Greg Satell
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Bestselling Author of CASCADES & MAPPING INNOVATION | International Keynote Speaker | Transformation Expert and Advisor | @HarvardBiz Contributor
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Articles by Greg Satell
Embrace the Genius of the Obvious
GUEST POST from Greg Satell I’m currently reading Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao’s new book, The Friction Project, which is really a breath of fresh air. I was particularly struck by one passage in the beginning in which they write, “Friction fixers pride themselves in being masters of the obvious. They are mighty skeptical of secret solutions, shocking surprises, and miracle cures.” It’s a simple truth that humans crave status and taking on an air of sophistication is one way to attain it.
The Change Management Playbook Is Broken. Here Are 3 Counterintuitive Strategies That Actually Work
In 1995, Harvard professor John Kotter published an article in Harvard Business Review that has shaped how leaders have approached organizational change ever since. Based on his observations of more than 100 executives, he outlined a series of eight steps that he argued were necessary for successful transformation.
The AI productivity paradox: Why AI is everywhere except in the productivity numbers
In December 2024, just as the AI hype was ramping up, my colleagues Nicole Radziwill, Todd McClees, and I warned in the Harvard Business Review that most enterprises were poorly positioned to benefit from the technology. Our point was that AI isn’t just a technology story. It’s a human story, and people need to be set up to succeed. Today, the evidence is in, and it is not encouraging. Study after study finds that, despite the hype, AI adoption is not having a meaningful impact on productivity.
The AI productivity paradox: Why AI is everywhere except in the productivity numbers
Some Apple retail employees have been told to warn customers against visiting to purchase an iPhone Duo without a pre-order on Friday, October 23. Apple Store employees told that they have been advised that there will likely be no iPhone Duo stock available for walk-in purchases on launch day. …
Why the Incredible GE Turnaround Could be a Sign of the Times
GUEST POST from Greg Satell When Jack Welch took the helm at General Electric in 1981, it marked the beginning of a new era. Corporations would no longer coddle workers, but would slash costs, close factories and focus on increasing shareholder value. By 1999 he had increased revenues from $26.8 billion to nearly $130 billion and in 2000 he was named “Manager of the Century” by Fortune magazine. Yet all the success belied serious problems rumbling underneath the surface.
The Trump administration wants to take greater control of scientific grants. Here’s why that’s a terrible idea
Since World War II, the United States has dominated science and technology. With more than 400 Nobel Prizes, it dwarfs every other country. Major breakthroughs like nuclear energy, genetic engineering, and the internet were all led by researchers and engineers in the U.S. Today, it leads in every major technological category. To a great extent, this has been the result of government action.
The Smartest Guys on the Planet: Why Even Very Smart People Can Think Really Dumb Things
Not too long ago, I listened to tech investor Jason Calacanis on a podcast. He confidently made a number of strange assertions, including that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could easily be resolved with some land swaps and that the U.S. government had no business regulating mergers and acquisitions because it can’t predict the future.
The change management playbook is broken. Here are 3 counterintuitive strategies that actually work
In 1995, Harvard Business Review published an article by Harvard professor John Kotter that has shaped how leaders have approached organizational change ever since. Based on his observations of more than 100 companies, he outlined a series of eight steps that he argued were necessary for successful transformation.
How True Believers Undermine Change
GUEST POST from Greg Satell Journalist and Puck co-founder Tina Nguyen has been doing the rounds to promote her new book, The Maga Diaries, that chronicles her rise through, as well as her retreat from, the right-wing media ecosystem. What she describes is a carefully constructed culture that identifies, indoctrinates and then promotes ultra-conservative media personalities. Yet these efforts are prone to failure.
Despite The Hype, Innovation Isn’t Getting Any Faster. Here’s Why:
Today it’s become an article of faith that everything moves faster. Business pundits tell us that we’re living in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous). These are taken as basic truths that are beyond questioning or reproach. Yet are things actually moving any faster than in earlier eras? The evidence is surprisingly scarce. Certainly productivity isn’t growing any faster.
