Three Big Points

Author Larry Downes, an expert on government regulation of the tech industry, argues that the Biden administration should heed the lessons of history and let innovation flourish under a less-is-more approach to intervention.

In this episode of the Three Big Points podcast, MIT Sloan professor Sinan Aral, author of The Hype Machine: How Social Media Disrupts Our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health — and How We Must Adapt, talks about the hype loop — the echo chamber resulting from the explosive growth of social media. Aral argues that the ongoing dialogue between machine intelligence and human decision-making is changing our society at every level. MIT Sloan’s Sinan Aral discusses social media as a marketing tool that can have a positive impact — if used ethically.

Even though we know that professional sports is big business, we might overlook how the strategies used by that industry can be applied to the broader business world. On this week’s episode of the Three Big Points podcast, MIT Sloan lecturer Ben Shields explains how the NBA’s use of data analytics can offer important lessons for organizations that want to derive real value from their data to gain a competitive edge.

Emotions are a big part of daily life, and there’s no avoiding them at work — even when employees are working remotely, and especially at a time when emotions are heightened by world events. In this episode of the Three Big Points podcast, authors Molly West Duffy and Liz Fosslien argue that we can improve this stressful situation for everyone by setting a positive example, shifting expectations, and leading with empathy.

Social science tells us how to address the key issues of leading through difficult times at the individual, relational, collective, and contextual levels. The challenge, says Morela Hernandez, a professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, is to lead with humanity. In this week’s episode of the Three Big Points podcast, Hernandez offers specific and actionable advice leaders can follow amid COVID-19 to inspire their teams and lead with compassion.