In this episode of The Breakout CEO: Inside the Strategic Moves of Scaling CEOs, Jeff Holman speaks to the Full Professor at INSEAD, Spencer Harrison. Spencer discusses his journey from aspiring English professor to business scholar, focusing on creativity and curiosity in organizations.

Drawing on research and personal stories—including lessons from their influential high school physics teacher, Mr. Jackson—they explore how leaders can foster curiosity, engineer surprise, and balance innovation with efficiency.

Spencer shares practical habits for cultivating curiosity and offers a “garden” metaphor for organizational growth, emphasizing the importance of learning and adaptability for leaders and teams. Spencer is a Professor at INSEAD.

Listeners are encouraged to nominate CEOs with compelling breakout journeys.

Check out Spencer's work HERE.

Connect with Spencer on LinkedIn HERE.

Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE.