Harvard Business School Prof Ranjay Gulati Podcasts

In this bonus Deep Purpose release, we are sharing an episode of the HBS podcast Climate Rising with host Professor Mike Toffel. In this episode, Daniel Pacthod, Senior Partner and global co-leader of McKinsey Sustainability, shares how the company works with its clients to address climate risk and find opportunities through its pillars of net-zero…

The core purpose of The Mahindra Group is to help people “rise.” Company leader Anand Mahindra says the “rise” philosophy guides how this sprawling enterprise makes money, motivates employees, and strives for a better world. Mahindra describes how “rise” is a beacon for the group’s 250,000 employees and makes life better for people across the globe…

Like many winning businesses, DBS (formerly known as The Development Bank of Singapore) is obsessed with the customer experience. CEO Piyush Gupta says DBS’ mission to be the best bank in the world pays huge dividends for employees, investors, and communities. He tells Professor Gulati that effective leadership in the digital age requires collabora…

David Vélez is a founder of the world’s biggest digital bank: Nubank in Brazil. Vélez tells Professor Ranjay Gulati that he started his remarkable business career as a boy – and with an unusual investment. Vélez describes how having a deep purpose helped his team defy the critics and build Nubank from scratch. Nubank’s core mission led it to outper…

Temasek Holdings is an investment firm owned by the Government of Singapore with a diverse, global portfolio. It owns energy companies and a major airline. It’s also committed to a green future, which generates unique challenges for the firm. CEO Dilhan Pillay says the Temasek’s ongoing “purpose journey” helps it meet those challenges, delivering r…

In South Africa, CEO Sim Tshabalala of Standard Bank Group worked his way up from the country’s largest Black township to lead one of Africa’s largest financial institutions. It might seem like an improbable trajectory: from the “dusty streets of Soweto” to the executive suite of a highly influential business. In this episode, Tshabalala explains h…

Arcos Dorados (Golden Arches in English) is the world’s largest independent McDonald’s franchisee. It has restaurants across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founder Woods Staton says purpose is a work in progress for his company. But having core principles helped Arcos Dorados keep the doors open – with minimal layoffs – during the COVID-19 pandem…

Mumzworld is the largest online baby store in the Middle East. It was created by Mona Ataya, one of the most influential businesswomen in the region. Ataya is driven to empower women, motivate employees and benefit all of the company’s stakeholders. In this conversation, Ataya recounts the challenges of creating a women-led company in a socially co…

A near-death experience led Mudassir Sheikha and his business partner to a deep sense of purpose in creating the rideshare company Careem. They wanted to make an impact – and did so big-time. Sheikha says that purpose is Careem’s “superpower,” bringing energy, focus and exceptional financial success to the company. Doing business with a clear, core…

Alan Jope of Unilever leads a company with a historical commitment to doing good. This massive company sells more than 400 brands. It started back in 1885 with a bar of beauty soap. Jope says navigating with a deep purpose makes his company stronger and more profitable. The approach has not been without controversy. But Jope says it’s the both the …

As the CEO of Walgreens-Boots Alliance, Roz Brewer leads a large and diverse company in a challenging business sector that is critical to the well-being of society: health care. Having a Deep Purpose is essential, she says, because profits come from doing the right thing. In this candid conversation, Brewer reveals how her own family’s health conce…

Deep Purpose is a series of captivating conversations with Harvard Business School Professor Ranjay Gulati and top global CEOs about how courageous leaders unlock potential, proving that vast performance gains–and vital social benefits–are the payoffs when firms get purpose right.By Harvard Business School Prof. Ranjay Gulati