Why even the smartest people on the planet can think really dumb things
Not too long ago, I listened to tech investor Jason Calacanis on a podcast. He confidently made a number of strange assertions, including that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could easily be resolved with some land swaps and that the U.S. government had no business regulating mergers and acquisitions because it can’t predict the future.
Do These 3 Things to Tell a Compelling Story
GUEST POST from Greg Satell There’s a great, although perhaps apocryphal, story about Franz Kafka and a little girl. The relatively unknown author—he wouldn’t achieve great fame until after his death—met a young girl who lost her doll. Kafka helped her look for it, but to no avail. The doll was lost forever and the girl was heartbroken. But then Kafka told her a story. The next day he brought her a letter from the doll.
How To Sound Human, Not Like A Robot, In The Age Of AI
Last year, The Economist named “AI Slop” as its 2025 word of the year. “Slop merchants clog up the internet with drivel,” it wrote. Search Google for a health question and you’ll find endless articles filled with AI-written drivel. Scroll through Instagram and it won’t be long before you come across fake clips stitched together with an AI voiceover. We’ve all seen it. AI slop is almost impossible to escape.
Despite the hype, innovation isn’t getting any faster. Here’s why
Today it’s become an article of faith that everything moves faster. Business pundits tell us that we’re living in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous). These are taken as basic truths that are beyond questioning or reproach. Yet are things actually moving any faster than in earlier eras? The evidence is surprisingly scarce. Certainly productivity isn’t growing any faster.
Despite the hype, innovation isn’t getting any faster. Here’s why
Today it’s become an article of faith that everything moves faster. Business pundits tell us that we’re living in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous). These are taken as basic truths that are beyond questioning or reproach. Yet are things actually moving any faster than in earlier eras? The evidence is surprisingly scarce. Certainly productivity isn’t growing any faster.
Human-Centered Change and Innovation
GUEST POST from Greg Satell When people like to tell stories of historic corporate missteps, the story of Xerox and the Macintosh is near the top of the list. As the tale goes, the corporate giant spent a fortune to create all the technology that the famous computer was based on, but failed to market it and let Steve Jobs steal it out from under them. But that version leaves out important context. Yes, Xerox did create the technology.
Great Leaders Know How to Listen. Here Are 3 Skills to Master:
I used to have a manager who worked for me who would often come to me with a tricky problem to be solved. We would go to a conference room and she would explain the details. I would ask a few questions, but would mostly listen. After about ten minutes, she would jump up, having solved the problem herself and exclaim, “Thanks, you really helped me!” I didn’t have any answers, but my listening helped her find them.
How to sound like a human, not a robot, in the age of AI
Last year, The Economist named “AI Slop” as its 2025 word of the year. “Slop merchants clog up the internet with drivel,” it wrote. Search Google for a health question and you’ll find endless articles filled with AI-written drivel. Scroll through Instagram and it won’t be long before you come across fake clips stitched together with an AI voice-over. We’ve all seen it. AI slop is almost impossible to escape.
How to sound like a human, not a robot, in the age of AI
Think Trump cares? He’s in Ireland promoting his golf club. While Donald Trump was urging voters to cheat in the upcoming midterms and frantically …
Human-Centered Change and Innovation
GUEST POST from Greg Satell In 2004, I joined a KP Media, the leading news organization in Ukraine, where I would become Co-CEO. In the runup to the presidential election that year, the opposition candidate for president, a technocratic reformer named Viktor Yushchenko, was poisoned by pro-Russian agents. He survived, but his face was permanently disfigured. In that moment, the once mild-mannered banker was transformed into an inspirational leader.
