Passion Struck with John R. Miles
Episode: Scott D. Anthony on 11 Epic Disruptions That Changed History
Date: November 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, host John R. Miles sits down with Scott D. Anthony—renowned innovation strategist, clinical professor at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, and author of the new book, Epic Disruptions—to explore the 11 historic disruptions that transformed the world and to draw powerful lessons for navigating today’s ceaseless waves of change. Their dynamic conversation covers why leaders often miss the future, the human obstacles to innovation, the modern parallels between AI and the printing press, and how true disruption is both deeply historical and deeply human.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Origin Story: Falling for Disruption

• Meeting Clayton Christensen ([07:01]):

  • Scott describes being “captivated” from his first day in Clay Christensen’s Harvard Business School class, where frameworks—not just cases—were at the center.
    • Quote:
      “I want to ground it in models, frameworks and ways of thinking so that you leave it with new lenses to look at the world. And from that minute, I was captivated just by the approach.”
      —Scott D. Anthony, [07:01]

• Disruption Today vs. 2000 ([08:26]):

  • Disruption has shifted from a niche occurrence to a near-universal challenge for modern businesses.
  • Acknowledgment of how big organizations and startups now coexist in adapting to and leveraging disruption.

The Leader’s Dilemma: Mindset over Markets

• Why Great Firms Struggle ([11:47]):

  • Most organizations must reimagine their core identity (“Are you a retail company or a tech company?”).

  • The resource allocation problem—prioritizing today over tomorrow—and the “ghosts” of the past, present, and future haunt organizations and hamper transformative change.

    • Quote:
      “Every organization to a degree is haunted by ghosts… past traumas, patterns you’re not aware of, and a fear your identity will be threatened.”
      —Scott D. Anthony, [14:00]

• Microsoft’s Transformation ([17:23]):

  • The power of Satya Nadella’s “growth mindset” in turning Microsoft from a “know-it-all” to a “learn-it-all” culture.

  • Shift from rigid hierarchy to curiosity, learning, and openness to outside ideas.

    • Quote:
      “We’re going to be learned-it-alls, where we’re going to be humble, we’re going to recognize the limits of our knowledge, we’re going to seek to go and explore, seek to go and try things.”
      —Scott D. Anthony, [17:23]

Epic Disruptions: What Sets Them Apart

• Defining ‘Epic Disruptions’ ([22:50]):

  • “Epic” means more than large—it’s a change so profound that “the world before and after is materially different.”
  • Gunpowder, the printing press, and the iPhone are cited as world-altering examples.
    • Quote:
      “The world is different because [epic disruptions] exist.”
      —Scott D. Anthony, [22:50]

• The Gunpowder Story—Lessons on Disruption’s Path ([24:52]):

  • Innovations that topple centuries-old defenses.

  • Disruption rarely happens as a ‘Big Bang’—it unfolds through patience, trial, and error.

    • Quote:
      “Disruption rewards patience… It takes time, it takes iteration, it takes experimentation before you get there.”
      —Scott D. Anthony, [24:52]

The Bee and Turtle Effect: Managing Time Horizons

• Leading in Dual Timeframes ([28:18]):

  • Leaders must be both bees (focused on today’s tasks) and turtles (seeing the long-term view).

  • Metacognition—“thinking about how you’re thinking”—is essential for balancing present execution with future vision.

  • This is a trainable skill enhanced by diverse experiences.

    • Quote:
      “You need this duality, almost a paradox in your mind… Metacognition—thinking consciously about how you are thinking.”
      —Scott D. Anthony, [28:18]

Predictably Unpredictable: The Path of True Innovation

• Julia Child & the Messiness of Disruption ([30:46]):

  • Every innovation journey involves unexpected setbacks, help from outsiders, and multiple false starts.

  • The paradox: Disruption is predictable in its unpredictability—success comes from resilience, iteration, and community.

    • Quote:
      “There’s always, in the classic monomyth, divine help from an outsider that can help to make connections… That pattern will exist. That’s predictable. Exactly where and when and how misfortune or fortune will strike. You cannot know for sure.”
      —Scott D. Anthony, [30:46]

• Perseverance in the Face of Criticism ([33:49]):

  • Highlighting Julia Child: Her struggles and late-blooming career demonstrate that perseverance—especially past age 50—is more common than tales of youthful genius.

    • Quote:
      “Julia Child, the first time she went on television, she was 50 years old… There are a lot of people who have crystallized intelligence, who can take all the wisdom they have and say, I see something here.”
      —Scott D. Anthony, [35:07]

• Focus vs. Distraction at Turning Points ([36:10]):

  • Staying the course through friction and iteration is crucial for innovators.

Teamwork, Not Genius: The Myth of the Lone Disruptor

• Disruption as a ‘Team Sport’ ([39:13]):

  • Nearly every historical innovation, including the printing press, was the product of diverse, intersecting teams—not solitary inventors.
    • Quote:
      “One of the very persistent findings in the innovation literature is that magic happens at intersections.”
      —Scott D. Anthony, [39:13]

• Adapting Team Design for Innovation:

  • Foster teams with contrasting perspectives.
  • “Format your platoon”—support is essential.

