Podcast Topic

Innovation

The Song of Significance

Guest: Seth Godin

Kelly welcomes the legendary Seth Godin back to the podcast to talk about his new book “The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams.”

Without a Doubt

Guest: Surbhi Sarna

Kelly has a conversation with entrepreneur Surbhi Sarna who has a new book "Without a Doubt: How to Go From Underrated to Unbeatable."

Immersion

Guest: Paul Zak

Kelly welcomes neuroscientist Paul Zak back to the podcast to talk about his new book “Immersion: The Science of the Extraordinary and the Source of Happiness.”

Thriving on Overload

Guest: Ross Dawson

Kelly connects with Ross Dawson, a world-leading futurist, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker to talk about his new book, “Thriving on Overload: The 5 Powers for Success in a World of Exponential Information.”

Scare Your Soul

Guest: Scott Simon

Kelly connects with happiness entrepreneur Scott Simon to talk about his new book: "Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles for Harnessing Fear and Living Your Most Courageous Life."

Hack Your Bureaucracy

Guest: Marina Nitze and Nick Sinai

Kelly talks to former Obama White House staffers Marina Nitze and Nick Sinai about their new book: “Hack Your Bureaucracy: Get Things Done No Matter What Your Role on Any Team.”

The Tao of Alibaba

Guest: Brian Wong

Kelly talks to Brian Wong, the first American employee of Alibaba about his new book “The Tao of Alibaba: Inside the Chinese Digital Giant That is Changing the World.”

Quit

Guest: Annie Duke

Kelly has an inspiring conversation with the great Annie Duke, who has see-sawed her way from academia to professional poker and back to academia. Her new book is called "Quit: The Power of Knowing When To Walk Away."

Both/And Thinking

Guest: Wendy Smith

Wendy Smith, the Academic Director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative at the University of Delaware, joins us to talk about a new book she co-wrote with Marianne Lewis, Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems.

The Culture Playbook

Guest: Daniel Coyle

Kelly welcomes back New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle to talk about his new book: “The Culture Playbook: 60 Highly Effective Actions To Help Your Group Succeed.”

The Art of Insubordination

Guest: Todd Kashdan

Kelly mixes things up with George Mason University professor Todd Kashdan to talk about his new book "The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent & Defy Effectively."

Deep Purpose

Guest: Ranjay Gulati

Kelly connects with Harvard professor Ranjay Gulati to discuss his new book "Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies.”

The Human Element

Guest: Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal

Kelly connects with Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal, two professors at the Kellogg School a Northwestern, to discuss their new book “The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance that Awaits New Ideas”

Creative Acts for Curious People

Guest: Sarah Stein Greenberg

Kelly connects with Sarah Stein Greenberg, the Executive Director of the D School at Stanford University to discuss her new book "Creative Acts for Curious People."

Power for All

Guest: Julie Battilana

Kelly has a fascinating conversation with Harvard professor Julie Battilana about her new book which examines the science behind power and how it's not something anyone can solely possess.

Mass Human Flourishing

Guest: Rosie von Lila

Kelly has a wide-ranging discussion with the multi-talented Rosie von Lila whose work has taken her from finance to Burning Man to the US National Defense University.

The Hype Handbook

Guest: Michael F. Schein

Kelly talks to Michael F. Schein, Founder, and President of MicroFame Media, about all things hype.

Two Beats Ahead

Guest: Panos Panay and Michael Hendrix

Kelly hits the right note with authors Panos Panay and Michael Hendrix as they discuss their new book, “Two Beats Ahead: What Musical Minds Teach Us About Innovation.”

Alien Thinking

Guest: Cyril Bouquet

Kelly makes a long-distance connection with professor Cyril Bouquet who teaches in Switzerland at the Institute for Management Development. They discuss his new book "Alien Thinking: The Unconventional Path to Breakthrough Ideas."

The Alchemy of Us

Guest: Ainissa Ramirez

Kelly sits down with academic and author Ainissa Ramirez to talk about her new book "The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another."

The Innovation Stack

Guest: Jim McKelvey

Serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Square, Jim McKelvey, links with Kelly about his new book "The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time."

Dare to Inspire

Guest: Allison Holzer

Allison Holzer, the Chief Innovation Officer of InspireCorps, talks to Kelly about her new co-authored book, "Dare to Inspire: Sustain the Fire of Inspiration in Work and Life."

Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything

Guest: BJ Fogg

Kelly gleans insights from Stanford University Professor BJ Fogg on the science of changing habits.

Connect First

Guest: Melanie Katzman

Dr. Melanie Katzman sits down with Kelly to discuss her new book, "Connect First," which provides smart and practical ways to ignite success, meaning, and joy at work.‍

The Meritocracy Trap

Guest: Daniel Markovits

Yale Law professor Daniel Markovits has a fascinating conversation with Kelly about his new book "The Meritocracy Trap: How America's Foundational Myth Feeds Inequality, Dismantles the Middle Class, and Devours the Elite."

Love is Just Damn Good Business

Guest: Steve Farber

Listed as one of Inc. Magazine's Top 50 Leadership and Management Experts, Steve Farber is a leadership pioneer and strategist whose new book argues that loving your employees and loving your companies is the key to business success. 

How We Make Stuff Now

Guest: Jules Pieri

Kelly connects with co-founder and CEO of The Grommet, Jules Pieri, on her new book, "How We Make Stuff Now," which unlocks key insights on turning ideas into products to build a successful business.

Frenemies

Guest: Ken Auletta

Kelly talks to author and columnist of The New Yorker Ken Auletta about frenemies within the changing landscape of marketing and advertising.

Nine Lies About Work

Guest: Marcus Buckingham

Kelly talks to best-selling author and thought leader Marcus Buckingham about his new book that deconstructs the lies that underpin so much of our daily working lives.

Crisis, Change and How to Lead When it Matters Most

Guest: Eric McNulty

Kelly connects with Harvard professor Eric McNulty about his new book, "You're It: Crisis, Change and How to Lead When it Matters Most," which provides evidence-based insights on the complexity of leadership when you need it most.

Creative Construction

Guest: Gary Pisano

Kelly talks to Gary Pisano about his new book "Creative Construction" that looks at the DNA of sustained innovation.

The Art of Is

Guest: Stephen Nachmanovitch

Kelly connects with musician and author Stephen Nachmanovitch whose new book, "The Art of Is," explores the way we all improvise through our day to day lives.

Cracking Complexity

Guest: David Benjamin

Kelly connects with the co-founder of Syntegrity, David Benjamin, about his new book: "Cracking Complexity: The Breakthrough Formula for Solving Just About Anything Fast."

Late Bloomers

Guest: Rich Karlgaard

Kelly connects with Rich Karlgaard, the publisher of Forbes Magazine whose new book is called "Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement."

The Purpose Path

Guest: Dr. Nicholas Pearce

Kelly talks to Dr. Nicholas Pearce - who teaches business at Northwestern and serves as an associate pastor on Chicago's South Side - about his new book "The Purpose Path."

Loonshots

Guest: Safi Bahcall

Kelly sits down with physicist and biotech entrepreneur Safi Bahcall to talk about his new book "Loonshots: How To Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases and Transform Industries."

The Prosperity Paradox

Guests: Efosa Ojoma and Karen Dillon

Kelly talks to Efosa Ojomo of the Christensen Institute and Karen Dillon, the former editor of the Harvard Business Review, about their new book "The Prosperity Paradox", co-authored with the legendary scholar Clayton Christensen.

Yes is the Answer

Guest: Cameron Mitchell

Kelly talks with Cameron Mitchell, CEO of Ocean Prime, Mitchell's Fish Market, and Rusty Bucket restaurants, about his new book "Yes is the Answer," his own rags-to-riches story and a business philosophy that puts his own staff first.

Joy

Guest: Ingrid Fetell Lee

Kelly connects with former IDEO design director Ingrid Fetell Lee whose new book, "Joyful," looks at the science underneath how we experience joy in the world around us.

Business Chemistry

Guest: Kim Christfort

Kelly sits down with Kim Christfort at Deloitte to discuss the magic and science to crafting powerful work relationships.

Designing Creativity at Apple

Guest: Ken Kocienda

Kelly dials up Ken Kocienda who was on the design team at Apple to talk about innovation, Steve Jobs and developing the iPhone.

Rule Makers, Rule Breakers

Guest: Michele Gelfand

Kelly connects with professor Michele Gelfand whose study of culture has led her to believe that our behaviors and attitudes are largely based on whether we are a product of tight cultures or loose cultures.

Getting Out of the Office

Guest: Matt Walsh

Kelly talks to Matt Walsh, the CEO of Green Stone and a business leader who has some interesting insights into the limiting effects of traditional office culture on the ability to be our most creative selves.

"Crushing the Box"

Guest: Chris Denson

Kelly talks to Chris Denson, host of the Innovation Crush podcast and author of "Crushing the Box"

Applied Empathy

Guest: Michael Ventura

Kelly talks to the CEO of Sub Rosa, Michael Ventura, about his new leadership book "Applied Empathy."

Brandstage: Using Improv and Comedy to Get to Truth.

Guest: Steve Kakos and Anneliese Toft

Kelly takes his listeners backstage with his colleagues Steve Kakos and Anneliese Toft as they discuss "Brandstage," a process that gets insights by putting brands and organizations through The Second City process.

Why it Pays to Break the Rules

Guest: Francesca Gino

Kelly talks to Francesca Gino, a Harvard professor whose new book, “Rebel Talent,” highlights the unusual characteristics of our most successful innovators - including a chapter looking at the power or improvisation.

How to Thrive in a World of Inevitable Copycats

Guest: Howard Yu

Kelly has a fascinating conversation with scholar Howard Yu about his new book "Leap," which looks at how being the best doesn't guarantee long-term success.

Elastic Thinking

Guest: Leonard Mlodinow

Kelly meets Leonard Mlodinow, a theoretical physicist who has co-written books with Stephen Hawking and Deepak Chopra. His new book is called “Elastic Thinking”

Best Of Getting To Yes, And

Guest: Best Of Guests

We recently aired our 100th episode of “Getting to Yes, And.” So we’ve compiled ten of our favorite moments from the podcast. Enjoy!

The Mind Is Flat…And It Improvises

Guest: Nicholas Chater

Kelly has an intriguing conversation with Behavioral Scientist Nicholas Chater whose controversial new book, “The Mind is Flat,” challenges the concepts of mental depth and unconscious thinking.

Unsafe Thinking

Guest: Jonah Sachs

Kelly talks to author Jonah Sachs about his new book “Unsafe Thinking” which looks at the science and stories behind breakthrough ideas.

Participant Marketing

Guest: Michael Brito

Kelly meets Michael Brito a digital strategist whose new book “Participant Marketing” makes the case for engaging your most powerful marketing tool: your own employees.

How We Work

Guest: Leah Weiss

Kelly sits down with Stanford University professor Leah Weiss whose new book “How We Work” looks at ways in which we can re-humanize the workplace.

In Defense Of Troublemakers

Guest: Charlan Nemeth

Kelly cooks up trouble with professor Charlan Nemeth whose new book looks at the virtues of the outliers and misfits. Read further for this week’s Rule of Three.

Helping Is The New Selling

Guest: David Cancel

Kelly talks to serial entrepreneur David Cancel about his unique approach to selling, marketing and the future of work. Read further for this week’s Rule of Three.

Quirky

Guest: Melissa Shilling

Kelly talks to Professor Melissa Shilling whose new book “Quirky” explores the science the traits that drive geniuses like Elon Musk, Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs and Marie Curie.

Great At Work

Guest: Morten Hansen

Kelly digs into the science behind great work performance with Berkeley professor Morten T. Hansen. His new book, “Great at Work,” gives some surprising insight into what makes individuals truly excel in their jobs.

An Education In Comedy

Guest: Anne Libera and Kelly Leonard

This week we talked to Anne Libera, Director of the Comedy Studies program for The Second City and Columbia College.

Awakening Compassion At Work

Guest: Jane Dutton and Monica Worline

Kelly talks to acclaimed scholars Jane Dutton and Monica Worline who show us the evidence based science that a caring workplace is a more successful workplace.

Sticky Fingers

Guest: Joe Hagan

Kelly talks to journalist Joe Hagan whose new book, “Sticky Fingers,” traces the evolution of Rolling Stone Magazine and its iconic and controversial founder Jann Wenner.

