Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This Stanford Leadership Forum breakout asks how business leaders should approach an ever changing political landscape and navigate contentious issues.
Speakers include Neil Malhotra (moderator), the Edith M. Cornell Professor of Political Economy, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Professor of Political Science (by courtesy), School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University; Louise & Claude Rosenberg Jr. Director, Center for Social Innovation, Stanford Graduate School of Business; Nick Bloom, William D. Eberle Professor of Economics, Stanford University; Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research; Professor, by courtesy, of Economics at the Graduate School of Business; John Donahoe, Chair of Stanford Athletics, Jaquish and Kenninger Director of DAPER, Stanford University, and Christopher George, Senior Advisor, U.S. Government; Former President, Intel Government Technologies.
Part of the 2026 Stanford Leadership Forum: Shaping the Future, hosted by the Stanford Leadership Institute at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
#stanfordgsb #leadership #business #stanfordleadershipinstitute
This Stanford Leadership Forum breakout asks how business leaders should approach an ever changing political landscape and navigate contentious issues.
Speakers include Neil Malhotra (moderator), the Edith M. Cornell Professor of Political Economy, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Professor of Political Science (by courtesy), School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University; Louise & Claude Rosenberg Jr. Director, Center for Social Innovation, Stanford Graduate School of Business; Nick Bloom, William D. Eberle Professor of Economics, Stanford University; Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research; Professor, by courtesy, of Economics at the Graduate School of Business; John Donahoe, Chair of Stanford Athletics, Jaquish and Kenninger Director of DAPER, Stanford University, and Christopher George, Senior Advisor, U.S. Government; Former President, Intel Government Technologies.
Part of the 2026 Stanford Leadership Forum: Shaping the Future, hosted by the Stanford Leadership Institute at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
#stanfordgsb #leadership #business #stanfordleadershipinstitute










![Unconventional Wisdom
“I don’t see things like anybody else,” says Jonathan Berk, a professor of finance at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “And so I can see things people dont see.”
On this episode, Berk explores recent research that pushes against conventional wisdom, from questioning the utility of the debt-to-GDP ratio to asking whether regulation is actually in the best interests of the consumer.
“If you disagree with me… You have to write down a convincing theoretical model and analyze [it].”
Berk admits his unique lens doesn’t always make life easy. But on the other hand, “it confers an enormous advantage” — and he believes that organizations which are able to harness the power of unconventional thinking can gain a competitive edge.
“It’s allowed me to solve problems that other people couldnt solve,” he says.
Has seeing the world differently helped you resolve a conundrum? Tell us more at ifthenpod@stanford.edu.
Related Content:
- Jonathan Berk faculty profile: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/jonathan-b-berk
- What If We’re Looking at the National Debt All Wrong? https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/what-if-were-looking-national-debt-all-wrong Unconventional Wisdom](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mhwpMFiIzg0/mqdefault.jpg)