INSEAD Knowledge Podcast

Why do we often misjudge whether a conversation will be enjoyable? In this episode of the INSEAD Knowledge podcast, Nadav Klein, Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD, explains why even apparently boring topics can lead to engaging conversations. Drawing on his research, Klein explores how curiosity, attentiveness, humour and genuine interaction matter more than the subject itself—and what this means for leaders communicating with their teams.Read the related INSEAD Knowledge article.Chapters00:00 – Introduction: Why boring conversations can be engaging01:00 – Nadav Klein’s research question unpacked03:00 – The Seinfeld effect: ordinary topics, compelling interactions06:00 – The real value of engagement10:14 – The different types of ‘talk’  12:53 – Conversation, connection and unexpected enjoyment16:17 – Why our predictions about conversations are often wrong17:18 – What leaders bring to a conversation20:44 – Is there a difference between small talk and networking24:05 – When to enter into conversations26:30 – Final reflections: paying attention to what conversations can become

Conspiracy theories aren't a sign of poor judgement or personality flaws. Constructed from a shared language, they actually offer a means for someone to try and make sense of an uncertain or stressful event. That's according to Henrich Greve, Professor of Entrepreneurship at INSEAD, speaking on this episode about his new book, co-authored with Stanford University's Huggy Rao: Ctrl+Alt+Doubt: Decoding the Language of Online Conspiracy Talk. Greve explains why anyone can end up believing in conspiracy theories, how "gateway" theories work like gateway drugs, why the calmest, most rational-sounding posts spread the furthest, and why people often hold several contradictory theories at once as a kind of psychological safety net. The conversation also covers real-world harms, from vaccine hesitancy and the return of measles to South Africa's HIV denialism and the January 6th Capitol attack, before turning to what actually works, and what doesn't, in slowing the spread of harmful conspiracies. Chapters 00:00 Introduction: why conspiracy theories spread faster than ever02:03 Why the book was written, and what past research got wrong06:36 Defining a conspiracy theory, and how widespread they are11:23 Reframing believers as problem solvers, not "dupes"15:00 How the conspiracy "toolkit" is learned and spreads 21:03 The language of conspiracy talk: calm words, hashtags and community24:23 Why people believe multiple, even contradictory, theories26:56 Real-world harms: vaccines, violence and the return of measles30:28 Conspiracy theories at state level: South Africa, Russia, January 6th34:04 What actually works, and doesn't, in limiting the spread40:34 Closing thoughts and where to find the book Read the related INSEAD Knowledge article.

In this edition of the INSEAD Perspective: Spotlight on Asia” podcast series, Sameer Hasija, Dean of Asia at INSEAD, speaks with Suhina Singh, co-founder of Singapore-based Jonda Health, about how AI is reshaping healthcare and why Asia has proved an early adopter when it comes to embracing its potential.   They discuss why global AI healthcare spend hit US$37 billion in 2025 and is set to nearly double its share of the industry by 2030, and explore how the technology is compressing drug discovery timelines and reshaping diagnostics, treatment and clinical workflows. Singh explains how Asia's aging populations (Japan, South Korea) and digitally native youth are both driving adoption for different reasons, and how governments are accelerating change, even as rural and lower-income communities risk being left behind.   Drawing on her experience building JondaX, Singh also gets candid about the real technical and regulatory challenges of deploying large language models in healthcare, where privacy, accuracy and quality control are non-negotiable. The conversation closes with a broader question: if AI can transform something as complex as healthcare, what can other industries — education included — learn from this customer centric approach?  Chapters:0:00 – Introduction1:18 – Biggest Opportunities for AI in Healthcare8:25 – AI Healthcare Adoption in Asia13:27 – Developed vs. Developing Asia: Is Access Equal?15:59 – Government and State Support for AI Health Adoption19:33 – Suhina's Journey and Founding Jonda Health22:45 – Challenges Building with Large Language Models26:08 – Who Benefits: Clinicians, Patients, and Researchers28:32 – What's Next for Jonda Health32:19 – The Future of Healthcare in 10 YearsRead the related INSEAD Knowledge article.