The Urgency Trap: The Faster You Feel You Need To Go, The More Careful You Need To Be
Over the course of a long career, I’ve made my share of mistakes, but the dumbest and most damaging ones have always been driven by urgency. Whenever I convinced myself that an opportunity was so great I had to “strike while the iron was hot,” boneheaded decisions inevitably followed, usually ending in some crushing failure. Of course, nobody ever tells you that because “creating a sense of urgency” is supposed to be a good thing. It leads to action, and action feels good.
Para ser un gran líder, necesitas convertirte en un gran oyente: 3 habilidades que debes dominar
Las habilidades de escucha para líderes pueden marcar la diferencia entre simplemente dirigir un equipo y ayudarlo a encontrar mejores respuestas. Antes tenía una gerente que trabajaba para mí y que a menudo venía con algún problema complicado que necesitaba solución. Nos reuníamos en una sala de conferencias y ella me explicaba los detalles. Yo le hacía algunas preguntas, pero sobre todo escuchaba.
To be a great leader, you need to become a great listener. Here are 3 skills to master
I used to have a manager who worked for me and would often come to me with a tricky problem to be solved. We would go to a conference room and she would explain the details. I would ask a few questions, but would mostly listen. After about ten minutes, she would jump up, having solved the problem herself and exclaim, “Thanks, you really helped me!” I didn’t have any answers, but my listening helped her find them.
Human-Centered Change and Innovation
GUEST POST from Greg Satell In 2012, when Marco Rubio was gearing up for a run at the Presidency, he sat for an in-depth interview with the magazine GQ to bolster his image. “I think the age of the universe has zero to do with how our economy is going to grow,” he proudly declared. “I’m not a scientist. I don’t think I’m qualified to answer a question like that.” The attitude belies dangerous ignorance.
The AI “New Era” Illusion: Why Every Boom Looks Different—But Ends the Same
The beginning of the 20th century, much like the beginning of the 21st, was an era of increasing optimism. The financial panics of 1873 and 1893 were in the past, new technologies like electricity and internal combustion were just gaining traction and Morganization was creating trusts insulated from the ravages of competition.
I was co-CEO of a $100 million company. Here’s how my sense of urgency nearly killed it
Over the course of a long career, I’ve made my share of mistakes, but the dumbest and most damaging ones have always been driven by urgency. Whenever I convinced myself that an opportunity was so great I had to “strike while the iron is hot,” boneheaded decisions inevitably followed, usually ending in some crushing failure. Of course, nobody ever tells you that because “creating a sense of urgency” is supposed to be a good thing. It leads to action, and action feels good.
Human-Centered Change and Innovation
GUEST POST from Greg Satell In the small town of Alamogordo, New Mexico in 2002, a plan was hatched to pass a no smoking ordinance. The wife of a City Council member, a strong no-smoking advocate, orchestrated the campaign. She recruited activists from the next town over, twisted arms and, in a show of force, pushed for a quick vote. It failed. Compare that to a similar effort in El Paso, Texas around the same time.
3 Fundamental Rules That Change Management Consultants Will Never Tell You
In 1983, McKinsey consultant Julien Phillips published a paper in Human Resource Management describing what he called an “adoption penalty,” companies that failed to adapt quickly enough would inevitably fall behind. His ideas became McKinsey’s first change management model that it sold to clients. Today, more than four decades later, change management has become a massive industry.
La ilusión de la “nueva era” de la IA: por qué cada auge parece diferente, pero termina igual
La burbuja de la IA puede parecer un fenómeno completamente nuevo, pero la historia financiera cuenta otra historia. Cada gran auge tecnológico ha llegado acompañado de una promesa parecida: esta vez las viejas reglas ya no aplican. El comienzo del siglo XX, al igual que el del XXI, fue una época de creciente optimismo.
La ilusión de la “nueva era” de la IA: por qué cada boom parece diferente, pero termina igual
El comienzo del siglo XX, al igual que el comienzo del XXI, fue una época de creciente optimismo. Los pánicos financieros de 1873 y 1893 habían quedado atrás, nuevas tecnologías como la electricidad y el motor de combustión interna recién comenzaban a ganar terreno, y la “Morganization” estaba creando fideicomisos protegidos de los estragos de la competencia.
