How to Make a Leader (Big Think+)

Imagine having access to some of the most notable authors and leaders in the learning and development community, sharing their wisdom every month. Welcome to "How to Make a Leader," a leadership development podcast from Big Think+ where we take the best ideas from the biggest minds in learning and development and distill them into actionable insights. 

Have you struggled to make learning a core priority at your organization? Or wondered how to transform your organization's learning culture from the ground up? These are questions we set out to explore in the inaugural episode of the How to Make a Leader podcast. 

For answers, we turned to S&P Global’s dynamic Director of Learning and Development, Jamie Blakey. A champion for lifelong learning, Jamie unpacked the intricacies of building a robust learning culture that pervades an entire organization. From gaining buy-in from senior leadership to forming partnerships across departments, Jamie’s practical wisdom and strategies are sure to elevate your learning and development program. 

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For more from Jamie Blakey watch the full How to Make a Leader live interview. 

Interested in attending our next live interview? Find out more at bigthink.com/plus/events

Want to learn more about getting Big Think+ for your business? Schedule a call with us at https://www2.bigthink.com/request-a-demo-big-think-plus

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• In-depth strategies for obtaining senior leadership buy-in on L&D initiatives and aligning learning programs with organizational goals.
• Practical advice on building and maintaining cross-functional partnerships to enhance the reach and effectiveness of learning initiatives. 
• Best practices for measuring the impact of learning programs and using feedback to drive continuous improvement. 

Jump into the conversation:

[04:42] Jamie’s thoughts on aligning innovative learning practices with company objectives. 

[07:14] Jamie shares successful initiatives that created a supportive space for learning and development.
[09:45] Building a robust L&D program? Start with creative, engaging sessions. 

The challenge of leading multigenerational teams is gaining more and more attention. With up to five generations now sharing the modern workplace, how can leaders bridge the gap and leverage age diversity as a strength?

Enter Chip Conley, founder of MEA (the world’s first midlife wisdom school) and Airbnb’s former advisor, hospitality strategist and resident “modern elder”. He draws on his experience joining the then-startup as a 52 year-old, navigating a youthful technology company as an experienced hospitality executive.

In this episode, Chip offers actionable insights for any leader aiming to leverage generational diversity as a strength rather than a challenge.

You’ll learn:

• How to embrace age diversity to create more collaborative and dynamic teams
• How Airbnb pioneered a “mutual mentorship” model to bridge generational gaps
• How to be both an effective mentor and mentee
• How to blend curiosity and wisdom in your leadership approach

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Wisdom is not taught, it's shared
(02:40) What inspired Chip to found the “Modern Elder Academy”
(09:28) How an intergenerational workforce changes the way that we interact and work with one another
(12:08) The different types of mentorship
(16:37) How to build a mentorship program
(18:35) Being a “mentern,” both a mentor and intern

To learn even more about Chip Conley’s approach to leadership, listen to the full interview.

To learn more about the Modern Elder Academy, check out their website here.

Order Chip’s most recent book, Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better With Age.

Interested in attending our next live interview? Find out more at bigthink.com/plus/events

Want to learn more about getting Big Think+ for your business? Schedule a call with us at https://www2.bigthink.com/request-a-demo-big-think-plus

Forget the AI buzzwords. Ross Stevenson, founder of Steal These Thoughts!, dives into how L&D teams can actually use AI to save time, solve real problems, and keep learning human. Most importantly, he asks us to consider: Are AI tools always the answer?

From smarter ChatGPT prompts to must-have tools, Ross shares practical, no-nonsense tips to level up your learning programs. If you’re ready to cut through the noise and make AI work for your team, this episode is a must-listen.

You’ll learn:

• The fundamentals every L&D pro should know about AI 
• Practical ways to use ChatGPT 
• Real-world time-saving use cases for AI
• Ross’ top 3 learning technology tools right now

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction to Ross Stevenson

(02:19) Ross’s background and entry into L&D through technology

(05:09) Using technology as an enabler in workplace L&D

(07:06) The importance of using tech intelligently and avoiding misuse

(08:05) Misconceptions about AI in L&D and focusing on purpose over tools

(10:14) The mindset shift needed for AI in L&D

(17:56) Case study on effective AI tool use for time-saving in product development

(21:38) AI’s role in performance reviews, onboarding, and creating efficiencies

(23:18) Case study from BHP Mining on AI as a thought partner

(24:34) The realistic potential of AI in saving time and enhancing productivity

(25:07) In-depth discussion on using ChatGPT effectively as an L&D pro

(28:10) ChatGPT as a thought partner, research assistant, and skills coach

(30:36) Common mistakes L&D professionals make with AI and tech tools

(34:11) How to introduce AI tools without disrupting teams

(39:46) Top human skills essential in an AI-forward workplace

(43:00) Ross’s top 3 favorite learning technology tools

(45:30) Conclusion and where to find more from Ross Stevenson

To learn more about Ross and his work, check out his Linkedin profile or the Steal These Thoughts! website.

