Before a strategy becomes a success story, it's a judgement call. Now in its second season, Founder's Mentality: The CEO Sessions gets inside the decisions that defined some of the world's greatest leaders - a bet the market couldn't yet see, a crisis that put the organisation's purpose to the test, and the courage to keep showing up even when you don't have the answer. How do you stay close to the frontline as the organisation scales? What does AI mean for the thing you have spent years building? How do you transform the company without breaking what makes it great? Hosted by Jimmy Allen, Advisory Partner at Bain & Company, bestselling author and leader of Bain's Global CEO Forum, each episode is a candid, in-depth conversation with leaders from Mars, The Economist Group, Khan Academy, and more. Each episode is built around one real story, one defining moment, and the lessons that come from living through it. Dense with insight and designed for leaders who listen with a pen in hand, the series explores the outer game of markets, technology and growth, and the inner game of energy, humility and courage, and what it takes to master both. The question this season isn't just what the CEO should do. It's who does the CEO need to become? Join the Conversation: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/ https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda Links: Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/) Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany) Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/) About the Host: Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music. Bain & Company: Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.
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Episode #5
Sal Khan, Khan Academy: Why He Chose to Disrupt Himself With AI
Aug 18, 202634 minS2
How will AI impact the business I have spent years building? When Sal Khan, CEO and founder of Khan Academy, was confronted with this question in 2023 he didn’t wait for someone to answer, he learned quickly and built the outcome he wanted. The result was a personalized learning model that enhanced education for 200 million users across the world. Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company and Sal as they discuss how to embrace the discomfort of navigating disruption, the importance of relearning how to learn, and how CEOs can use AI to strengthen their competitive positions. Sal also reveals the promise he made to his team - if they’re creating AI that can automate their roles they won’t be replaced, they will be promoted. How can leaders find new ways to drive productivity amid the uncertainty surrounding AI? This is a conversation about turning disruption into new opportunities, how curiosity can help us navigate the unknown, and how leaders can leverage AI to set their businesses apart. https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/ EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 02:22 The astonishing ability of emerging AI 03:21 Experimenting with an early AI model 04:14 Turning fears into features 04:56 Sal’s quick decision to adopt AI 05:46 The concerns of AI in education 07:04 Sal’s symbiosis with AI developers 07:57 Why Khan Academy had to understand AI 08:32 How Sal seized the opportunity of disruptive technologies 09:22 Getting the team on board through confronting risks 10:05 Preparing to launch 10:34 The need for a responsible actor becomes clear 11:56 How Sal built his tiger team 13:17 How Sal’s mentality helps embrace AI uncertainty 15:23 Learning how to learn again 16:11 Helping people learn in the right ways with AI 18:05 How AI facilitates a deeper education 19:08 The choice: to thrive with AI, or to be replaced by AI 19:55 Three key things about learning with AI 20:36 Sal’s promise 20:55 A CEO’s guide to using AI 24:03 The fundamental question answered by Sal’s journey 25:28 What is personalized mastery education 28:21 How AI facilitates Khan Academy's personalized learning model 28:50 Gaining the conviction to adopt AI 29:54 When conviction turns into validation 30:37 What we can learn from Sal’s journey LINKS A Scorecard on our 3 AI Journeys - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://tinyurl.com/AIJourneyScorecard] Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/] Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany] Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/] Sal Khan LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/khanacademy/] About the Host: Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label [Abubilla Music] in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.
Daniel Servitje, Grupo Bimbo: The Enemy of Growth Is Distance
Aug 4, 202630 minS2
What does it take to expand worldwide without losing sight of the things that matter most? Daniel Servitje is the executive chairman of Grupo Bimbo, an organization that rose from a small bakery to become one of the largest food corporations in the world. Since taking over in 1997, Daniel has overseen 900% growth and expansion into multiple international markets. Yesterday, he was on a bread truck. Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company and Daniel as they discuss how robust cultures are developed in the field, the long-term value of choosing patience over urgency, and how to navigate building new systems whilst ensuring existing ones continue to function. Daniel shares a vital tip for any CEO looking to develop their own business - never let growth separate you from the people that matter. Who really shapes the culture of a successful company? How can a field mentality help leaders grow their businesses? This is a conversation about the importance of a long-term perspective, knowing how to build a strong culture from the field, and the role of a leader in driving successful growth. https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/ EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 01:32 An inspiring visit to the bakery 02:46 Listening to voices across the company 04:01 What Daniel learned from the annual conference 05:10 Big ideas come from examining the small things 06:27 Building a culture that starts from the field 07:22 What it takes to develop internationally 08:04 How Grupo Bimbo went international successfully 09:35 Developing a global culture 11:33 Culture is built by actions, not by words 12:46 With growth comes opportunity, but also complexity 14:10 Why leaders need to break processes and take risks 16:54 Don’t get trapped by old systems 18:37 How to transform a company whilst running it 19:47 The importance of long term thinking 20:54 Sometimes slower is better 21:52 Balancing the systems paradox 22:38 Daniel's leading mentality 23:36 Getting energy from curiosity 25:30 Finding the right people to diffuse your energy 26:44 Why the source of your energy really matters 27:44 Daniel's recipe for successful growth LINKS A Case for Complexity - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://tinyurl.com/thepowerofrenewal] Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/] Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany] Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/] Daniel Servitje LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielservitje/] About the Host Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label [Abubilla Music] in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music. Bain & Company Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.