The Surprising Power Of A “Useless” Liberal Arts Education

Guest: George Anders

Kelly talks to Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times Bestselling author George Anders about his new book “You Can Do Anything,” which offers that a Liberal Arts education is, in fact, the best way to prepare for a job in the future.

Extreme You

Guest: Sarah Robb O'Hagan

Kelly connects with Sarah Robb O’Hagan whose career has included stints at Virgin, Nike, Equinox Fitness Clubs and her current role as CEO of Flywheel Sports. She is the author of “Extreme You: Step Up, Stand Out, Kick Ass, Repeat.”

Chemistry, Comedy And Being In The Band

Guest: Max Weinberg

Kelly swaps stories with legendary drummer Max Weinberg of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. They talk about Max’s time in a pit band on Broadway, auditioning for Bruce, connecting with Conan O’Brien and giving Charlie Watts an amazing gift.

Why Simple Wins

Guest: Lisa Bodell

Kelly connects with the CEO of Futurethink and author of “Why Simple Wins,” Lisa Bodell. They explore simple techniques to help organizations embrace change and increase their capability for innovation.

The Leading Brain

Guest: Friederike Fabritius

Kelly digs into the powerful science based strategies for achieving peak performance with neuropsychologist Friederike Fabritius who has co-authored a new book called “The Leading Brain.”

Rediscovering Craftsmanship

Guest: Jim Jacoby and Scott Miller

Kelly talks to Jim Jacoby and Scott Miller, who have joined forces to create the American Design and Master Craft Initiative, a venture that supports innovation at the deepest level. Their first project: The Bienville Legacy, a motorcycle...

Leading By Owning It

Guest: Wendy Clark

Kelly sits down with Coca Cola veteran and current CEO of DDB North America, Wendy Clark to talk about the current state of advertising, culture and leadership.

The Value Of Weird

Guest: Seth Godin

Kelly talks to prolific author, blogger, marketer and entrepreneur Seth Godin about money, failure and the value of being weird.

Living In Outrage Culture

Guest: Lauren Duca

Kelly connects with Lauren Duca, the 26 year old columnist for Teen Vogue who has inspired legions of young women and men while ending up in the crosshairs of Tucker Carlson and Fox News. Check this out. She is wise beyond her years.

Science, Improv And A Bad Trip To The Dentist

Guest: Alan Alda

Kelly talks to legendary TV and Film actor Alan Alda whose new book talks about the work he has been doing using improvisation to help scientists become more effective communicators.

Politics & Parenting

Guest: Dan Kois

Kelly Leonard sits down with Dan Kois of Slate Magazine to discuss politics and parenting.

Follow The Fear: What Artists Can Teach You About Innovation

Guest: Peter Himmelman

Kelly Leonard talks to musician Peter Himmelman about stories, songs and using fear to propel creativity.

Putting Tech In The Room Where It Happens

Guest: Michael Slaby

Michael Slaby – former CTO, Obama for America; Managing Partner, Timshel – Putting Tech in the Room Where it Happens. Kelly sits down with Michael Slaby who gives a behind the scenes look at the historic use of social media in the Obama campaigns.

Improv Meets Thinking Fast And Slow

Guest: Linnea Ghandi

Kelly connects with Linnea Gandhi, who is a practitioner of applied behavioral science and improvisational theater, with the goal of improving decision-making and relationships in business. Her company TGG Group is led by Daniel Kahneman...

Flying, Giving And Improvising

Guest: Sonya Jackson

Sonya has spent decades helping businesses give back – hear her tales that stretch from the boardroom to disaster areas to embracing a ‘Yes, And’ attitude.

Design Thinking And Drunken Bass Playing

Guest: Neil Stevenson

Neil Stevenson shares fascinating stories from the cutting edge design firm IDEO and how his study of improvisation has opened new doors in his creative work.

The Science Of Creativity

Guest: Barry Kaufman

Kelly sits down with Scott Barry Kaufman, the Scientific Director – Imagination Institute in the Positive Phycology Center at the University of Pennsylvania where he investigates the measurement, and development of intelligence, imagination and...