The McKinsey Podcast

Active users of generative AI are high value and in demand—and in many cases, poised to quit. New research reveals how to attract them, keep them engaged, and motivate them to stay put. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey talent leaders Aaron De Smet and Brooke Weddle talk to global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about what these workers want most, as well as practical steps leaders can take to keep them happy and engaged.

In our second segment, McKinsey partner Julia McClatchy discusses why CEOs must be their company’s chief storyteller. This is the start of a new series we’re calling CEO Insights,
featuring short, sharp tips about the evolving role of CEOs.

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Decarbonization has emerged as a critical tool in the fight against climate change, but it also shows promise as a means of economic acceleration across the globe. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partner Mark Patel joins editorial director Roberta Fusaro to discuss McKinsey’s recent report about the business of carbon dioxide removal and how it could play a vital role in responding to hard-to-abate emissions in various sectors.

In our second segment, Black Americans are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. McKinsey partner Munya Muvezwa shares concrete steps leaders can take to help prevent the deterioration of the lives and livelihoods of Black Americans and the US economy at large.  

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Over the past several years, CEOs have faced mounting uncertainty–and 2024 is proving no exception. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast,Homayoun Hatami, McKinsey's managing partner for client capabilities, and Liz Hilton Segel, McKinsey's chief client officer, speak with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about what matters most, amid serial crisis and disruption, and where leaders should focus their energies to enable their organizations to thrive. 

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Women’s healthcare has been neglected for decades. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partners Kweilin Ellingrud and Lucy Pérez join editorial director Roberta Fusaro to discuss McKinsey’s recent report about issues in women’s healthcare and what can be done to address them and potentially boost the global economy by $1 trillion a year.

In our second segment--what do you do when you realize you’re losing your audience during a presentation? McKinsey senior partner Sherina Ebrahim explains why sometimes you have to go off script.

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CEOs acknowledge the expertise and importance of chief marketing officers and their role in helping the company grow, yet there’s still a strategic disconnect in the C-suite. CEOs and chief marketing officers (CMOs) must work together closely for any marketing plan to flourish. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey partner Robert Tas joins editorial director Roberta Fusaro to discuss how to nurture the CEO–CMO relationship.

Our second segment features an excerpt from our Author Talks series, with author Karin M. Reed. She wrote Suddenly Virtual: Making Remote Meetings Work (Wiley, March 2021) and shares tips on how to create the perfect virtual meeting.

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This is a special, bonus episode of The McKinsey Podcast. McKinsey Partner Ferry Grijpink joins host Roberta Fusaro from the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

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Confidante. Consultant. Convener.The chief of staff (COS) role sits at the intersection of leadership and support. It also comes with enormous responsibility, opportunity, and influence. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partner Andrew Goodman joins editorial director Roberta Fusaro to discuss the highs and lows of this consequential job—and how to do it right.

After, meeting with CEOs felt daunting when McKinsey senior partner Carolyn Dewar started her consultancy career until she realized: CEOs are people, too.

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There is a dramatic difference in health, economic, and social outcomes for Black US residents compared with their White neighbors. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, JP Julien, a McKinsey partner and leader in the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility, joins editorial director Roberta Fusaro to discuss McKinsey’s recently published report on the state of Black residents, which outlines the realities for Black residents in four geographic categories—the urban core, the suburbs and exurbs, the mixed middle, and low growth and rural areas—and what can be done now to ameliorate the racial disparity found in these locations."

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Geopolitics, the women's health gap, economic inclusion, and technology are a few of the themes highlighted at last week's World Economic Forum in Davos. Hear McKinsey senior partners Tracy Francis and Sven Smit share their analysis of the most significant takeaways from Davos in this special, bonus episode with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly.

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For years, women have been fighting for faster career advancement and more equitable representation at work. On this week’s episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partners Alexis Krivkovich and Lareina Yee talk with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about the 2023 Women in the Workplace report—and specifically, our newest research on where progress is happening, where it’s not, and what leaders need to do differently to accelerate the pace of change.

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Though the banking industry has had its best period since 2007, banks still need to acknowledge recent structural and macroeconomic shifts and look for ways to evolve with markets. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partner Alex Edlich and partner Reinhard Höll join editorial director Roberta Fusaro to discuss the findings of McKinsey’s Global Banking Annual Review. They outline the new challenges banks are facing and suggest how leaders can address those challenges.

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What is a geek? What geek norms are associated with success?  Andrew McAfee will answer these questions and more. He’s a principal research scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management and author of the new book, The Geek Way: The Radical Mindset that Drives Extraordinary Results.This is a guest episode from McKinsey’s Forward Thinking podcast, with co-host and McKinsey partner Michael Chui.