The world’s leading aerospace company shows that successful innovation is not just about technical breakthroughs. Consumer demand, financial viability and a functioning ecosystem are crucial for an innovation to move from the drawing board to a commercially viable reality.That’s according to INSEAD professors Manuel Sosa and Adrian Johnson, in their conversation with Harsh Shah, a leading expert on Hydrogen fuel in the aviation sector. In this INSEAD Knowledge podcast, they discussed Airbus’s 2020 public commitment to bring the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft to market by 2035.  Despite making major strides in developing the technical innovations needed to achieve this aim, Airbus ultimately had to push back their deadline due to challenges beyond their control. Sosa explains that this case underlines the fact that any company introducing innovations needs to consider the desirability, feasibility and viability framework of innovation if it has any real chance of success.As Shah put it, they were faced with a classic chicken-and-egg scenario: Airlines wouldn't commit without infrastructure, and infrastructure wouldn't get built without demand. His proposed solution was greater government intervention and financial incentives that absorbed cost premiums in the early stages, similar to those in other sectors, such as wind energy.As Johnson concludes, pushing back a deadline shouldn’t be seen as failure; it's what learning through experimentation actually looks like when the stakes, and the ambition, are this high.Read the related INSEAD Knowledge article and the two INSEAD Cases exploring the challenges faced by Airbus. 

Two words appear in entertainment headlines more than almost any other excuse, but are they doing more harm than good?When a director exits a film "due to creative differences", everyone reads it the same way: something happened, and we're not meant to know what. Spencer Harrison, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD, calls it the "aloha" of Hollywood, a phrase flexible enough to mean hello or goodbye, used precisely because its vagueness protects everyone involved. In the latest episode of the INSEAD Knowledge podcast, he explains what the research reveals about whether that protection actually works.

Passion and drive helped Rishi Naleendra achieve initial culinary success, but it was only when he learnt to trust his team and change himself that his restaurant climbed to the next level –Michelin recognition. In this episode of the INSEAD Knowledge Podcast, Professors Michael Jarrett and Andy Yap chat with Sri Lankan restaurateur Naleendra.Growing up in war-torn Sri Lanka, he went from a childhood dream to be a pilot to becoming the chef and owner behind noted Singapore restaurants Kotuwa and Cloudstreet.Naleendra recounts his bold decision to close down a successful bistro that had already achieved one Michelin star and how his singular vision won buy-in from an experienced team and demanding investors. Yet his passion and high standards had a negative side: high turnover and burnout of staff and a team culture built on fear rather than ownership.It was only when Covid-19 struck that he was forced to stop and reflect. An intervention by a trusted colleague made him confront an uncomfortable reality and come to realise that he needed to change both as a leader and a person. It was only by trusting those around him and creating the conditions for others to perform that he could ever hope to achieve two Michelin stars. A new-found leadership maturity helped him tackle the transition from running a small “mom and pop” business to leading a professional organisation. He now acts as the bridge between investors, creative talent and operational teams, and has to find ways to manage expectations and emotions on all sides.For Naleendra, the mark of a good leader ultimately comes down to one unglamorous word: practice. Not talent, title nor experience – but practice. The soft skills needed to speak honestly to investors, inspire loyalty in your team and hold your nerves under pressure are all habits that are built over time.His advice for the next generation: Don't wait for the position before you start behaving like a leader. Train for the role before anyone hands it to you, stay curious and never become too important to learn from the person next to you. Read the INSEAD Knowledge article.Explore more INSEAD Knowledge Podcasts.

In the new edition of “The INSEAD Perspective: Spotlight on Asia” podcast series, Sameer Hasija, Dean of Asia at INSEAD, speaks with Winnie Jiang, Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour, about how organisations and individuals in Asia are changing the way they think about work, training and careers.In particular, Jiang identifies a fundamental shift from "institutionalised" to "uninstitutionalised" career transitions. Unlike the past, where career changes – such as moving from journalism to law or banking to baking – followed clear routes and required standard qualifications, today’s job landscape has been totally upended by AI and geopolitical uncertainty.  This makes identifying "safe" next steps, or a stable career that can guarantee success nearly impossible, creating real anxiety. AI’s transformation of how skills are learned and a global reduction in entry-level hiring are further feeding a growing unease among many employees about their futures. For Jiang, the key to navigating this disruption is not to resist technology but to actively embrace experimentation. By becoming experts in specific AI tools, individuals don’t just increase company productivity, they can also enhance their own roles and add greater meaning to their work.The shift towards "uninstitutionalised" careers may offer another positive. In many of Asia’s collectivist and "face" cultures, where career choices have historically been tied to family pride and stability, current uncertainty may ironically liberate younger generations to pursue work that they find personally fulfilling.  Schools like INSEAD have an important role to play in this transformation. It is their responsibility to help people and organisations turn technological disruption into an opportunity for professional growth that benefits both the firm and the individual.Read more at https://knowledge.insead.edu/career/ai-and-career-reinvention.Or watch the video: https://youtu.be/7Yg8O_wv60E.

