What it takes to build “genius at scale”

What it takes to build “genius at scale”

Author: McKinsey People & Organizational Performance April 29, 2026 Duration: 17:10

That elusive Eureka moment: Every leader strives for it—but it can’t be forced. And as Harvard Business School Professor Linda Hill argues in her new book Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation (Harvard Business Publishing, March 2026), innovation is less about a flash of insight than about creating the conditions for breakthrough ideas to take hold and scale. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Hill speaks with McKinsey leaders and talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock, along with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, about the roles and capabilities that successful innovators share—and about how to create a culture that encourages everyone to undertake the hard, risky work of innovation to drive organizational performance.

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Hosted by McKinsey People & Organizational Performance, McKinsey Talks Talent is a series of conversations for anyone tasked with building and guiding teams through constant disruption. Rather than offering abstract theories, this podcast grounds itself in the practical realities leaders face today, from government policy shifts to rapid technological adoption. Regular hosts and talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock sit down with a range of globally recognized practitioners and thinkers. Their discussions dig into the tangible aspects of transformational change, leadership development, and the nuanced work of actually placing people at the center of strategy. Each episode moves beyond simply diagnosing challenges to explore how organizations can genuinely leverage their workforce as a durable source of advantage. You’ll hear specific ideas on navigating the evolving social contract of work, reshaping organizational design, and fostering the agility needed in modern business. It’s a resource for executives, managers, and policymakers who understand that the most complex questions in today’s landscape are ultimately human ones. Tune in for grounded perspectives that connect talent directly to performance and resilience.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 44

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