Interested in attending an interview live? Find out more at bigthink.com/plus/events

Want to learn more about getting Big Think+ for your business? Schedule a call with us at https://www2.bigthink.com/request-a-demo-big-think-plus

How do you turn early talent into future leaders?

Harvard career advisor and WSJ best-selling author Gorick Ng shares the “unspoken rules” of professional growth and talent development. From career navigation to building a diverse leadership pipeline, he shares real-world insights garnered from thousands of interviews with professionals and his advisory work with Fortune500 companies. 

Whether you’re working with early, mid-level or senior employees, Gorick offers actionable strategies to level the playing field and maximize potential in your workforce.

You’ll learn:

• The “three Cs” framework for career success
• How to align onboarding with retention and engagement goals
• Practical steps to diversify your leadership pipeline
• The five traits of successful leaders
• The #1 piece of career advice (from a career advisor)

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introducing Gorick Ng

(01:25) Gorick’s personal journey and first-generation college experience

(04:14) The important but unspoken rules of career navigation

(05:07) A real-world story about visibility and career advancement

(07:26) The “Three Cs” framework for professional success

(09:48) Systemic barriers to career growth and access to tools

(11:46) Preparing early-career professionals before day one

(13:26) The role of peer mentors in effective onboarding

(16:28) Creating psychological safety for early-stage professionals

(20:44) How to engage mid-level managers to balance growth and burnout

(24:58) Building lateral career movement opportunities within organizations

(27:10) The power of recognition and feedback in employee engagement

(29:38) Developing leadership pipelines with rotational programs

(33:52) Expanding diversity in leadership through actionable steps

(35:03) The value of vulnerability in leadership storytelling

(37:25) Leadership traits and the balance between managing and leading

(38:11) Gorick’s most memorable piece of career advice

To learn more about Gorick and his work, check out his Linkedin profile and his website. If you’d like to purchase his book, The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting your Career Off Right, you can check out this link. 

Interested in attending an interview live? Find out more at bigthink.com/plus/events

Want to learn more about getting Big Think+ for your business? Schedule a call with us at https://www2.bigthink.com/request-a-demo-big-think-plus

Can conflict actually make your team stronger?

In this episode of How to Make a Leader, communication expert and Harvard Business Review podcast host Amy Gallo discusses the communication dynamics that shape high-performing professionals and teams.

Amy shares strategies to build trust, improve collaboration, and ensure that even the toughest conversations lead to progress. Whether you’re a team leader, an aspiring manager, or someone navigating complex work relationships, this episode is packed with insights to strengthen your communication skills and leadership approach.

You’ll learn:

• How high performing teams disagree respectfully and collaboratively
• How to approach difficult conversations in the workplace
• Strategies to improve communication across remote, hybrid, and in-person teams
• The leadership mindset shift that drives long-term success

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introducing Amy Gallo
(01:39) Building trust quickly to enhance workplace communication
(04:57) Three key principles for navigating workplace conflict
(09:34) How remote and hybrid work impact workplace communication
(13:31) Strategies to prevent miscommunication in digital environments
(18:38) When to vent, when to wait, and when to take action
(21:27) What distinguishes high-performing teams from struggling teams
(24:49) Leadership strategies to encourage open and honest communication
(29:08) Emotional regulation and its impact on leadership effectiveness
(35:25) How societal tensions are influencing workplace interactions
(39:39) Maintaining composure in high-conflict situations
(44:13) Why connection should be a leadership priority

To learn more about Amy and her work, check out her Linkedin profile, her website, and her podcast. Read Amy Gallo’s book: Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People).

Interested in attending an interview live? Find out more at bigthink.com/plus/events

Want to learn more about getting Big Think+ for your business? Schedule a call with us at https://www2.bigthink.com/request-a-demo-big-think-plus

In a world where change is the only constant, leaders must navigate their teams through uncertainty, inspire motivation, and maintain focus on collective goals. The modern leader is constantly faced with making decisions that will impact both the business, and the people working within it. Questions like: How do you navigate a corporate acquisition successfully? How do you adapt to constant technological innovation and the change that goes along with it? Ginni Rometty sums it up with one simple concept: Trust. 

