Breaking the Fever
The pandemic has highlighted severe inequity, revealed a global leadership crisis, and generated widespread frustration with the status quo. In companies, workers are calling for more say over key strategic decisions and holding their employers to account. In political systems, both democratic and authoritarian regimes are under pressure, and the neoliberal consensus has dissolved. In the financial system, capitalism is in crisis. We don’t like our current power structures, but new ones have yet to emerge to replace them. Breaking the Fever is hosting a series of conversations to explore perspectives of shifting power and authority, looking at where we’ve come from and asking where to from here. Your hosts are Alison Taylor and Jérôme Tagger Breaking the Fever is produced by Fiorella Lavorgna - www.bevocal.eu
Episodes
November 10, 2022 • 59 mins
What’s the relationship between democracy and market performance?
Starting from his experience in Russia after the end of the Soviet Union, moving to his observations on ancient Greece, and then his work examining the role of women in societal success, Jim Leitner gives us many lessons and much to chew on the question of how markets tend to reward those states that make democratic reforms.
James Leitner serves as President of Falcon ...
Starting from his experience in Russia after the end of the Soviet Union, moving to his observations on ancient Greece, and then his work examining the role of women in societal success, Jim Leitner gives us many lessons and much to chew on the question of how markets tend to reward those states that make democratic reforms.
James Leitner serves as President of Falcon ...
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October 27, 2022 • 52 mins
Nell Minow has lived multiple lives. She is a film critic but also a lawyer and entrepreneur, and an expert on responsible business and corporate governance.
In this episode, Alison and Jerome engage Nell on politics, corporations and public opinion and discuss the trajectory of corporate governance since the 1980s.
If you want to join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-the-fever/
You can also follow us o...
In this episode, Alison and Jerome engage Nell on politics, corporations and public opinion and discuss the trajectory of corporate governance since the 1980s.
If you want to join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-the-fever/
You can also follow us o...
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October 13, 2022 • 51 mins
In this episode Alison and Jérome speak with Desiree Fixler, former group sustainability officer at DWS where she was responsible for driving the firm’s overall sustainability strategy.
In her role, she made a number of presentations to the CEO and members of the board. But the last one she made in February 2021 - where she highlighted the discrepancies between its ESG claims and its internal procedures, and called for greater tran...
In her role, she made a number of presentations to the CEO and members of the board. But the last one she made in February 2021 - where she highlighted the discrepancies between its ESG claims and its internal procedures, and called for greater tran...
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July 7, 2022 • 41 mins
Within the strategy of countering the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many states are targeting Russian oligarchs with economic sanctions and other restrictive measures.
But who are these oligarchs, and how do they live their lives? How did they build their wealth, and how did western capitalist elites benefit from their presence?
Alison and Jerome discuss it with Elisabeth Schimpfossl, a sociologist expert in Russian elites, power a...
But who are these oligarchs, and how do they live their lives? How did they build their wealth, and how did western capitalist elites benefit from their presence?
Alison and Jerome discuss it with Elisabeth Schimpfossl, a sociologist expert in Russian elites, power a...
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June 23, 2022 • 53 mins
Is there a contradiction between responsible corporate actions and maximizing investors' financial returns?
What if investors don't have only a single interest in one company? What if, instead, they have diversified portfolios of interests that include the well-being of future generations?
This is the theory behind the Shareholder Commons, an organization established by Rick Alexander, Alison and Jerome's guest in this episode.
Ric...
What if investors don't have only a single interest in one company? What if, instead, they have diversified portfolios of interests that include the well-being of future generations?
This is the theory behind the Shareholder Commons, an organization established by Rick Alexander, Alison and Jerome's guest in this episode.
Ric...
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June 9, 2022 • 51 mins
The struggle for equality in the workplace has focused on getting more women on boards or in the political sphere for years. However, where this has led to some achievements, the way that we value some work over others continues to distort our economy and undermine equity and advancement for women.
Child care, volunteer work, and parental care are fundamental for the well-being of our society. Yet, first, these activities are usuall...
Child care, volunteer work, and parental care are fundamental for the well-being of our society. Yet, first, these activities are usuall...
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May 26, 2022 • 45 mins
During the pandemic, many people around the world started working remotely. At the same time, thousands of workers left their job or began speaking up against mistreatment in their workplaces to negotiate better conditions.
What is the relationship between these two phenomena?
As employer-employee relationships are being transformed , Alison and Jerome got on board with Jim Detert to talk about courage in the workplace, and how to e...
What is the relationship between these two phenomena?
As employer-employee relationships are being transformed , Alison and Jerome got on board with Jim Detert to talk about courage in the workplace, and how to e...
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May 12, 2022 • 40 mins
In this episode, Alison and Jerome talk about the big geopolitical shifts with Tina Fordham.
Tina Fordham is a geopolitical strategist and advisor working at the intersection of geopolitics, financial markets, and social change drivers. Tina is a world-leading expert in geopolitical risk and has just launched her new company, Fordham Global Foresight.
Would you like to share your thoughts about the episode? You are welcome in our L...
Tina Fordham is a geopolitical strategist and advisor working at the intersection of geopolitics, financial markets, and social change drivers. Tina is a world-leading expert in geopolitical risk and has just launched her new company, Fordham Global Foresight.
Would you like to share your thoughts about the episode? You are welcome in our L...
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April 28, 2022 • 45 mins
In this episode, Alison and Jerome got on board with Jonathan Haidt to discuss social media and how these platforms have changed social relationships and political discourse, and how this eventually impacts business.
