Wisdom From The Top with Guy Raz

ENCORE EPISODE. Joe Keohane, a seasoned journalist and editor, believes that conversations with strangers can boost happiness, empathy, and even improve the world around us. In his book The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World, Joe dives into research with psychologists, anthropologists, and real-life encounters to uncover the profound impact of these connections. In this encore episode, Guy and Joe discuss how reviving the lost art of connecting is essential for both personal growth and professional success.

What drives lasting personal change? BJ Fogg, founder of Stanford’s Behavior Design Lab, challenges conventional wisdom with insights from his groundbreaking book Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Drawing from real-life experiments and research, Fogg reveals a practical system for building positive habits and breaking free from negative ones. In this episode, first aired in 2021, discover transformative lessons on designing change and celebrating progress.

When Ken Hicks took the helm as CEO of Foot Locker in 2009, the company was on the brink: the economy was in shambles, sales had cratered by nearly a billion dollars, and the decline of indoor malls spelled further doom. But within three years, Hicks led Foot Locker to a stunning $2 billion rebound. His strategy? A renewed focus on storytelling—connecting the brand to customers in a way that transcended price tags and products.

Etsy was on the brink of collapse in 2017—its stock plummeting, cash reserves dwindling, and analysts predicting its demise. Enter Josh Silverman, a turnaround expert with a track record from Evite, eBay, and Skype. As Etsy’s CEO, Josh focused the team on one key metric, sparking a stunning recovery. How did he transform a failing creative marketplace into a thriving powerhouse? In this conversation from 2020, Guy and Josh dive into the success factors of the Etsy turnaround, as well as the key moments in Josh's leadership journey.

"How do you build a team, inspire individuals to pursue their dreams, and scale that impact beyond just one group?" Kim Scott has wrestline with, and answering that question for the majority of her career. After navigating roles from a diamond business in Moscow to Silicon Valley startups and then leadership at Google, she developed 'radical candor'—a transformative management philosophy that balances personal care with direct challenge. In this episode, we revisit a conversation originally recorded in 2021, where Kim shares insights from her groundbreaking book Radical Candor. She explores the importance of honesty, humanity, and fostering healthier power dynamics in the workplace. Whether you're a manager, a CEO, or simply someone passionate about leadership, Kim’s wisdom is as relevant today as ever.

What makes someone excel—whether in sports, science, or life? David Epstein, author of The Sports Gene and Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, makes a compelling case for the power of breadth over early specialization. From his time as a walk-on track athlete at Columbia University to his time as a science writer and investigative reporter (at Sports Illustrated and ProPublica, among others), David has explored the hidden patterns that lead to success. In this encore episode, recorded in 2021, Guy asks David about his journey from geology student and star athlete to bestselling author. Why a diverse set of skills and experiences often leads to better outcomes, and why embracing range could be the key to your next breakthrough.

What does it take to rebuild a company from the brink of failure? In this conversation from 2020, Guy sits down with Peter Cuneo, the former CEO who famously guided Marvel Entertainment out of bankruptcy and onto a path that ultimately led to its $4.5 billion acquisition by Disney. They explore the career trajectory that got him, as he puts it “offically addicted to turn around challenges." And unpack some of the 32 leadership principles he has developed over the years. How Cuneo’s turnaround philosophy, born from his experiences in the Navy and Vietnam, helped him identify Marvel’s untapped potential, shift its focus toward intellectual property, and pave the way for its cinematic universe.

In 2012, Best Buy was in deep trouble—a crisis so severe that Forbes declared, “Why Best Buy is Going Out of Business.” By March, the company reported a staggering $1.7 billion loss, and by April, its CEO had stepped down amid scandal. Enter Hubert Joly, a leader whose career had shaped him into essentially an elite relief pitcher of the business world. Armed with calm focus and a knack for navigating adversity, Joly stepped up to the plate just as the future of big-box retail hung in the balance. In this classic 2019 episode, discover how Joly took the helm at Best Buy during one of the most tumultuous moments in its history.

"You can't analyze your way into something new," says today's guest. Over the course of a career spanning four decades, Roger Martin has been a management consultant, an influential business strategy thinker and author, as well as the Dean of the Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto. He advises CEOs of global companies such as Ford, Proctor & Gamble, and Lego. He is well known for developing and exploring the concept of "integrative thinking" in management problem solving and for troubling conventional management wisdom as he does in his book, A New Way to Think: Your Guide to Superior Management Effectiveness. In this episode, recorded in 2021, Martin challenges the relentless drive for efficiency and advocates for a re-think in approach.