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Across the United States, consumers are continuing to spend, but they’re not opening their wallets too wide. Joining us are McKinsey partners Colleen Baum and Tamara Charm who say retailers that offer personalized promotions, same-day delivery, and “buy now, pay later” plans are more likely to capture cautious consumers’ holiday spending. Learn more about US consumers’ holiday shopping behaviors and expectations on this guest episode of the McKinsey on Consumer and Retail podcast, hosted by Monica Toriello. 

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We’ve all heard lots about cloud technology, but, according to new McKinsey research, only 20 to 30 percent of industries are using it regularly and at scale. On today’s episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partners Mark Gu and James Kaplan share findings from the report, “In search of cloud value: Can generative AI transform cloud ROI?” They talk about why cloud technology is essential in business, what’s holding companies back from getting the most value from their cloud programs, and the steps they can take to improve their cloud capabilities. But first—did you realize that six words are fundamental to your company’s success? Scott Keller, McKinsey senior partner and author of CEO Excellence, tells us more.

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If productivity is down in your organization, it may be a sign that at least some employees are unmotivated and unhappy—and that other employees are feeding on that dissatisfaction, further eroding productivity and creating attrition. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partner Aaron De Smet and partner Angelika Reich talk about McKinsey’s latest research on employee productivity and their perspectives on a few types of workers, ranging from those who bring fellow employees down to those who raise them up.

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Hybrid work has roiled the real estate market—and it’s here to stay, according to new research from the McKinsey Global Institute. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partners Aditya Sanghvi and Jonathan Woetzel chat with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about how the persistence of the pivot to working from home has transformed the places we work, live, shop, and socialize—and about the unique opportunity hybrid presents to rethink real estate for our changing future.

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When times get tough,marketing budgets are among the first ones cut.But such cutbacks can be shortsighted. On this edition of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partner Kelsey Robinson chats with cohost and editorial director Roberta Fusaro about why chief marketing officers should instead be empowered to adopt an investor mindset—that is, focus on eliminating inefficient spending and reinvesting it in high-growth marketing activities. By taking a full-funnel approach to their marketing strategies, companies are more likely to weather any economic storm that may come their way.

Also, McKinsey senior partner Alok Kshirsagar talks about making a tough call on a high-profile project, from our Rookie Moment series.

The McKinsey Podcast is hosted by Roberta Fusaro and Lucia Rahilly.

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As companies struggle to understand the implications and applications of generative AI, one thing seems clear: AI and its future iterations are not going anywhere. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, senior partner Kweilin Ellingrud and partner Saurabh Sanghvi share findings from McKinsey’s latest report on gen AI with editorial director Roberta Fusaro and explain why companies must pivot to embrace the technology itself and the deep and lasting changes it may create. Individual and organizational adaptability will be critical.

Also on this episode, the advent of gen AI has many people thinking about the future of their jobs. Joanne Lipman, author of Next! The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work (Mariner Books, March 2023), shares a four-step process for figuring out where you might go next and how you’ll get there, in ourAuthor Talks series.

The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Roberta Fusaro and Lucia Rahilly.

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The stakes are high when it comes to tackling the unprecedented mental health issues facing today’s teens. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, global editorial director Lucia Rahilly speaks with McKinsey partner and coleader of the McKinsey Health Institute Erica Coe and the founding president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute, Harold Koplewicz, about what the struggle means for society at large.

Then, Maggie Smith, author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful (Atria/One Signal Publishers, April 2023), shares how grief can be transformative, in an interview excerpt from our Author Talks series.

The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Roberta Fusaro and Lucia Rahilly.

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Good things will come to those companies that don’t wait. McKinsey AI experts Michael Chui and Alex Singla discuss McKinsey’s new report
about the generative AI opportunity with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly. Hear how companies should immediately seize the gen AI opportunity to gain competitive advantage.
But first, McKinsey senior partner Kelsey Robinson points out a consumer spending dichotomy in her first of a series of a quick US consumer behavior check-ins.

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By 2050, about 25 percent of the world’s population will be from the African continent. What can be done now to support Africa’s educational infrastructure, bountiful resources, and technological innovation? On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey partner Mayowa Kuyoro and senior partner Acha Leke share details from their latest research on Africa and outline the strengths and assets the continent has that can help it vastly improve its productivity and reinvigorate its economy. They join host and editorial director Roberta Fusaro.

But first, McKinsey global director of geopolitical risk, Ziad Haider, is here to give us a quick update on the current state of world geopolitics.

