The McKinsey Podcast

Could AI transformation be exhausting humans rather than optimizing their performance? As artificial intelligence transforms how we work, organizations face a new challenge: ensuring people have the brain health and skills to cope with the cognitive demands of technology. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Partners and Kana Enomoto, and McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) Senior Fellow Jacqueline Brassey, speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about why brain capital is becoming a key competitive advantage in the age of AI—and what leaders can do to build healthier, more adaptable, and higher-performing organizations.
In the second half of this episode, McKinsey Senior Partner Shubham Singhal joins Lucia to answer a few audience questions from a recent McKinsey Live webinar on geopolitics and how it’s reshaping global trade.
The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.
This episode has been adapted from our McKinsey Live webinar series.
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As sports become an even bigger engine of economic growth, the defining challenge isn’t identifying tomorrow’s fans; it’s recognizing that many of them are already filling stadiums, attending World Cup watch parties, and participating in digital communities. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partner Lucy Pérez joins Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to reflect on McKinsey’s recent research about the growing influence of Latino fans, the brand opportunities for personalized engagement, and the investments that strengthen fandom—from youth sports all the way through lifelong participation.
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Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.
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The first wave of AI adoption has been all about efficiency gains. But what happens when everyone else, using the same tools, is experiencing the same productivity improvements? Where will competitive advantage come from then? McKinsey research suggests that the companies that outperform with AI will be those that rethink customer experiences, redesign how work gets done, and build operating models that continuously adapt to change.
In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partner and McKinsey Global Institute Director Tanguy Catlin explains to Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro why CEOs should shift their focus from AI-driven productivity to AI-powered reinvention. They discuss the rise of agentic AI, how competitive dynamics are changing, and why organizational transformation—not technology—is likely to be the defining challenge of the AI era.
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Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.
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In an era of economic uncertainty and accelerating technological disruption, creating new businesses has become less of a growth option and more of a strategic imperative. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partner Jason Bello speaks with Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro about McKinsey’s new research on corporate venture building. They examine why serial builders outperform their peers, how AI is reshaping the economics of innovation, and what leaders can do to turn experimentation into a repeatable capability.
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Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.
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Long before someone takes the corner office, they need to build the skills and rapport that will help them thrive once they move in. That CEO journey is the focus of this episode of The McKinsey Podcast with McKinsey Partner Blair Epstein, Senior Partner Carolyn Dewar, Partner Julia McClatchy, and Senior Partner Vik Malhotra. They share their collective insights with Roberta Fusaro, McKinsey editorial director, about how CEOs should prepare for the role, navigate those critical early days, sustain personal and organizational performance, and continue to evolve their leadership styles.
A CEO for All Seasons book: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/ceo-for-all-seasons
Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.
See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information