Syd Weighs In

Sydney Finkelstein, a Professor, and Dean for Executive Education at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, is an expert on strategy and leadership. In these podcasts – based on his column at BBC Capital – he shares his views on why leaders do what they do, how they do it, and whether it makes sense for them and for you. Follow on twitter @sydfinkelstein.

Visit the "Syd Weighs In" Podcast Archive in iTunes. Click here

 

Latest Podcasts

• Think Small to Win Big? Why make everything so complicated? If bosses would think more like this, they could have more success. Listen to the podcast
• Is This the Key to Simplifying? Tools meant to simplify our life often don’t. Take back your time in three easy steps. Listen to the podcast

The Fabulous World of Strategy and Change

• The End of Apple As We Know It?  Apple’s stock price has recently taken a hit as the company’s growth appears to be slowing down. What does this mean for Apple, its investors, customers, and employees? Listen to the podcast
• Why Are Cable Companies so Annoying?  Is there any industry as ripe for disruption as the cable (and satellite) business? Well, whether they like it or not, change in coming, fast. Listen to the podcast
• Of Mice and Mobile Men.  The global mobile device industry has got to be one of the toughest to compete in. Witness the failure rate of one-time giants like Motorola, Ericsson, and Blackberry. What can we learn from taking a closer look?
• The Last Durable Industry. We live in an age of disruption, and the sooner we – business leaders and employees alike – realize what is really important to survive and thrive in this world, the better. Listen to the podcast
• What I Learned From Michael Kors.  While styles come and go in the fashion industry, when it comes to running a successful business many companies are struggling with change – digital and otherwise. Here are a few lessons from the trenches that will resonate for any business. Listen to the podcast

So You Think You’re a Good Leader?

• In Praise of Micromanagement.  We’ve all seen managers that can’t effectively delegate, and we don’t like it. But is it possible that micromanagement can help, rather than hurt, how we empower others to get their jobs done? Listen to the podcast
• The Myth of Executive Accountability. Is there anything more important than accountability in how we go about our business, and personal, lives? Yet, is it possible that many people don’t wish to be held accountable for their decisions and actions?
• Meeting Malpractice.  How many times have you sat in a meeting and wondered what you were doing there? Let’s take a look at some of the most egregious offenses, and what you can do to make them go away. Listen to the Podcast
• More Meeting Malpractice. After the first podcast, and the BBC column, on this topic interest spiked. This is one of those issues that won’t go away, because people are living it every day. This second podcast focuses even more on how to make meetings work for you, and your colleagues. Listen to the Podcast
• The One Capability All Leaders Must Have.  Track record? Industry-specific experience and competencies? Interpersonal skills? All critical, but in a world of change and disruption, adaptability and agility is the one thing you can’t live without. Listen to the podcast
• Neanderthals, Social Networks, and Learning Organizations. Have you ever been frustrated by the way information is shared in your organization? So many lost signals, missed opportunities, and outright inefficiency. Why not apply what we know from social networks to getting work done within a business?
• The Third Rail of Management.  Be careful what you wish for. The unintended consequences of the best-laid plans can disrupt any business.
• The Strange Psychology of Expectations. Did you like the last book you read? The answer may depend as much on what others say than your own views. Expectations govern our lives much more than we think, affecting our assessment of quality, managers’ ability to adjust to change, and even how we rate our own success. Listen to the podcast
• Resilience: A Lesson from Sochi. What happens when failure strikes, and everyone knows it? There can be only one response: we get up off the floor and keep going. Resilience is the secret sauce that separates the good from the best. The Winter Olympics at Sochi gave us lots of examples, but the implications for how we behave at work, and even how we behave as parents, are far-reaching, and important. Listen to the Podcast
• Whatever Happened to Curiosity and Courage? What’s wrong with boards of directors? As usual, human nature goes awry on boards, but in ways that are eminently fixable. Listen to the Podcast
• The Tortoise and the Hare. We live in a world where youth is worshiped, in and out of the workplace. Is it possible we’re losing something along the way, maybe even something as fundamental as wisdom? Listen to the Podcast

The Big Story

• Would Einstein Be Locked Up Today?  The world of big data dominates. Witness Google, IBM, and lest we forget, the NSA. In our rush to analytics, are we inadvertently paying a price in creativity and innovation? Listen to the podcast
• Thanks to the Idea Creators and Rule Breakers.  It’s not easy running any business, so when we see leaders that are taking on big challenges, no matter how scary, attention should be paid. Here’s a sampling.
• The Best CEOs of 2013.  In this annual listing, learn who were the best, and why. Hint: innovation, leadership, and growth have a lot to do with who got in. Listen to the podcast
• The Worst CEOs of 2013. Who made the list in 2013? And why? And what can you learn from those CEOs who fumbled and stumbled their way through a very tough year?
• Four Sure Things for 2014. What’s in my crystal ball for 2014? Eschewing advice from many others that it’s never wise to leave a paper trail, here’s what will happen this year. Listen to the podcast
• Why Davos?  The World Economic Forum is an annual event that draws the elite from around the world, but what really happens there? And is it important? Listen to the podcast
• Baristas, Hockey Players, Comedic Actors and Competition. What is competition? What kind of competitor are you? And what kind of competitive mindset really pays off? Listen to the podcast