Jacqueline Novogratz, Acumen: Start Before You're Ready
Jul 21, 202628 minS2
What are the costs of not daring to make a change? Jacqueline Novogratz is the Founder & CEO of Acumen, an organisation that invests patient capital in enterprises working to reduce poverty around the world. In 2021, she took a $250 million risk when she set out to provide electricity to 75 million people in regions of sub-Saharan Africa that had a 45% electrification rate or below. It paid off. Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company and Jacqueline as they discuss what we can learn from creative risk taking, how to balance socioeconomic tensions without compromising the mission, and how transforming our mentality from “what if?” to “what if I don’t?” can open the door for positive change. Jacqueline and Jimmy emphasise the value of asking ‘why’ when navigating complexity as a leader. How can we ensure that we not only remember our ‘why’, but also that it is worth remembering in the first place? This is a conversation about embracing complexity, the power of asking ‘why’, and daring to take risks in the pursuit of positive change. https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/ EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 01:21 The billion dollar plan 02:45 Why Acumen started in the hardest location 03:58 Securing the first funding - a $10 million bet on Jacqueline 05:51 Starting and letting the work teach them 08:37 Getting smarter through creative risk taking 11:56 How Jacqueline balances her vision with specificity 12:30 Using deep listening as a tool to understand complexity 15:33 Closing allows Acumen to reflect on their ‘why’ 16:37 Embracing complexity is what sets Acumen apart 18:30 What does it take to master complexity? 19:03 How rephrasing the question reminds us ‘why’ 19:36 What is Acumen’s ‘why’ 20:34 The importance of having the right ‘why’ 22:11 How Jacqueline approaches complexity 23:07 Embracing tension, rejecting compromise 24:40 Advice for ambitious young leaders 26:19 Jacqueline’s message LINKS A Case for Complexity - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://tinyurl.com/acaseforcomplexity] Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/] Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany] Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/] Jacqueline Novogratz LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-novogratz/] About the Host: Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label [Abubilla Music] in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.
Kevin Lobo, Stryker: The $1.6B Bet That Changed an Industry
Jul 7, 202626 minS2
What does it take to back a decision that may take years to prove itself? Soon after becoming CEO of Stryker, Kevin Lobo backed a $1.6 billion acquisition of Mako, a loss-making robotics company many customers, investors and industry experts believed was unnecessary. The deal would reshape both orthopedic surgery and Stryker’s growth trajectory. Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company as Kevin explains why he saw asymmetric upside in robotic-assisted surgery, how he sustained his conviction through disappointing early results, and how one bold bet became the foundation for a repeatable acquisition model spanning more than 60 deals. Kevin and Jimmy also explore the tension between autonomy and scale. How do you capture the advantages of size without inviting bureaucracy? What should remain decentralized, and where can shared capabilities create a real edge? This is a conversation about repeatable growth, the cost of complexity, and the CEO’s role in helping leaders think like founders. https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/ LINKS Ask for Help - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://shorturl.at/qvzxe] Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/] Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany] Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/] Kevin Lobo LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinalobo/] (00:00) - Introduction (01:35) - The potential in robotics that no else saw (02:27) - Taking the $1.6 billion proposal to the board (03:28) - Why Stryker had to act immediately (05:48) - The hard part begins after the board says yes (06:36) - Telling Wall Street about the slow first quarter (08:05) - Leading through the time lag (08:32) - Winning over employees and building M&A credibility (09:37) - Cold-calling Larry Culp, former CEO of Danaher, for advice (10:18) - Turning mistakes into an integration playbook (11:16) - Discovering the "Stryker way” (13:09) - Are you the right parent for the company you acquire? (15:12) - Building a repeatable acquisition machine (17:09) - The outer game and inner game of growth (18:14) - Preserving autonomy across 22 business units (20:21) - Good complexity versus bad complexity (21:00) - What is the CEO's job in a decentralized company? (22:52) - Creating a team of entrepreneurs (24:18) - The real meaning of conviction About the Host: Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label [Abubilla Music] in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music. Bain & Company: Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions - Season 2 - Coming Soon!
Jun 30, 20262 minS2
Before a strategy becomes a success story, it's a judgement call. For 35 years, Jimmy Allen has been in the room with the world's most consequential CEOs, and this season, he's bringing you inside those conversations. Twelve leaders. Twelve moments that tested everything they thought they knew about leading. And one question that keeps coming back: it's not just what the CEO should do. It's who the CEO needs to become. Founder's Mentality: The CEO Sessions, Season Two. Launches July 7th. Join the Conversation: To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/ https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda Links: Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/) Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany) Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/) About the Host: Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music. Bain & Company: Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.
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