When We Get Too Comfortable, It’s Tough to Take Flight

On this episode of The Insightful Leader, an executive coach offers three tales of leaders who let complacency get in the way of success. 

When Kellogg’s Craig Wortmann lost a portion of his leg to cancer, he felt like he lost part of his identity, too. On this episode of The Insightful Leader podcast, he offers a guide to “bouncing back better.”

In this bonus episode of our series, “Insight Unpacked: American Healthcare and Its Web of Misaligned Incentives,” a healthcare economist must make critical decisions with partial information. Also: Do you have advice on how to be a good healthcare consumer? Any lessons you learned the hard way? Professor David Dranove wants to hear from you. Send him an email at [email protected], and write "shopping for healthcare" in the subject line.

These days, more and more work is happening in teams. However, it’s often difficult to see who on the team did what. So how do we allocate blame when a team project goes wrong? Research from Profs. Benjamin Jones and Brian Uzzi finds that we often point the finger at the wrong individuals—and suggests ways that leaders can guard against this bias.

Machines are taking on more and more new responsibilities in the workplace. But are some jobs better left to humans? Prof. Adam Waytz, author of The Power of Human, offers three guidelines for how managers can play to the unique strengths of both people and technology.

"Don't be afraid to have an edge about you." Craig Wortmann, a professor of innovation and entrepreneurship and three-time CEO, explains how to hone the skills you’ll need to ask for what you want at work—and challenges you to embrace the tension that comes with being bold.

Creativity is invaluable. Yet when trying to generate ideas, we often censor ourselves for fear of being seen as foolish. So could overcoming this fear make us more creative? Professor Leigh Thompson tests that theory with a unique series of experiments.

After a short break, Kellogg Insight’s podcast is now back with a new look—and a new name.

What does it mean when the leadership role you have accepted comes with an expiration date? On this episode, Kathleen Hagerty, the outgoing interim dean of the Kellogg School, reflects on the leadership lessons she learned in her year at the helm of a leading business school.

At some point in our careers, we all question if we’re truly on the right path. But how do you know for sure? On this episode, Nicholas Pearce, a clinical professor at Kellogg and author of "The Purpose Path," explains how to find your calling, and summon the courage to make it a reality.