As the former chairman, president, and CEO of IBM, Ginni Rometty draws on her eight years of experience at the helm of one of the largest technology companies in the world to share lessons she’s learned in leadership throughout her career. In this episode of How to Make a Leader, Ginni offers her insights on the crucial role of trust in leadership, drawn from her book, Good Power.

Together, we explore Ginni's five key principles of how to use power for good to build trust and lead through change, emphasizing the importance of lifelong learning and a growth mindset. For an extra bit of insight, we asked attendees at the recent Association for Talent and Development conference for their thoughts on the top skills necessary for successful leadership, and how trust plays a role in leadership development. 

For more from Ginni Rometty watch the full How to Make a Leader live interview. 

Interested in attending our next live interview? Find out more at bigthink.com/plus/events

Want to learn more about getting Big Think+ for your business? Schedule a call with us at https://www2.bigthink.com/request-a-demo-big-think-plus

Buy Ginni's book, Good Power: https://ginnirometty.com/

Support OneTen - https://oneten.org/about-us/our-approach/

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to promote transparency and honesty in your team through regular communication techniques.  
• Strategies to engage your team emotionally as well as intellectually through co-creation practices.
• The importance of focusing on skills and aptitude in hiring decisions to create a more inclusive and adaptable workforce.
• Clear principles for technology use that prioritize transparency, fairness, and empowering people.

Things to listen for:
(05:22) Lessons learned in building employee trust after a significant IBM acquisition.
(11:36) Why Ginni values continuous learning in leadership decisions.
(15:49) How using data helps you avoid bias and build transparency.
(18:43) Building psychological safety and trust through communication.

How do strong leaders tackle today’s DEI challenges?

In a time of shifting policies and conflicting public discourse around DEI, consider this episode a practical guide to build inclusive teams with inclusive leaders. In this special How to Make a Leader episode, we’re sharing a virtual panel discussion with experts Chloé Valdary, Ruchika T. Malhotra, and La’Kita Williams, who bring decades of experience in inclusion, workplace culture, and leadership to tackle some of the toughest questions in DEI today.

From navigating fear-based rhetoric to rebuilding trust in organizational initiatives, this conversation cuts through the noise to focus on what truly matters: creating workplaces where everyone thrives.

You’ll learn:

• How to address fear and backlash surrounding DEI efforts
• The biggest reasons DEI initiatives succeed (or fail)
• Practical ways to build inclusion into leadership at every level
• How to foster real belonging beyond performative policies
• What leaders can do today to create lasting, meaningful change

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introducing Chloé Valdary, Ruchika T. Malhotra, and La’Kita Williams
(05:18) What diversity and inclusion look like in the workplace 
(09:29) Challenges of making DEI truly inclusive for people of all backgrounds
(12:28) The role of leadership in fostering inclusion and psychological safety
(23:13) Translating DEI into business language: Efficiency, innovation, and growth
(24:58) Common pitfalls in DEI initiatives and how to rebuild trust
(29:39) Crafting mission statements that reflect diversity as a business asset
(32:08) Audience Q&A about DEI Initiatives
(35:03) Avoiding scarcity thinking and expanding leadership opportunities
(39:45) Creating safe spaces for diversity and difficult conversations in the workplace

To learn more about our panel and their respective work, check out the links below:

• Chloé Valdary - LinkedIn Profile | Theory of Enchantment
• Ruchika T. Malhotra  - LinkedIn Profile | Inclusion on Purpose
• La’Kita Williams - LinkedIn Profile | CoCreate Work

Interested in attending an interview live? Find out more at bigthink.com/plus/events

Want to learn more about getting Big Think+ for your business? Schedule a call with us at https://www2.bigthink.com/request-a-demo-big-think-plus

What can the leaders of the past teach us about leadership in the present?

In this episode of How to Make a Leader, historian and management professor Martin Gutmann challenges our conventional understanding of leadership with a look back at leaders throughout history. In many organizations, we often associate leadership with the loudest voices or the most dramatic actions, but Martin argues that true leadership is often unseen and underestimated. Drawing from his book The Unseen Leader, Martin uses historical examples to demonstrate how the most impactful leaders are often those who move quietly and strategically behind the scenes.

In this episode, Martin pulls insights and lessons from historical figures and contemporary leadership studies, highlighting the need to rethink how we identify and cultivate leadership talent today. 

