Rita McGrath

Scott's book – out today! – unpacks 11 major disruptions that dramatically changed our lives. It's funny, engaging, and insightful, and I recommend it to anyone looking to decode disruption.

Epic Disruptions: 11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World Epic Disruptions: 11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World [Anthony, Scott D.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Epic Disruptions: 11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World

What do gunpowder, Pampers diapers, the iPhone, and Julia Child's The Art of French Cooking all have in common? They were massive forces of disruption that changed the way we live, all featured in Scott Anthony's new book "Epic Disruptions".

Giorgio Armani Does Things His Way In 2024 I wrote this appreciation for a collection of essays about Giorgio Armani on the occasion of his 90th birthday. Those who have singlehandedly spurred an inflection point in human affairs are a...

I was sad to learn of the passing of fashion icon Giorgio Armani, who defined professional dressing for a generation. In 2024 I wrote an appreciation for an essay collection about him on the occasion of his 90th birthday, which I've reprinted. The man was a genius.

www.linkedin.com/pulse/giorgi...

I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be joining the MIT Sloan Management Review Editorial Advisory Board! It's an honor to offer guidance to SMR on the state of management, and collaborate with my fellow board members to help highlight the best and brightest in research and practice.

#MITSloan

...That mindset mirrors strategic optionality: preparing for multiple futures by identifying no-regret moves and well-defined trigger points for action."

Forbes Councils Member David Jones put it aptly:

"It's not enough to spot these early signals of change. The real challenge is building organizations resilient and responsive enough to act when the moment is right....

Inflection points – which are 10X shifts in what's possible – don't come out of nowhere. Rather, you can spot the early warnings at the edges of an organization that warn of a brewing inflection point.

Strategic Optionality: How Global Leaders Build Resilience By Design The real danger isn't moving too quickly, but committing too early to a single path.

Great piece in Forbes about strategic optionality, citing one of my favorite reminders that "Snow melts from the edges", from my book, Seeing Around Corners.

www.forbes.com/councils/for...

#MS25 #Leadership #Resilience #ManagementSummit #Lisbon #TheAgileThinkers #WorldManagementAgilityForum #Agile #Lean #PurposeDriven #Management

I'll be leading a session with Steve Denning on how autonomous teams, guided by Agile principles, can drive innovation and create customer value.

In a rapidly changing world, how should firms and leaders approach value creation?

We're convening the Management Summit this September 23-24 in Lisbon to explore proven strategies for creating value.

Learn more here: www.managementsummit.org

With cases from the Democratic Party, the Nine Inch Nails, Tesla, and more, we discuss the importance of storytelling and narrative thinking in a time of information overload, shortened attention spans, and persuasion used for powers of good and evil.

YouTube video by Rita McGrath The Strategic Edge of Storytelling with Rita McGrath and Frank Rose

Today's episode of the Thought Sparks Podcast features Frank Rose, a digital anthropologist and senior fellow at the Columbia University School of the Arts.

Watch and listen to Frank's episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCw0...

#ThoughtSparks #ThoughtSparksPodcast #StrategicStorytelling #Persuasion

Our last edition of the course sold out completely, so if you'd like to join us to kick-start your academic year, don't put off registering.

execed.business.columbia.edu/programs/lsg...

#trailblazersplaybook #seeingaroundcorners #womeninbusiness #womeninleadership #executiveeducation

The Trailblazer's Playbook: Practical Tactics to Rise Against the Odds and Achieve Excellence

I've asked her to talk about her new book, "The Trailblazer's Playbook" to give hope to those who think they can't make an impact in these complex, confusing times. Sylvia is living proof that it can be done! You can pre-order the book here: www.amazon.com/Trailblazers....

Here's a scoop - you heard it here first, folks. Sylvia Acevedo, one of my personal leadership icons, rocket scientist, former CEO of the Girl Scouts and much more will be joining our September edition of "Leading Strategic Growth and Change," my Columbia Executive Education course.

One of the best lines ever!

Maybe it's time to understand why, from the 1980s, US productivity went to profits and not to wages. It was the import of cheap consumer goods from China! Will wages have to go up and profits down now? Shouldn't the US specialise in high tech industries and services and pay better?

This company's story is a great example of how to be both stable and ever changing. There's no contradiction there. Being able to do both at the same time is a key element to success.

#Leadership #Management #PayItForward #Gratitude

Armstrong World Industries Targets Stability, Achieves Growth The Pennsylvania-based maker of ceiling tiles and engineering architectural installations for buildings took a multi-year approach to targeting stability and adaptability, making...

Congratulations to Armstrong World Industries for making Industry Week's U.S. 50 Best Manufacturing List. It's an impressive achievement - from a growth perspective and to debut in the #2 spot.

I'm thrilled to learn that CEO Vic Grizzle has found my research helpful in growing the company.

We discuss how Karla broke barriers in a traditionally male-dominated industry, and how innovation efforts are breathing new life into the manufacturing sector.

➡️ Follow the #ThoughtSparksPodcast on your favorite podcast platform: linktr.ee/ritamcgrath

#ThoughtSparks #Manufacturing

YouTube video by Rita McGrath The Future of Manufacturing with Rita McGrath and Karla Trotman

Today's episode of the Thought Sparks Podcast features Karla Trotman, CEO of ElectroSoft, Inc, the largest Black- and woman-owned electronics contract manufacturer in the United States and author of "Dark, Dirty, Dangerous: Building the Vibrant Future of Manufacturing". 💡

youtu.be/zG6j7AjpLjU?...

We discuss her new book Dark, Dirty, Dangerous, where she breaks down the stereotype of manufacturing as low-skill, grimy work and reframes it as a technology-rich, opportunity-laden sector that can both fuel national competitiveness and close the racial wealth gap.

#BlackOwned #ThoughtSparks

My guest on the Thought Sparks Podcast next week is Karla Trotman, CEO of ElectroSoft, Inc, the largest Black- and woman-owned electronics contract manufacturer in the United States.

Tune in for the episode release at 11 am EST on Tuesday, July 1:

linktr.ee/ritamcgrath

#ThoughtSparksPodcast

Thanks to @yetvart.bsky.social for this glowing review of Thought Sparks! Published biweekly on Tuesdays, Thought Sparks tie in new and enduring ideas around innovation and strategy with today’s business trends.

Find Thought Sparks on Substack: thoughtsparks.substack.com

Sharon delivered a keynote on confidence for Columbia Women in Business's Women's History Month programming, and she and I hosted a live discussion afterwards. Today's episode features that discussion and questions of how to build confidence for personal and professional growth.

YouTube video by Rita McGrath Unlocking Confidence with Rita McGrath and Sharon Price John

Live from New York...it's a special edition of the Thought Sparks Podcast featuring Sharon Price John, Build-A-Bear Workshop CEO!

Tune into "Thought Sparks Live" here: youtu.be/IjygirZBgcs?...

#ThoughtSparks #ThoughtSparksPodcast #leadership #womeninleadership #womeninbusiness #strategy

These new tariffs signal not a short-term disruption, but a structural shift in globalization.

- Ultra-low-cost fast fashion models like #Shein, #TikTokShop, #Temu, #AliExpress and more are finding that tariffs can significantly disrupt their business by eroding razor-thin margins and forcing price hikes that undermine their competitive edge.

- Brands at both ends of the fashion spectrum must now rethink their strategies for sourcing, pricing, and long-term competitiveness.