McKinsey Talks Talent

Hosted by McKinsey People & Organizational Performance

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Latest episode

Apr 2026

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About the show

Listen in to learn how to navigate a fast-changing business landscape and prepare for the future of work by turning talent into competitive advantage. McKinsey talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock lead discussions with globally recognized experts and thought leaders on talent, transformational change, and leadership development.

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44 recent

April 29, 202617 min

What it takes to build “genius at scale”

That elusive Eureka moment: Every leader strives for it—but it can’t be forced. And as Harvard Business School Professor Linda Hill argues in her new book Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation (Harvard Business Publishing, March 2026), innovation is less about a flash of insight than about creating the conditions for breakthrough ideas to take hold and scale. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Hill speaks with McKinsey leaders and talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock, along with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, about the roles and capabilities that successful innovators share—and about how to create a culture that encourages everyone to undertake the hard, risky work of innovation to drive organizational performance.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

March 25, 202624 min

The problem with ‘bringing your whole self to work’

Being yourself at work has become a corporate mantra—and it certainly started in a well-meaning way. But it can also have significant downsides, according to Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, author of Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead). In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Chamorro-Premuzic joins McKinsey leaders and talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock, as well as Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, to explore what authenticity really means in the workplace, when it helps and hurts, and what may matter more for employees looking to accelerate their leadership trajectory in the age of AI. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

February 27, 202621 min

US manufacturing’s next test: Building a workforce for a new era

Manufacturing is back at the center of the US economic agenda. Yet the sector faces a persistent talent shortage—and to bridge it, leaders will need to rethink how they attract, train, and retain a new generation of manufacturing employees. “Manufacturers need to be driving the conversation, not waiting for the workforce ecosystem to arrive at their door,” says Carolyn Lee, President and Executive Director of the Manufacturing Institute (MI). On this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Lee joins McKinsey leaders Brooke Weddle, Bryan Hancock, and Tyler Freeman, along with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, to talk about what needs to change, as automation advances and employees’ expectations evolve, to enable US manufacturing to thrive in the age of AI.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

January 29, 202624 min

How smart people end up in the wrong careers

Many high performers think they’re doing everything right—yet still feel somehow wrong about their day-to-day. And the advent of AI means work-related decision-making is more complex than ever. As job uncertainty ups the ante, more employees might be tempted to settle for the “B+ life,” in the words of Suzy Welch, author of Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career (HarperCollins, May 2025). In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Welch talks to McKinsey leaders and talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock, as well as Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, about where so many successful people go awry—and more important, about how to discover work that you value, that’s economically viable, and that you’re genuinely wired to do.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

December 10, 202511 min

What leaders can learn from Homeboy Industries

In the US, many companies still struggle to fill essential roles. What if part of the solution involves talent that has traditionally been overlooked? Take Johanna Carbajal, who spent her adolescence shuttling between juvenile hall, foster care, and the streets before landing in prison at 18. After her release, Johanna made her way to Homeboy Industries, the Los Angeles–based organization founded by Father Greg Boyle to help formerly incarcerated and gang-involved individuals heal, find stability, and build meaningful careers. For Johanna, finding Homeboy was a watershed moment. On this special holiday episode of McKinsey Talks Talent,  you’ll hear her—as well as Father Greg, in conversation with McKinsey talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock, and Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly—talking about what leaders can learn from the Homeboy philosophy, including the impact of thinking differently about hiring, developing skills, and creating a culture where employees feel not just safe but seen.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

October 29, 202524 min

Building a talent pipeline for the AI era

AI is ushering in a new era of work, and smart employers are staying ahead of the curve by rethinking how to cultivate the skills their organizations need to thrive. The best leaders realize they won’t be able to do it alone, according to Beth Cobert, president of affiliates and strategic partnerships at Strada Education Foundation. On this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Cobert joins McKinsey talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock, along with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, to discuss the kinds of cross-sector collaborations that help businesses and workers develop skills for the future—and connect education more directly to high-quality jobs.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

September 23, 202518 min

Talent wins: the growing business of women’s sports

On this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, McKinsey talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock join Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly for a conversation with Jason Wright, managing partner and head of investments at Project Level and former president of the NFL’s Washington Commanders. Together, they explore how women’s sports is scaling rapidly—and what it takes to build an industry with lasting economic and social impact.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

July 29, 202524 min

How the right operating model can close your performance gap

A smart strategy is vital—but in today’s fast-changing world, it isn’t enough. Our research suggests that even high-performing companies fail to deliver on the potential of their strategy, to the tune of about 30 percent. But the right operating model can change all that. “The opportunity that comes from closing the 30 percent gap between strategy and performance is real,” according to McKinsey Partner Dickie Steele. On this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Dickie joins McKinsey Senior Partner Brooke Weddle, Partner Bryan Hancock, and Global Editorial Director and Deputy Publisher Lucia Rahilly to share a new system for reexamining your operating model to create unique competitive advantage.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

June 25, 202526 min

What the labor market isn’t telling you—yet

AI is fast transforming work as we’ve known it—and the latest data on jobs doesn’t always reflect the changes underway. “One word sums it up best: ‘uncertainty,’” says Svenja Gudell, chief economist of global employment platform Indeed. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Svenja joins McKinsey talent leaders Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock, along with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, to help leaders make sense of the current collision of labor market trends: generative AI, agentic AI, an aging workforce, shifting priorities, and more.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

June 3, 202534 min

The future of work is agentic

Think about your org chart. Now imagine it features both your current colleagues—humans, if you’re like most of us—and AI agents. That’s not science fiction; it’s happening—and it’s happening relatively quickly, according to McKinsey Senior Partner Jorge Amar. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Jorge joins McKinsey talent leaders Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock and Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to talk about what these AI agents are, how they’re being used, and how leaders can prepare now for the workforce of the not-too-distant future.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

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