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Rita Gunther McGrath02

 

What this episode is about and why you should care

I’m very excited to share this week’s episode of The Future of Work podcast. I interview Rita McGrath, Professor at Columbia Business School, author, speaker and consultant. Rita has been featured in many business publications and is quoted frequently by the press. Her most recent book is “The End of Competitive Advantage – How to Keep Your Strategy Moving as Fast as Your Business.” I believe this podcast will prove to be a very good overview for people that are interested in management and innovation, and how they are evolving and changing. Rita is on the front line of these events because she not only teaches on this, but she works with a lot of organizations. We talk about venture capital and funding in the Bay Area and what is going on with what I like to call “Pinocchio’s Island,” and how innovation is changing. We look at the competitive advantage, which is particularly fascinating because it is something that has been and is still taught in many of our schools. And, it comes up time and again in conversations around management and leadership. Rita has a completely counter-intuitive approach, which is that competitive advantage is actually… dead. She introduces several new concepts and methods for organizations to sustain their strategy, and to scale and sustain innovation. Different aspects of the future of work also are explored including the freelancer economy and more. We wrap up with Rita sharing her advice to organizations— and individuals as well — who are looking to adapt to the changes that we are seeing. Tune in and don’t miss this Future of Work podcast!

What you will learn in this episode

  • Rita McGrath’s background and current focus
  • What is corporate entrepreneurship; the distinction between short-term and long-term innovation
  • What is the competitive advantage and why is it over
  • Access to assets vs. ownership of assets: how funding platforms and the freelance economy are changing the landscape
  • The freelance economy and its impact on the traditional idea of employment
  • Why stability can be dangerous
  • What is discovery-driven planning and how has it evolved
  • A closer look at startups and network effects
  • What is competing in an industry vs. competing in an arena; the transient advantage vs. the competitive advantage
  • What is healthy disengagement and McGrath’s approach to managing resources
  • Where to start – McGrath’s insights for organizations
  • McGrath advice to organizations and individuals

Links from the episode

 

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