Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL Interviews the world's leading thinkers, and the people shaping the century.

In this interview I speak to Seth Maxwell, Founder of the Thirst Project & Legacy Youth Leadership. Seth is one of the world’s most successful campaigners and activators of youth leadership & advocacy. His work has mobilised millions of young people to create change, and in this discussion I speak…

 

In this interview, I speak to Impa “Tshilobo” Kasanganay on his incredible journey from facing homelessness to becoming the PFL’s Light Heavyweight Champion MMA fighter. We discuss the mental and physical resilience needed to be a world champion combat sports athlete, together with how to build the mindset for success.

 

In this interview, I speak to Stef Reid, a British Paralympic long jumper and sprinter. She is a World Champion, four-time Paralympian, triple Paralympic medallist, and five-time world record holder. Stef has a degree in biochemistry, and her adventures off the track include acting, modelling (including being the first amputee to walk…

 

In this interview I speak to Dakota Ditcheva, mixed martial artist & PFL European flyweight champion. Hailing from Manchester, Dakota is one of the world’s most sought-after professional fighters, having risen to prominence as an amateur kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter, winning numerous championships in both disciplines, the pinnacle being…

 

In this conversation, I speak to Dr. Serge Brammertz, Chief Prosecutor of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Trials. Dr. Brammertz is one of the world’s foremost experts on international criminal law, and we discuss the role & purpose of international courts, and the role of justice in…

 

In this interview, I speak to Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg, dubbed “the world’s leading megaproject expert.” We discuss the findings from his recent book How Big Things Get Done, and the tools, techniques, principles and models we can use to lead projects at all scales. He has 30 years of…

 

In this interview, I speak to Dr. Lloyd B. Minor, Dean of the Stanford School of Medicine & Co-Lead of Stanford Health, a $13 billion-dollar health enterprise comprising Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care & Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. We discuss how AI, computing and synthetic biology are transforming…

 

To better understand the laws of war & conflict, I speak to Sir Geoffrey Nice KC (Former Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, who led the prosecution of Slobodan Miloševic) and Professor William A Schabas OC (International Criminal & Human Rights Lawyer, who Served on the Truth & Reconciliation Commission…

 

In this conversation I speak to Professor David Feldman, Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism. David is one of the world’s foremost experts in Jewish history, antisemitism & radicalisation. We discuss the origins of antisemitism, the impact of WW2 and the Holocaust on antisemitic beliefs, and…

 

Explore an archive of more than 3,000 quotes.

Everyone has important skills and likely unique skills, but they may not always be as confident in those skills as they should be. We need to challenge the notion that if you don't feel like a superhero, then you must not be the right person for the job. Being underestimated in that way often brings out the best in me. For me, it's not just about overcoming insecurity but leveraging it as a catalyst to ensure that I bring everything I have to the mission.

— Cady Coleman
NASA Astronaut & Space Shuttle Mission Specialist

We can win in the struggle to avoid climate chaos, we can win in terms of economic recovery and we can win when it comes to promoting development and justice. All we need is the political will.

— Kumi Naidoo
Environmental activist & former Executive Director of Greenpeace International

Projects often don't just go wrong; they start wrong. The seeds of failure are often sown right at the beginning, leading to problems later on. Recognising this, successful project leaders invest in thorough planning and simulation upfront, understanding that a project's success is largely determined by how it starts.

— Bent Flyvbjerg
Leading researcher on megaprojects, planning, and governance expert

Art, for him, is a crucial means for turning thinking into doing in the world.

— Olafur Eliasson
Icelandic-Danish artist known for immersive light and weather installations

There is also a huge cultural misconception that heart disease is the patient's fault, they did something wrong to themselves. When we blame individuals and not the society that created those risk factors and behaviours, we don't react as forcefully as we could.

— Haider Warraich
Cardiologist and author specializing in heart disease and public health

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Long-form Interviews with the World's Leading Thinkers — Thought Economics


The Wisdom Series

Ten in-depth articles distilling insights from over 550 interviews with the world's leading thinkers, creators, and changemakers.

The Wisdom of Leadership The Wisdom of Entrepreneurship The Wisdom of Creativity The Wisdom of Technology The Wisdom of Meaning The Wisdom of the Mind The Wisdom of Justice The Wisdom of Science The Wisdom of Geopolitics The Wisdom of Health
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