against the complacency of success and emphasizes the importance of discovery-driven learning. Rita discusses how small teams and a culture of continuous learning can enhance adaptability, revealing that transient advantage demands constant renewal. With anecdotes from Kodak and Adobe, she illustrates the need for leaders to embrace change and connect strategy with purpose.
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Get Out Where The Work Happens
- Leaders must personally expose themselves to frontline signals and customer interactions.
- Make time for direct conversations and routines that surface what matters across the organization.
Reward The Whole, Not Just Parts
- Align rewards to company-wide outcomes, not just divisional metrics.
- Remove incentives that encourage siloed behavior so units support shared strategic bets.
Encourage Candor And Junior Voices
- Build psychological safety so people surface bad news and alternative views without fear.
- Encourage junior voices first and reward candor to prevent groupthink and hidden risks.
