One of the nice things about being a very senior executive with a multinational company is that the job comes with perks. Sometimes, however, these perks can have the unintended effect of isolating key decision-makers… Read more »
Thought Sparks
Thought Sparks, the brainchild of Rita McGrath, are insightful actions, strategic ideas, actionable suggestions and innovative approaches that help organizations and leaders master the future with less fear and more confidence. New episodes of the Thought Sparks Podcast are released every other Tuesday at 11am Eastern. Prior to 2025, episodes of the Thought Sparks Podcast were known as Fireside Chats.
HBR Brief—Key ideas from the article by Rita Gunther McGrath and Ian C. MacMillan
Excerpt from HBR Brief: “You are weighing a major strategic venture–a first-time alliance, a new market, an innovative product. Beware: business history is littered with stories about smart companies that hemorrhaged multiple millions from ventures… Read more »
HBR Brief—Key ideas from the article by Rita Gunther McGrath and Ian C. MacMillan
Excerpt from HBR Brief: “You are weighing a major strategic venture–a first-time alliance, a new market, an innovative product. Beware: business history is littered with stories about smart companies that hemorrhaged multiple millions from ventures… Read more »
Entrepreneurial Mindset: Recommended Reading in WSJ Article
In an article entitled Recommended Reading: Managing IT for Nontechies, Therese Flaherty, professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Wharton Small Business Development Center in Philadelphia, recommends Entrepreneural… Read more »
Consumption Chain – customers value a complete experience, but companies organize otherwise
A short recent piece in Fast Company highlights a point that I make over and over again in our executive programs and with clients: customers value a complete experience, while companies organize themselves by a… Read more »
Critical Success Factors for Corporate Ventures
This week, I’m directing the Columbia Business School Executive Education course Leading Strategic Growth and Change. The course is designed to help companies learn to better manage opportunities for growth through innovation, new product development… Read more »
Rita McGrath quoted in Business Review, November 2007
In a Business Review article entitled The Training Chain, Rita McGrath is cited: It might be tempting to shun the cost and uncertainty of outsourcing your training and go completely in-house, McGrath says, but unless… Read more »
Making passengers smile at Zurich International Airport – the power of small differentiators
Here I am in Switzerland, working with one of Columbia’s best clients, Swiss Reinsurance. We run a program called “Creating Breakthrough Strategies” for their most senior executives, and it’s always a highlight. I was struck… Read more »
Columbia Business School offers one of the best “spare time” B Schools in Business Week
Business Week has just published its highly influential rankings of executive MBA and Executive Education programs, and I’m pleased and proud to note that Columbia has not only done well, but improved its position considerably… Read more »
Can Entrepreneurship be Taught?
Rita McGrath was interviewed for the Career Press 2007 book Entrepreneurial Excellence: Profit From the Best Ideas of the Experts by its author Richard Goossen, Canadian professor and entrepreneur. Goossen is quoted at Business Week,… Read more »
Ten Telltale Signs of a Flawed Venturing Process
Rita McGrath and Thomas Keil, professor of strategic management at Helsinki University of Technology, recently published The Value Captor’s Process: Getting the Most out of Your New Business Ventures at the Harvard Business Review.
Rita McGrath quoted in Advertising Age
In a recent issue of Advertising Age entitled What to Do When Personal Style Impedes Success, Rita McGrath is quoted: “People who are successful get feedback from everyone, even from taxi drivers,” said Rita Gunther… Read more »