You’ll learn:

• The most common traits among successful leaders
• How the “action fallacy” misguides leadership selection and development
• Why contextual fluency is a crucial leadership skill to develop
• The importance of psychological safety
• How to identify and support effective leaders within your team

Things to listen for:

(00:00)  Introduction to Martin Gutmann

(01:58) What history teaches us about leadership 

(05:52) The action fallacy and its impact on leadership

(15:02) The common traits among successful leaders 

(20:10) The value of deep familiarity in your field as a leader

(29:22) How to develop powerful leaders in our organization

(31:08) How to identify and support quiet but effective leaders

To learn more about Martin and his work, check out his website or order Martin’s book, The Unseen Leader: How History Can Help us Rethink Leadership.

Interested in attending an interview live? Find out more at bigthink.com/plus/events

Want to learn more about getting Big Think+ for your business? Schedule a call with us at https://www2.bigthink.com/request-a-demo-big-think-plus

Learning programs aren’t one-size-fits-all. How can we craft learning experiences that are authentic to each learner, no matter their role at the organization? In today's episode, we dive into how Sue Denning, the Senior Director of Global Talent Development for PVH Corporation— the company behind iconic brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger—achieves just that.

PVH employs over 30,000 associates worldwide with a unique mix of office-based and deskless retail workers. Sue’s mission? To ensure all employees, from retail floor staff to middle managers, receive effective learning opportunities that meet them when and where they need it.

Sue reveals the innovative strategies PVH uses to reach their diverse workforce, from the microlearning techniques for retail staff to the dynamic “Manager Studio” program that's redefining what it means for managers to lead effectively. Discover how Sue's team navigates the challenge of engaging all of their employees worldwide through change agility and resilience, making learning not just possible but impactful for everyone.

For more from Sue Denning watch the full How to Make a Leader live interview.

Interested in attending our next live interview? Find out more at bigthink.com/plus/events

Want to learn more about getting Big Think+ for your business? Schedule a call with us at https://www2.bigthink.com/request-a-demo-big-think-plus

In this episode, you’ll learn:
How PVH tailors their programs to meet learners at every stage of their learning journey, whether in-office or on the retail floor.
Why microlearning is effective in providing managers with resources to facilitate on-the-job training and peer-led learning sessions.
How to ensure people managers have the right tools for success in their management journey.
Why establishing a clear, consistent understanding of managerial roles and responsibilities is crucial for effective leadership at every level of the organization.
How to integrate learning technologies with broader HR systems to enhance learner personalization and engagement.
How to develop a multi-faceted approach to measure the effectiveness of your learning programs.

Things to listen for:
01:40 Understanding the structure and scale of PVH’s learning programs​​. 
09:31 The evolution and impact of PVH’s “Manager Studio” program. 
13:52 Enhancing customized learner experience through technology and integration​.
15:59 Understanding PVH’s metrics for measuring success and business impact of learning programs​​.
17:51 The challenges and strategies behind global onboarding​​.
18:22 Striking a balance between self-guided learning and company training​​.

Data. It’s loved by some, feared by many, but there’s no arguing that it’s an essential tool in a leader’s toolkit. But how do we turn numbers into knowledge?

In this episode, Figma’s Eric Grant shares why data fluency isn’t all about the tools—it’s about hands-on practice. He explains how consistently working with data drives better learning insights and leadership decisions, and argues that understanding the data behind the tools matters most.

You’ll learn:

• Lessons learned in data analytics from his time at Coinbase, Uber and Figma 
• Why (and how) practicing with data is more valuable than relying on tools
• Ways to measure learning program impact (his answer might surprise you!)
• The transition of a workplace with not enough data to too much data 
• New AI tools to watch out for

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction to Eric Grant 

(06:53) How to use AI for data experimentation

(09:34) The importance of data when tracking the success of learning programs

(12:50) What L&D teams get wrong in measuring learning programs

(15:56) Why surveys shouldn’t be anonymous 

(19:44) Key indicators when measuring performance

(25:12) Measuring soft skills or company culture

(33:45) Partnership's role in the successful measurement of learning programs

(37:29) An adaptive learning project Eric’s working on 

(41:34) Data tools and resources reshaping L&D

(44:46) AI for course creation and instructional design

(45:19) Duolingo as an example of adaptive learning

To learn more about Eric and his work, check out his Linkedin profile or Figma’s website.

Interested in attending an interview live? Find out more at bigthink.com/plus/events

Want to learn more about getting Big Think+ for your business? Schedule a call with us at https://www2.bigthink.com/request-a-demo-big-think-plus