Libsyn Directory

Facing Fear And Finding Purpose With Ranjay Gulati - TWMJ #1012

Release Date: 11/30/2025

Belief, Potential And Breakthroughs With Nir Eyal - TWMJ #1028

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1028 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). In a world increasingly defined by information overload and ideological certainty, the ability to change one’s mind may be the most undervalued skill of all… and few thinkers have explored that terrain as deeply as my friend, . A bestselling author, behavioral design expert and former lecturer, Nir has built a career examining how habits are formed, how attention is controlled and how human behavior can be shaped both externally and from within. His previous works, and , established him as a leading...

The Science Of Storytelling With Will Storr - TWMJ #1027

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1027 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). is an award-winning author, journalist and storytelling researcher whose work explores one of the most powerful forces shaping human behavior… the stories we tell ourselves about the world. Over the course of a career that blends psychology, neuroscience, investigative journalism and narrative craft, Will has become one of the most compelling voices examining how stories shape identity, belief and culture. His bestselling books include , , and , each offering a deeper look at the hidden forces driving...

Getting Your Strategy Right With Kevin Ertell

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1026 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when strategy has become a kind of corporate theater… carefully crafted presentations, ambitious roadmaps and bold declarations that rarely survive first contact with reality… has spent a career focused on the harder question: why execution so often fails. Kevin is the Founder and CEO of and a veteran operator whose three decades of experience include leading large-scale retail and e-commerce operations at global brands like , , , and . Over the years he has developed a reputation as a...

What Is Happening With AI With Ann Handley - TWMJ #1025

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1025 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a moment when panic travels faster than proof, few marketers are as clear-eyed… and as human… as . A pioneering digital marketing strategist (), bestselling author ( and ), longtime champion of writing that actually means something and dear friend (also, if you’re not susbscribed to her newsletter, , you really should be), Ann has built a career reminding businesses that the point of content isn’t velocity… it’s connection. In her recent essay, , she pushes back against the apocalyptic...

Making The Internet Suck Less With Cory Doctorow - TWMJ #1024

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1024 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when the digital infrastructure that underpins modern life feels increasingly hostile, few voices have been as prescient... or as relentless... as . A science fiction novelist, journalist and technology activist, Cory serves as Special Advisor to the and has long stood at the intersection of storytelling, policy and power. Over the course of a prolific career (one that includes bestselling fiction, influential tech policy books like and , and his widely read blog) Cory has chronicled how...

Distrust, Polarization And Hypocrisy With Michael Hallsworth - TWMJ #1023

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1023 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). In an era where outrage travels faster than reflection, few accusations carry as much moral force as the charge of hypocrisy… and yet few concepts are as misunderstood. is Chief Behavioral Scientist at the and a leading voice in behavioral economics, with academic appointments at the and a career devoted to understanding how real people actually think and act in complex systems. His research spans public policy, organizational behavior and social judgment, examining how incentives, norms, and...

Real Transformations With Phil Gilbert - TWMJ #1022

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1022 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a moment when organizational change is too often treated as a mandate rather than an experience people choose to embrace, has spent his career proving that transformation only sticks when it earns genuine buy-in. Phil is a design executive, transformation leader and former General Manager of Design at , where he architected one of the largest cultural and operational shifts in corporate history, helping nearly 400,000 employees across 180 countries become more entrepreneurial, agile and...

Navigating Strategy In The Age Of AI With Roger Martin - TWMJ #1021

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1021 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when strategy is often confused with forecasting and certainty is mistaken for rigor, the work of insists on a more demanding discipline: making clear, integrated choices under uncertainty. Named the world’s #1 management thinker by in 2017, Roger is a , strategy advisor, and the former Dean at the at the , where he served for fifteen years and reshaped how management education engages with real-world complexity. Over decades, he has advised CEOs at companies including , , , , , and ,...

Boundless Creativity And Design Mastery With David "Shingy" Shing - TWMJ #1020

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1020 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when technology listens more closely than people realize and advertising feels less predictive than presumptive, understanding how culture, data and human behavior collide has become essential. has spent his career at that intersection, shaping how global brands think about creativity, relevance and the emotional consequences of digital systems. Know as the Digital Prophet at (and then ) and a very influential voice in modern branding and innovation, Shingy has advised companies, leaders and...

Leadership Unblocked With Muriel Wilkins - TWMJ #1019

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1019 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when leadership is being tested less by strategy and more by inner capacity, clarity of judgment and emotional steadiness, the work of stands out for its insistence that progress begins from the inside out. Muriel is an executive coach, CEO of , and a trusted advisor to senior leaders navigating complexity at the highest levels of organizations, drawing on more than two decades of experience working with C-suite executives and high-potential leaders. A graduate with a background in consulting...

More Episodes

Welcome to episode #1012 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

Amid a moment when uncertainty defines every industry and leaders everywhere are confronting fear disguised as strategy, it is worth turning to someone who has spent his career decoding how individuals and organizations find the courage to act, which is why this week’s guest, Ranjay Gulati, offers such rare authority. Ranjay is the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor at Harvard Business School, a globally recognized organizational sociologist, bestselling author, and one of the world’s most cited scholars on leadership, strategy, and culture. His research has shaped how companies think about growth, resilience, and high-performance environments, and his teaching in Harvard’s executive and senior-leader programs has influenced thousands of CEOs navigating transformation and complexity. Before this latest work, he authored landmark books such as Deep Purpose and built a career studying how organizations thrive in adversity, drawing on field research with global enterprises, fast-growth ventures, and leaders operating in the highest-stakes environments. His new book, How To Be Bold - The Surprising Science Of Everyday Courage, anchors this conversation and reflects more than a decade of inquiry into how courage operates - not as myth or personality, but as a learnable, repeatable set of cognitive, emotional, and social processes. In our conversation, Ranjay explains the psychology of fear, the organizational traps created by success, the cultural shifts redefining leadership post-Covid, and why courageous action depends on purpose, identity, and the right forms of support. He illustrates these ideas through stories ranging from nuclear-plant operators to turnaround CEOs to everyday workplace dilemmas, showing how boldness emerges in moments both dramatic and ordinary. With his blend of academic rigor, global fieldwork, and practical insight from advising major companies, Ranjay reveals courage as a continuum that shapes teams, leaders, and cultures, and reminds us that most regret comes not from what we do, but what we avoid. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 51:51.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
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Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel.
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Check out ThinkersOne.
Here is my conversation with Ranjay Gulati.
How To Be Bold - The Surprising Science Of Everyday Courage.
Deep Purpose.
Harvard Business School.
Sign up for Ranjay’s newsletter: Leadership Unlocked.
Follow Ranjay on LinkedIn.

Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction to Ranjay Gulati and His Work.
(05:53) - Understanding Fear and Uncertainty.
(11:37) - Courage as a Continuum: Physical vs. Moral.
(17:26) - Collective Courage in Organizations.
(22:51) - Navigating Boldness in a Cancel Culture.
(27:38) - Understanding Courage in Leadership.
(32:33) - The Success Trap: Risks of Complacency.
(37:47) - The Six C’s of Courage.
(42:58) - Fostering Collective Courage in Hybrid Work.
(47:54) - Courage as an Inner Journey.

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