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October 8, 2025

#48: Rita McGrath | Seeing Around Corners: Leading Through Uncertainty

with Rita McGrath
#48: Rita McGrath | Seeing Around Corners: Leading Through Uncertainty

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On this Episode of Unbound Conversations

Rita McGrath, top global transformation strategist, shares how to spot inflection points, manage risk and futureproof your business in disruption.

Rita McGrath isn’t just a Columbia Business School professor – she’s one of the world’s most influential voices on strategy and innovation. Named by Thinkers50 as a top global business thinker, Rita has shaped how leaders everywhere respond to change and disruption.

In this episode, she sits down with Stephen McDonnell to tackle the critical question: how do you spot the “inflection points” before they blindside your business? From Kodak’s collapse to Amazon’s rise, Rita unpacks the real stories behind why some companies thrive in disruption while others disappear.

This isn’t theory. Rita lays out practical tools leaders can use right now to build resilient teams, manage risk and create cultures that don’t just react to change but stay two steps ahead of it.

Listen to the Episode

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About the Guest

Rita McGrath
Rita McGrath

Rita McGrath is one of the world’s leading experts on strategy and innovation, consistently ranked among the top 10 global management thinkers by Thinkers50, which also named her the #1 strategist. A longtime Columbia Business School professor, she founded Valize, an innovation platform based on her Discovery Driven Growth framework, and leads the Rita McGrath Group. She is the author of five books, including Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen.

Rita works with CEOs and senior teams worldwide to anticipate change, identify inflection points, and build resilient, growth-focused cultures. She is also a frequent keynote speaker and leads Columbia’s executive program Leading Strategic Growth and Change.

Rita regularly contributes to Harvard Business Review and hosts the Thought Sparks podcast and newsletter. She has received awards, including the C. K. Prahalad Award and the Vienna Strategy Forum’s Theory to Practice Award. A graduate of Barnard College, Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, and Wharton, she also co-leads the Silicon Guild, a network of leading business authors and thinkers.

Show Notes

  • Spotting inflection points before they disrupt
  • Lessons from Kodak, Fuji and Amazon
  • Building innovation portfolios that last
  • Leadership and culture as change drivers
  • Practical tools to execute transformation

Resources

Rita McGrath on LinkedIn

Rita McGrath’s Website

Seeing Around Corners – Book

The End of Competitive Advantage – Book

Columbia Business School Executive Education

Minerva University

Alpha School

Drive – Book

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