In the latest episode of “The INSEAD Perspective: Spotlight on Asia” podcast series, Sameer Hasija, Dean of Asia at INSEAD, sat down with Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Science, to discuss how the new world order is creating a complex economic environment, where traditional business strategies are being upended by unpredictable political and technological shocks.  As an expert in international trade, Dutt offers his insights on the impact of the fast-changing United States tariff policies for the Asian region. Ultimately, he advises firms to adopt a "wait and see" approach, suggesting that rash operational moves to counter temporary political swings could end up being a costly, and ultimately unnecessary, mistake.  For him, a bigger concern is the massive investment by American and Chinese firms into AI, which could create a significant technological gap between those leaders and other countries. Organisations are historically slow to adapt, but firms in Asia need to fully understand the speed of exponential technological growth and the urgency of being prepared for the "gale of creative destruction" it will bring.   In the same vein, countries like India and Indonesia need to overcome the slow pace of their bureaucratic democracies to become more agile and responsive. Whether it’s pivoting India’s IT sector to adapt to rapidly changing needs, or Indonesia’s efforts to move upstream in the nickel supply chain, speed is going to be key.  With the prospect of an incoherent and uncertain future, at least for the short term, business leaders cannot afford to be delusional about "crises being opportunities". Instead, they need to make sure they have the slack, both in terms of finances and time, to make quick decisions in response to unexpected or unknown crises as and when they arrive.   Note: This conversation was recorded before the start of the ongoing Middle East conflict.View a video of the discussion.Read the related INSEAD Knowledge article.

In this era of "permacrisis" and constant disruption, adaptability and resilience are vital traits that require collaboration and an increasing focus on human-centric skills. That’s the messaging to come out of the 2025 Global Talent Competitive Index (GTCI), an annual report that highlights the latest talent trends and offers insights into the current global talent landscape.For this episode of “The INSEAD Perspective: Spotlight on Asia” podcast series, Sameer Hasija, Dean of Asia at INSEAD, analyses the results and implications of the 11th edition of the GTCI through an APAC lens alongside two of its authors: L. Felipe Monteiro, Academic Director of the GTCI and Senior Affiliate Professor of Strategy, and Paul Evans, Emeritus Professor of Organisational Behaviour.   Perhaps the most notable theme from the 2025 report is the shifting value of human capabilities, where soft human-centric skills are becoming just as vital as hard digital or technical skills. As AI handles increasingly complex technical tasks, Monteiro and Evans suggest that "generalist adaptive skills" – including leadership, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship – will increasingly take centre stage.Reflecting on the high ranking of certain countries such as Singapore, Switzerland and the Nordic nations, Evans points to the strength of their integrated ecosystems, where government, business, educational institutions and labour organisations work together to solve problems using a forward-looking approach. He warns that without this deep ecosystem collaboration and a long-term vision, even technologically advanced nations may struggle to implement the systemic changes required to thrive in today’s disrupted global economy.That potential danger is highlighted in a concerning trend identified in the report, where several upper-middle-income countries, such as Malaysia, Brazil and Mexico, appear to have reached a "talent plateau" or “trap". Despite making good headway in the earlier stages of their development, these countries have seen their progress stall as they find themselves squeezed between high-innovating top-tier countries and lower-income countries with cost advantages.   Levels of optimism for the future were mixed among the three speakers.However, they agreed that greater collaboration, an increased emphasis on lifelong education and the ability of individuals to learn and adjust on the job will be vital if countries and companies hope to successfully navigate the uncertain waters of the next five years – and beyond.  

Family-owned enterprises are the cornerstone of Asia’s economy, contributing roughly 70 percent of GDP and employing over 60 percent of the workforce in some markets. Much more than just commercial entities, these firms are deeply embedded into the social fabric and are typically driven by long-term vision and entrepreneurial stewardship.In this edition of “The INSEAD Perspective: Spotlight on Asia” podcast series, Sameer Hasija, Dean of Asia at INSEAD, asks Bala Vissa, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise, for his thoughts on the status of family businesses in the region, the challenges that are currently reshaping their future and how family offices may be one solution to navigating these complexities. From bridging the success gap to tackling the rise of AI and ongoing digital transformation this wide- ranging conversation also explores how INSEAD is playing an important role in tackling this period of disruption and helping family businesses see it as an opportunity. Through workshops and programmes, INSEAD is connecting family firms to private equity and allowing both sides to better understand how they can work together to foster resilient growth and long-term success in today's rapidly changing global environment.