When strategy meets storytelling, magic happens. Professor Donald MacLean, a former physicist turned strategist from the Scottish Highlands, brings a unique perspective on how ancient oral traditions can revolutionise modern leadership. As we prepare to send this insatiably curious academic to the moon, he reveals why organisations fail when they rely on PowerPoint instead of poetry.

MacLean's lunar cinema selection spans from the sublime to the surprising: John Huston's haunting final film "The Dead" - a James Joyce adaptation that moves him to tears every time; Tolkien's epic "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which shaped his childhood and his understanding of humble leadership; and the visually stunning thriller "Bad Times at the El Royale," where multiple storylines weave together in ways that mirror organisational complexity.

Through these films, Ed and Jessica explore MacLean's fascinating journey from optoelectronics research to strategy consulting, his belief in "emergent strategy" over rigid planning, and why he thinks the climate crisis isn't really about climate at all. With plain crisps as his moon snack and Rilke's mystical poetry as his reading companion, MacLean offers profound insights into the power of voice, choice, and the stories that truly move us to action.

What does it take to lead people through impossible circumstances? Dr. Larry Prusak, the legendary knowledge management pioneer from Brooklyn, brings decades of wisdom about leadership, learning, and the power of story to his lunar mission. As we send this "expert's expert" to establish the moon's first knowledge center, his film choices reveal profound truths about practical wisdom in action.

Prusak's carefully curated cinema collection showcases leadership at its finest: the stirring survival epic "Shackleton," where a captain's selfless devotion saves his entire crew from Antarctic disaster; "Invictus," Nelson Mandela's masterful use of rugby to heal a divided nation; and Spielberg's "Lincoln," a portrait of epistemic humility and the art of listening to rivals. Through these films, Ed and Jessica explore how great leaders eat last, forgive first, and understand that knowledge is profoundly social.

From Brooklyn street corners where storytelling meant survival, to boardrooms at IBM and McKinsey where he revolutionized how organizations think about knowledge, Prusak demonstrates why narrative trumps PowerPoint every time. With potato knishes as his comfort food and Shakespeare's complete works as his reading companion, this is a conversation about wisdom, practical leadership, and why the best leaders are often the best storytellers.

A Note from Ed Hoffman and Jessica Fox to Introduce This Week’s Episode

In today’s episode, we’re sharing a replay of an earlier conversation with Larry Prusak — a pioneer in the field of knowledge management and a dear friend to so many in our community.

Larry’s ideas helped define how organisations understand and value knowledge — not as static information, but as lived experience, shared meaning, and collective wisdom.

Originally recorded in August 2023, a short time after this conversation, Larry sadly passed away. This episode is therefore both a revisit of his insights and a tribute to a remarkable man — someone who brought warmth, wit, and deep humanity to every conversation.

As you listen, you’ll hear Larry in his element: reflecting on the nature of knowledge, storytelling, and the ties that bind people together in their work and lives.

We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we treasured having it.

What happens when Harvard's leading fairy tale scholar becomes the alien? Professor Maria Tatar, the renowned expert on folklore and children's literature, embarks on her lunar mission with three transformative films that explore connection, hope, and liberation. As we send this master storyteller to help establish the moon's cultural foundation, her cinematic choices reveal profound truths about finding home in strange worlds.

Tatar's selection spans from heartwarming wonder to psychological thriller: Spielberg's "E.T." - a story she deeply connects with as someone who once felt like an alien navigating kindergarten; "The Shawshank Redemption," where she finds powerful subtexts about freedom and the transcendent moment when opera briefly liberates every prisoner; and Jordan Peele's "Get Out," a brilliant reimagining of the Bluebeard fairy tale that exposes contemporary horrors while celebrating friendship's protective power.

Through intimate conversation, Ed and Jessica discover how this former immigrant child found refuge in libraries and stories, eventually revolutionizing how fairy tales are understood in academic and popular culture. From her groundbreaking work on the Brothers Grimm to her recent exploration of heroines' voices, Tatar demonstrates why stories aren't escapism - they're survival tools. With Emack & Bolio's Oreo ice cream, warm croissants, and George Eliot's "Middlemarch" as companions, she's perfectly equipped to nurture the moon's storytelling tradition.