The McKinsey Podcast

The new advantage in the age of AI: Building in the real world

The next era of value creation may be defined less by digital innovation alone and more by the ability to build, operate, and scale physical assets. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, co-CEO of Hines Laura Hines-Pierce joins McKinsey’s North American Chair Eric Kutcher to discuss a widening gap between digital ambition and physical capacity. From a global housing shortage to an emergency energy and infrastructure supercycle, the conversation explores what it takes to build at scale—and why labor, permitting, and supply chain are now the true bottlenecks. They also reflect on leadership, organizational change, and preparing a 70-year-old firm for a more volatile, fast-changing future. In this recurring series on The McKinsey Podcast, Kutcher speaks with top CEOs about the practice of leadership. The McKinsey Podcast is regularly cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. To watch the full-length version of this interview, visit The McKinsey Podcast playlist on McKinsey’s YouTube channel. Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

The human advantage in an AI economy

Could AI transformation be exhausting humans rather than optimizing their performance? As artificial intelligence transforms how we work, organizations face a new challenge: ensuring people have the brain health and skills to cope with the cognitive demands of technology. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Partners and Kana Enomoto, and McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) Senior Fellow Jacqueline Brassey, speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about why brain capital is becoming a key competitive advantage in the age of AI—and what leaders can do to build healthier, more adaptable, and higher-performing organizations. In the second half of this episode, McKinsey Senior Partner Shubham Singhal joins Lucia to answer a few audience questions from a recent McKinsey Live webinar on geopolitics and how it’s reshaping global trade. The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. This episode has been adapted from our McKinsey Live webinar series. Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.comSee www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

What the 2026 World Cup reveals about the next generation of sports fans

As sports become an even bigger engine of economic growth, the defining challenge isn’t identifying tomorrow’s fans; it’s recognizing that many of them are already filling stadiums, attending World Cup watch parties, and participating in digital communities. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partner Lucy Pérez joins Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to reflect on McKinsey’s recent research about the growing influence of Latino fans, the brand opportunities for personalized engagement, and the investments that strengthen fandom—from youth sports all the way through lifelong participation. Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

The real AI advantage

The first wave of AI adoption has been all about efficiency gains. But what happens when everyone else, using the same tools, is experiencing the same productivity improvements? Where will competitive advantage come from then? McKinsey research suggests that the companies that outperform with AI will be those that rethink customer experiences, redesign how work gets done, and build operating models that continuously adapt to change. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partner and McKinsey Global Institute Director Tanguy Catlin explains to Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro why CEOs should shift their focus from AI-driven productivity to AI-powered reinvention. They discuss the rise of agentic AI, how competitive dynamics are changing, and why organizational transformation—not technology—is likely to be the defining challenge of the AI era. Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

The serial builder advantage: Why repeat innovators win

In an era of economic uncertainty and accelerating technological disruption, creating new businesses has become less of a growth option and more of a strategic imperative. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partner Jason Bello speaks with Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro about McKinsey’s new research on corporate venture building. They examine why serial builders outperform their peers, how AI is reshaping the economics of innovation, and what leaders can do to turn experimentation into a repeatable capability. Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information