The AI ‘new era’ illusion: why every boom looks different—but ends the same
The beginning of the 20th century, much like the beginning of the 21st, was an era of increasing optimism. The financial panics of 1873 and 1893 were in the past, new technologies like electricity and internal combustion were just gaining traction and Morganization was creating trusts insulated from the ravages of competition.
Human-Centered Change and Innovation
GUEST POST from Greg Satell In 2005 W. Chan Kim and Renée published Blue Ocean Strategy, which found that “blue ocean” launches, those in new categories without competition, far outperformed the shark-infested “red ocean” line extensions that are the norm in the corporate world. It was an immediate hit, selling over 3.5 million copies. Bain consultants Chris Zook and James Allen’ published, Profit from the Core, around the same time.
The AI ‘new era’ illusion: why every boom looks different—but ends the same
The beginning of the 20th century, much like the beginning of the 21st, was an era of increasing optimism. The financial panics of 1873 and 1893 were in the past, new technologies like electricity and internal combustion were just gaining traction and Morganization was creating trusts insulated from the ravages of competition.
Disinformation Doesn’t Care About Your Facts. Here’s How You Can Fight Back.
In 2011, prominent 9/11 truther Charlie Veitch released a cellphone video renouncing his earlier belief that the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center was an “inside job.” As David McRaney explained in How Minds Change the backlash was “swift and brutal.” He was relentlessly harassed and his website was hacked. There were even death threats.
Human-Centered Change and Innovation
GUEST POST from Greg Satell About a decade ago, the management guru Gary Hamel wrote a highly cited article in Harvard Business Review entitled ‘First, Let’s Fire All the Managers’. He analyzed the success of Morningstar, a leading manufacturer of tomato products that operates with a flat management structure and called for other corporations to follow its lead. “A hierarchy of managers exacts a hefty tax on any organization,” he wrote. “This levy comes in several forms.
The Cockroach Movement Is Shaking Up India. Here’s What Every Leader Needs to Learn:
Narendra Modi is one of the most powerful leaders in the world. Domestically popular and internationally influential, his government has long appeared almost unassailable. Recently, however, that aura of invincibility has begun to crack. Massive protests, led by the Cockroach Janta Party, forced his education minister to resign We’ve seen this before. In the early 2000s, color revolutions in Eastern Europe brought down powerful regimes in Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine.
3 fundamental rules that change management consultants will never tell you
In 1983, McKinsey consultant Julien Phillips published a paper in Human Resource Management describing what he called an “adoption penalty”: companies that failed to adapt quickly enough would inevitably fall behind. His ideas became McKinsey’s first change management model that it sold to clients. Today, more than four decades later, change management has become a massive industry.
Human-Centered Change and Innovation
GUEST POST from Greg Satell In the late 90s Fortune magazine named Enron the most innovative company for six consecutive years, right up until the company collapsed in scandal. GE’s strategy of stack ranking was seen as a model to be emulated by other firms, even though there was no evidence it worked. McKinsey advised companies to fight a war for talent. Today, we know better.
Happy 17th Birthday, Digital Tonto!
When I started this blog in 2009, everything was mired in chaos. We were in the depths of the Great Recession, and it wasn’t clear whether we’d recover. In Ukraine, where I was living at the time, the financial crisis hit even harder. GDP plunged by 15% and you could see the currency losing value at the kiosks every day on the way to work. The world seemed to be ending and things continued to spiral.