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Business lore is freighted with misadventures in middle management. Yet middle managers are critical to organizational health and performance, and they are only becoming more so as work continues to transform, according to the new book Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work (Harvard Business Review Press, July 2023). On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, authors Emily Field, Bryan Hancock, and Bill Schaninger talk to global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about the costs of middle management gone awry—and about a new model for getting it right. 

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By now, most leaders understand the importance—or, increasingly, the inevitability—of digital and AI transformation. But fewer executives are clear about how to knit systems, people, and processes together in the most productive way. McKinsey senior partners Eric Lamarre, Kate Smaje, and Rodney Zemmel have written Rewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI (Wiley, June 2023) with that disconnect in mind.The authors discussRewired which offers clear, customizable paths that organizations can take to succeed with their digital transformations—and stay nimble in the face of constant change.

The authors discuss the book on this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, which is hosted by McKinsey editorial director Roberta Fusaro

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When you’re grocery shopping and see a product that claims it’s “good for the planet” or “society” - are you more inclined to buy it?

If yes was your answer, you’re not alone. This is according to a joint study by McKinsey and Nielson IQ about US consumer behavior and spending.

Today we’re sharing an episode from the McKinsey on Consumer and Retail podcast that talks all about it.

Regular programming for The McKinsey Podcast is back in two weeks. 

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Banking instability. High interest rates. Pervasive geopolitical upset. These and other headwinds are pressing powerfully against leaders’ and organizations’ attempts to be more productive and create more economic value. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, senior partner Sven Smit puts these trends in context. He shares findings from the McKinsey Global Institute’s latest Future of Wealth research with podcast host and editorial director Roberta Fusaro. He offers four potential scenarios for inflation, interest rates, and growth to 2030 and considers their implications for the future health and wealth of the global economy.

After, we get a better understanding of the working class from Farah Stockman, author of  American Made, in an excerpt from our Author Talks series.

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On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partners Dana Maor and Patrick Simon speak with McKinsey editorial director Roberta Fusaro about three of the ten most asked-about shifts featured in the recently released State of Organizations report: increasing speed and strengthening resilience, the hybrid workplace, and building capabilities in a rapidly changing workplace.

After, it can be scary to share a dissenting opinion. But McKinsey senior partner Katy George shares a time she took that risk and reaped the rewards—from our My Rookie Moment series

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Once an engine of US power and prosperity, US labor productivity has grown at a sluggish 1.4 percent since 2005. Imminent challenges such as workforce shortages, debt, inflation, and the cost of energy could be ameliorated with higher productivity. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Olivia White, a McKinsey senior partner and a director of the McKinsey Global Institute, and McKinsey partner Charles Atkins join McKinsey editorial director and host Roberta Fusaro to share tangible ways to boost US productivity.

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From regular water shortages in California to a nitrogen crisis in the Netherlands, the deterioration of natural capital has had tangible consequences—and given rise to a reckoning within business and government. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey partner Josh Katz and associate partner Caroline De Vit talk with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about a recently published special report on natural capital: what it is, why it matters, and how Fortune 500 companies are moving now to create opportunities and mitigate rising risks.

After, K–12 teachers in the United States are leaving their jobs in unprecedented numbers. McKinsey partner Jake Bryant shares what teachers need to stay.

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Over the past few years, CEOs have found themselves repeatedly recalibrating in the wake of shock after shock. As 2023 shapes up to be another year of uncertainty, stable ground may continue to seem elusive. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Homayoun Hatami, senior partner and managing partner for global client capabilities, and chief client officer Liz Hilton Segel talk about what matters most—as well as how leaders can begin leaning forward to find new opportunities amid ongoing turbulence and change.

After, hear from former CEO of IBM, Ginni Rometty, on what she learned to prioritize as a leader in an excerpt from our Author Talks series.

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Forty percent of Black American households don’t have high-speed, fixed broadband, according to recent McKinsey research. That digital divide is just one of eight investment opportunities that have the highest potential to move the needle on Black economic mobility. On today’s episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partner Shelley Stewart III speaks with editorial director Roberta Fusaro about how impact investors can help close the digital divide, create more financial inclusion, and achieve equity in healthcare for Black Americans.

After, Asaf Somekh, the CEO and cofounder of Iguazio, a company recently acquired by McKinsey, talks about artificial intelligence and offers some solutions for addressing pilot fatigue.

The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Roberta Fusaro and Lucia Rahilly.

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Geopolitical risk, an issue once deferred, is now demanding immediate attention. Hear how leaders must challenge the fundamentals of how operations have traditionally been run to adapt to a multipolar world.

In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, senior partner Andrew Grant and global director of geopolitical risk Ziad Haider speak with to global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about
McKinsey’s latest research on geopolitical risk, including what questions leaders need to ask to find their way in this fragmented world, how to balance risk versus returns, and how to navigate corporate responsibility.

