People often expect their leaders to have all the answers; David Novak built his career by challenging that assumption. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, the former CEO and cofounder of Yum! Brands and current chair of Versant speaks with Eric Kutcher, McKinsey’s chair of North America, about the experiences that shaped his leadership—from engaging with front-line franchisees to managing a very public product flop—and how other leaders can learn from them.

Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

People often expect their leaders to have all the answers; David Novak built his career by challenging that assumption. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, the former CEO and cofounder of Yum! Brands and current chair of Versant speaks with <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/eric-kutcher">Eric Kutcher</a>, McKinsey&rsquo;s chair of North America, about the experiences that shaped his leadership&mdash;from engaging with front-line franchisees to managing a very public product flop&mdash;and how other leaders can learn from them.
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

The McKinsey Podcast, our new flagship podcast series, takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey & Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

The McKinsey Podcast features conversations with experts from global management-consulting firm McKinsey & Company, focusing on the issues that matter most in business and management.

The McKinsey Podcast

Our flagship series The McKinsey Podcast takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey & Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

Our flagship series The McKinsey Podcast takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey &amp; Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

What great leaders know about not knowing it all

Foreign direct investment (FDI) used to sit in the background—important, but distant from day-to-day strategy. That’s no longer true. Today, massive capital commitments into areas like AI, semiconductors, and clean energy are signaling which industries will scale, where supply chains will land, and which regions will dominate. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partners Nick Leung and Olivia White explain to Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro why FDI has become a critical early indicator of competitive advantage—and what leaders should be watching now.

Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) used to sit in the background&mdash;important, but distant from day-to-day strategy. That&rsquo;s no longer true. Today, massive capital commitments into areas like AI, semiconductors, and clean energy are signaling which industries will scale, where supply chains will land, and which regions will dominate. In this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, McKinsey Senior Partners <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/nick-leung">Nick Leung</a> and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/olivia-white">Olivia White</a> explain to Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro why FDI has become a critical early indicator of competitive advantage&mdash;and what leaders should be watching now.
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

Follow the money: How FDI is redrawing the global economy

The US has had a phenomenal run of success: at 250 years old, it’s home to the world’s most competitive economy, accounting for more than a quarter of global GDP and more than half of the world’s top 100 companies. But America also confronts a raft of new challenges—mounting national debt, eroding infrastructure, slipping test scores, persistent income disparity, and more—that could threaten its historical momentum.

“I don’t bet against the US,” says McKinsey’s North America Chair Eric Kutcher. “If you believe in entrepreneurial spirit as core to who we are, then you have to believe this success will continue. But it’s not a foregone conclusion. There’s a lot that must happen to enable it.”

In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Kutcher and Senior Partner Olivia White speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about new McKinsey Global Institute research on what drives the US’s competitive edge—and what leaders need to do to maintain that edge in the AI era.

Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

The US has had a phenomenal run of success: at 250 years old, it&rsquo;s home to the world&rsquo;s most competitive economy, accounting for more than a quarter of global GDP and more than half of the world&rsquo;s top 100 companies. But America also confronts a raft of new challenges&mdash;mounting national debt, eroding infrastructure, slipping test scores, persistent income disparity, and more&mdash;that could threaten its historical momentum.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t bet against the US,&rdquo; says McKinsey&rsquo;s North America Chair <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/eric-kutcher">Eric Kutcher</a>. &ldquo;If you believe in entrepreneurial spirit as core to who we are, then you have to believe this success will continue. But it&rsquo;s not a foregone conclusion. There&rsquo;s a lot that must happen to enable it.&rdquo;
In this episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, Kutcher and Senior Partner <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/olivia-white">Olivia White</a> speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/at-250-sustaining-americas-competitive-edge">new McKinsey Global Institute research</a> on what drives the US&rsquo;s competitive edge&mdash;and what leaders need to do to maintain that edge in the AI era.
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

Can the US sustain its competitive edge?

Yes, AI is astonishing: fast, powerful,and learning every day. But even as leaders strike up new pilots across their organizations, most still struggle to translate experimentation into enterprise value—and now, agentic AI is raising the stakes. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partner Alexis Krivkovich speaks with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about what it will take to build an “agentic organization”—from reimagining workflows to reshaping leadership roles, skills, and culture for a future where humans increasingly operate above the loop.

Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

Yes, AI is astonishing: fast, powerful, and learning every day. But even as leaders strike up new pilots across their organizations, most still struggle to translate experimentation into enterprise value&mdash;and now, agentic AI is raising the stakes. In this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, McKinsey <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/alexis-krivkovich">Senior Partner Alexis Krivkovich</a> speaks with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about what it will take to build an &ldquo;agentic organization&rdquo;&mdash;from reimagining workflows to reshaping leadership roles, skills, and culture for a future where humans increasingly operate above the loop.
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

What great leaders know about not knowing it all

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