What it takes to build “genius at scale”

About this episode

Linda Hill discusses how to create conditions for innovation and the roles successful innovators share.

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

People in this episode

Host: McKinsey Talks Talent

Guests: Linda Hill, Brooke Weddle, Bryan Hancock, Lucia Rahilly

Topics covered

• innovation
• leadership
• organizational performance
• culture
• breakthrough ideas

Keywords

• genius at scale
• innovation
• leadership
• organizational culture
• breakthrough ideas

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard Business School, Harvard Business Publishing, McKinsey

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