After, McKinsey partner Jennifer Stanley, who thought of herself as a social scientist rather than a businessperson, and shares how a shift in self-perception was all it took to feel capable in this excerpt from our My Rookie Moment series.

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"Women leaders are voting with their feet," says McKinsey senior partner Alexis Krivkovich on this week’s episode of The McKinsey Podcast. She and senior partner Lareina Yee speak with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly to dig into the latest Women in the Workplace research. They break down the reasons behind “the great breakup” and what organizations must do to materially value diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—and what’s at stake if they don’t.

After, everyone's talking about generative AI. If you’re unclear about what it is, we’ll fill you in with an excerpt from our McKinsey Explainer series.

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Globalization isn’t going away, but it is changing, according to recent research from the
McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, MGI director Olivia White speaks with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about the flows of goods, knowledge, and labor that drive global integration—and what reshaping these flows might mean for our interconnected future.

After, global brewer AB InBev has thrived in the throes of what its CFO Fernando Tennenbaum describes as the recent “twists and turns.” Find out how in this excerpt from our McKinsey Live series, recorded in December 2022.

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Net zero doesn’t have to mean zero sum. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey partner Anna Moore and senior partner Humayun Tai talk to global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about the “devilish duality” leaders have faced since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine—and about how to follow through on longer-term decarbonization commitments while managing short-term energy disruptions successfully.

After, hear how investors can use their capital and influence to help reverse the impact of climate change, from Columbia professor Bruce Usher. He spoke with us about his book, Investing in the Era of Climate Change (Columbia University Press, October 2022), as part of our Author Talks series.

The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Roberta Fusaro and Lucia Rahilly.

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McKinsey analyzed 14 new trends in its latest report on business technology. Here are the three that leaders need to know about most.

In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, partners Michael Chui and Roger Roberts speak with McKinsey editorial director Roberta Fusaro about McKinsey’s latest report on technology trends, with a particular focus on the benefits and challenges of applied AI, cloud and edge computing, and bioengineering.

After, we’ll hear from McKinsey partner Brian Rolfes, who came to McKinsey firmly “in the
closet.” But a chance meeting with a client showed him the value of being authentic—with himself and others.

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The volume of information available from space is unprecedented. McKinsey experts Ryan Brukardt and Jesse Klempner join host and McKinsey partner, Mina Alaghband to share the incredible ways in which the space-for-earth economy has evolved and how it needs to scale. This is a guest episode from McKinsey's technology podcast, At the Edge.

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Boring is beautiful when it drives economic prosperity. Cue industrial technology companies, whose under-the-radar successes are powering a resurgence in US manufacturing. Their proven promise is the basis of the new book The Titanium Economy, cowritten by McKinsey’s managing partner for North America, Asutosh Padhi. Asutosh joins partner Kim Borden and global editorial director Lucia Rahilly to discuss this overlooked bright spot in the US economy—and what’s necessary to power the next stage of manufacturing growth.

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While the internal-combustion engine dominates car design, its existence contributes to global warming and detracts from electric-vehicle (EV) development. Things like carbon emissions, the complexity of design, and battery development are slowing down the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. But they don’t have to. Russell Hensley, co-leader of the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility in the Americas, joins McKinsey editorial director Roberta Fusaro to discuss what can be done to encourage manufacturers to produce and consumers to embrace electric cars.

After, hear Alan Murray, CEO of Fortune Media, talk about his search for the soul of American business in an excerpt from our Author Talks series featuring his book, Tomorrow’s Capitalist (Hachette Book Group, May 2022).

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In unusually difficult situations, a counterintuitive response to stress is what many leaders should aim for, say Jacqueline Brassey, McKinsey senior knowledge expert and McKinsey senior partner Aaron De Smet as they talk about their new book, Deliberate Calm: How to Learn and Lead in a Volatile World with host and executive editor Roberta Fusaro.

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Social capital, a technical term for connectivity in the workplace, is important for helping employees execute, learn, innovate, and advance in organizations. Right now, because of the pandemic and the related upheaval in office and staffing norms, it’s in short supply. But there are ways to rebuild it say McKinsey partners John Parsons and Brooke Weddle on this episode of The McKinsey Podcast. Hear their conversation with editorial director Roberta Fusaro about McKinsey’s recent report on the state of social capital and why executives need to manage workplace interactions more intentionally—always, but especially now.

After, get to know married couple and McKinsey associate partners Angela and Sebastian Sinisterra-Woods. They talk about their work highlights and how whiteboards aren’t just for conference rooms. 

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