They also talked about structural stupidity and how giving everyone a voice is not necessarily the panacea everyone thought to be.
Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist at NYU-Stern. He studies moral and political psy...
They also talked about structural stupidity and how giving everyone a voice is not necessarily the panacea everyone thought to be.
Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist at NYU-Stern. He studies moral and political psy...
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April 21, 2022 • 2 mins
The pandemic has highlighted severe inequity, revealed a global leadership crisis, and generated widespread frustration with the status quo. In companies, workers are calling for more say over key strategic decisions and holding their employers to account. In political systems, both democratic and authoritarian regimes are under pressure, and the neoliberal consensus has dissolved. In the financial system, capitalism is in crisis. ...
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December 18, 2021 • 57 mins
This episode of Breaking the Fever features a podcast takeover by interdisciplinary researcher Nithya Iyer, who has been investigating existential risks and systemic change. The theme of the takeover is AFTERMATH, which starts from a fictional aftermath of systemic and ideological collapse, and seeks to interview thinkers acting at the apex of present and future technologies, mainstream and alternative philosophies, factual and fic...
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November 4, 2021 • 54 mins
In this episode of the podcast, we speak with Ian McCarthy about the many faces of bullshit — how it’s different from lies, the harmless and harmful forms it can take, and what organizations can do to measure and mitigate its effects.
We discuss:
- How McCarthy's background as an engineer, particularly engineering’s focus on authenticity and risk management, have shaped his approach to bullshit
- Why reading the seminal essay “On Bu...
We discuss:
- How McCarthy's background as an engineer, particularly engineering’s focus on authenticity and risk management, have shaped his approach to bullshit
- Why reading the seminal essay “On Bu...
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November 4, 2021 • 64 mins
In this episode of the podcast, we speak with David Sloan Wilson about cooperation—how it evolved in social beings, how culture and norms can support and disrupt it, and how to sustain it across different levels (community, industry, nation, etc).
We discuss:
- How David got interested in the evolution of positive or prosocial cultural change
- The intellectual tradition of individualism
- The idea of society as an organism
- Why nat...
We discuss:
- How David got interested in the evolution of positive or prosocial cultural change
- The intellectual tradition of individualism
- The idea of society as an organism
- Why nat...
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In this episode of the podcast, we speak with Alison Goldsworthy, Laura Osborne, and Alexandra Chesterfield about the manifestations of political polarization in our personal and professional lives and how we might best go about coping with it and mitigating it where possible.
We discuss:
- Signs of increasing polarization
- How polarization affects decision-making—who to marry, live with, and hire
- Whether business helps to bring peo...
We discuss:
- Signs of increasing polarization
- How polarization affects decision-making—who to marry, live with, and hire
- Whether business helps to bring peo...
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June 18, 2021 • 58 mins
This episode of Breaking the Fever features a podcast takeover by Nithya Iyer - a Preventable Surprises Research Fellow investigating existential risks and systemic change.
Over the course of three episodes, the takeover focuses on the AFTERMATH, starting from a fictional aftermath of systemic and ideological collapse to interview thinkers acting at the apex of present and future technologies, mainstream and alternative philosophie...
Over the course of three episodes, the takeover focuses on the AFTERMATH, starting from a fictional aftermath of systemic and ideological collapse to interview thinkers acting at the apex of present and future technologies, mainstream and alternative philosophie...
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June 1, 2021 • 50 mins
In this episode of the podcast, we speak with Debra Mashek about how true collaboration emerges within and between groups, why it breaks down, and what companies can do to foster it.
We discuss:
- The stages leading to collaboration: separation, networking, coordination, cooperation, and, finally, collaboration
- How romantic relationship dynamics ground the psychology of effective group collaboration
- The impact of a communal orient...
We discuss:
- The stages leading to collaboration: separation, networking, coordination, cooperation, and, finally, collaboration
- How romantic relationship dynamics ground the psychology of effective group collaboration
- The impact of a communal orient...
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April 16, 2021 • 57 mins
In this episode of the podcast, we speak with Denise Hearn about the most significant opportunities and concerns with capitalism, the need for ESG and corporate governance to evolve, and the ideas behind her new project, Embodied Economics.
We discuss:
- How monopoly, competition dynamics, and instrumentalist thinking affect ESG investing
- Ways ESG investing has been shaped by the pandemic
- The problem with the idealized, abstract, s...
We discuss:
- How monopoly, competition dynamics, and instrumentalist thinking affect ESG investing
- Ways ESG investing has been shaped by the pandemic
- The problem with the idealized, abstract, s...
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February 24, 2021 • 60 mins
In this episode, the third (and final) in our miniseries on climate finance, we speak with Colleen Orr and Graham Steele about how regulators in the United States can wield financial tools and soft power to set public- and private-sector organizations on a more climate-smart path.
We discuss:
- Theories of change for regulators in climate finance
- How the private and public sector can work together
- How the SEC, Treasury Dept, and ot...
We discuss:
- Theories of change for regulators in climate finance
- How the private and public sector can work together
- How the SEC, Treasury Dept, and ot...
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In this episode, the second in our miniseries on climate finance, we speak with Peter Bosshard and Elana Sulakshana about the insurance sector’s role in maintaining status-quo climate policies, and what insurers can do to halt the development of more fossil-fuel infrastructure.
We discuss:
- What might happen if insurers didn’t provide insurance for new gas and oil pipelines
- The near-absolute confidentiality of who is insuring what
-...
We discuss:
- What might happen if insurers didn’t provide insurance for new gas and oil pipelines
- The near-absolute confidentiality of who is insuring what
-...
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