Quer combater a desinformação? Comece pelas redes, não pelos fatos
Em 2011, o ativista das teorias da conspiração sobre o 11 de Setembro Charlie Veitch publicou um vídeo gravado pelo celular no qual renunciava à sua antiga crença de que o ataque terrorista havia sido um "trabalho interno". Como David McRaney explicou em seu livro "How Minds Change" (“Por que acreditamos no que acreditamos: como as opiniões são formadas e como mudá-las”) , a reação foi "rápida e brutal". Veitch sofreu assédio incessante e teve seu site hackeado. Houve até ameaças de morte.
Disinformation doesn’t care about your facts. Here’s how you can fight back
In 2011, the 9/11 truther Charlie Veitch released a cellphone video renouncing his earlier belief that the terrorist attack was an “inside job.” As David McRaney explained in How Minds Change, the backlash was “swift and brutal.” Veitch was relentlessly harassed and his website was hacked. There were even death threats.
Protester networks are challenging Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s power. Here’s what every leader needs to learn
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of the most powerful leaders in the world. Domestically popular and internationally influential, his government has long appeared almost unassailable. Recently, however, that aura of invincibility has begun to crack. Massive protests, led by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party, forced his education minister to resign. We’ve seen this before. In the early 2000s, color revolutions in Eastern Europe brought down powerful regimes in Serbia, Georgia, and Ukraine.
Protester networks are challenging Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s power. Here’s what every leader needs to learn
Sangh Parivar Much Better Than Gandhi Parivar: Sushmita Dev Who Recently Joined BJP After Quitting TMC Sushmita Dev said while both political forces revolve around "parivar", the Sangh Parivar is a much larger and more democratic institution than being …
What business leaders need to learn from India’s protest networks - Fast Company
BJP’s good times are perhaps ending. But Modi is no Indira Gandhi Narendra Modi's popularity has carried the BJP through three general elections. But when one leader claims every success, he also risks being blamed …
Disinformation doesn’t care about your facts. Here’s how you can fight back
In 2011, the 9/11 truther Charlie Veitch released a cellphone video renouncing his earlier belief that the terrorist attack was an “inside job.” As David McRaney explained in How Minds Change, the backlash was “swift and brutal.” Veitch was relentlessly harassed and his website was hacked. There were even death threats.
Disinformation doesn't care about your facts. Here's how you can fight back
2 hours ago Today we’re talking about California’s Proposition 39, a bid to turn Trump’s election conspiracy fantasies into California law, and a proposal so disingenuous it’s caused Democratic legislators to sue the Democratic secretary of state in an attempt to stop the misinformation surrounding it. As these …
You Need a Strategy Not a Slogan to Overcome Resistance to Change
GUEST POST from Greg Satell When we’re passionate about an idea, we want others to see it the same way we do, with all its beautiful complexity and nuance. We want to believe that if others can just understand it, they will embrace it. That’s why most change management practices focus on persuasion, explaining the need for change and creating a sense of urgency.
You Have A Big Idea. Here’s How To Turn It Into Impact
Peter Drucker was the quintessential management visionary. Often decades ahead of his time, he developed concepts like the knowledge worker and management by objectives long before they were on anybody else’s radar. It was for good reason that the corporate elite hung on his every word as if they were supplicants granted an audience with an ancient oracle. Yet when Drucker first met Thomas J. Watson, IBM’s CEO, he was somewhat taken aback.
You have a big idea. Here’s how to turn it into impact
Peter Drucker was the quintessential management visionary. Often decades ahead of his time, he developed concepts like the knowledge worker and management by objectives long before they were on anybody else’s radar. It was for good reason that the corporate elite hung on his every word as if they were supplicants granted an audience with an ancient oracle. Yet when Drucker first met Thomas J. Watson, he was taken aback.
Human-Centered Change and Innovation
GUEST POST from Greg Satell In 1988, a young management student named John Krafcik published an article in MIT’s Sloan Management Review entitled, Triumph of the Lean Production System. Based on his study of 90 manufacturing plants in 20 countries, it argued that manufacturing could be made vastly more productive, while improving quality at the same time. These methods would grow into the lean manufacturing movement and their effectiveness has been well documented.
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