The Information-Action Paradox

• Why Leaders Wait Too Long ([41:58]):
  • Scott’s own experience with newspapers: By the time disruptive threats are reflected in core business data, it’s too late to pivot.
  • Organizations must act before data confirms the threat.
    • Quote:
      “A good leader will act at the moment when the data tells them not to.”
      —Scott D. Anthony, [41:58]

Crossing the Chasm: Experiment, Listen, and Adapt

• Embracing Iteration and Dissent ([45:58]):

  • Even visionary ideas (Steve Jobs and the iPhone) evolve dramatically from inception to success.

  • Experimentation, feedback, and openness are key to making a disruptive idea real.

    • Quote:
      “Point number one, first and final are not the same. Point number two, even the geniuses get it wrong. Point number three, how do you cross that? You cross it by experimenting, by testing, by learning.”
      —Scott D. Anthony, [45:58]

The Human Dimension: Fear, Failure, and Belonging

• Disruption’s Personal Cost ([48:22]):

  • Disruption’s “shadow” is personal—individual and organizational resistance, status quo bias, and fear of loss.

  • Refers to a 1548 proclamation “against those that doeth to innovate”—highlighting how questioning norms feels dangerous.

    • Quote:
      “We punish people for taking well thought out risks… We need to remove the king’s proclamation. We need to make sure we don’t act like it’s still in effect.”
      —Scott D. Anthony, [48:22]

Epic Disruptions, Next Edition: What's Coming?

• Future Sectors for Disruption ([50:57]):
  • Higher education: The university model will be tested as AI redefines learning.
  • Consulting: AI could fundamentally change how professional services organizations function.
  • Clean tech: “Still being written,” but positioned for seismic historical impact.

AI and the Printing Press: Navigating the Next Wave

• Human Lessons for the AI Era ([53:45]):
  • Embrace and experiment with new technologies, as those who did with the printing press prospered.
  • Curiosity and lifelong learning will become essential for career resilience and impact.
    • Quote:
      “Expect more people are going to know more things. This net is a very good thing for the world… Stay curious, Keep learning. Remember that timeless proverb that magic happens at intersections.”
      —Scott D. Anthony, [53:45]

Standout Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Overcoming Organizational "Ghosts":
  "Every organization to a degree is haunted by ghosts… past traumas, patterns you’re not aware of, and a fear your identity will be threatened."
  —Scott D. Anthony, [14:00]

• On Microsoft’s Mindset Shift:
  “We’re going to be learned-it-alls, where we’re going to be humble, we’re going to recognize the limits of our knowledge, we’re going to seek to go and explore, seek to go and try things.”
  —Scott D. Anthony, [17:23]

• On Predictable Unpredictability:
  “There’s always, in the classic monomyth, divine help from an outsider that can help to make connections… That pattern will exist. That’s predictable. Exactly where and when and how misfortune or fortune will strike. You cannot know for sure.”
  —Scott D. Anthony, [30:46]

• On Acting Before Data Confirms Threats:
  “A good leader will act at the moment when the data tells them not to.”
  —Scott D. Anthony, [41:58]

• On Late-Blooming Innovators:
  “Disruption begins at 50. I guess I just turned 50 this year, so I like that.”
  —Scott D. Anthony, [35:07]

• On the Human Cost of Change:
  “As good as disruption is, it also casts a shadow… We punish people for taking well thought out risks…”
  —Scott D. Anthony, [48:22]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment Title | Speaker(s) | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------|-----------------------|-------------| | Early Fascination with Clay Christensen | Scott D. Anthony | 07:01 | | Modern Disruption's Ubiquity | Scott D. Anthony | 08:26 | | The Microsoft Mindset Revolution | Scott D. Anthony | 17:23 | | What Makes a Disruption Epic? | Scott D. Anthony | 22:50 | | Gunpowder and Lessons from History | Scott D. Anthony | 24:52 | | Bee & Turtle Effect: Two Time Horizons | Both | 28:18 | | Predictably Unpredictable Innovation | Scott D. Anthony | 30:46 | | Late-Blooming Innovators Matter | Scott D. Anthony | 35:07 | | Teamwork in Innovation | Scott D. Anthony | 39:13 | | Information-Action Paradox | Scott D. Anthony | 41:58 | | The First and Final Idea are Not Same | Scott D. Anthony | 45:58 | | Disruption’s Human Side | Scott D. Anthony | 48:22 | | Next Disruptive Sectors | Scott D. Anthony | 50:57 | | AI & the Printing Press—A Playbook | Scott D. Anthony | 53:45 |

Tone & Takeaways

The tone throughout is warmly intellectual and conversational. Both John Miles and Scott Anthony blend historical storytelling with practical frameworks, pairing strategic thinking with relatable anecdotes and down-to-earth advice. Listeners are encouraged to:

• Embrace complexity by balancing short-term delivery with long-term vision (“bee and turtle effect”).
• See disruption as a journey, not a moment—perseverance and teamwork are essential.
• Cultivate metacognition and seek out diverse perspectives.
• Accept that acting before certainty is leadership’s critical challenge in the face of disruption.
• Treat learning and curiosity as lifelong, competitive advantages—especially in the age of AI.

For more about Scott D. Anthony:

• Connect on LinkedIn (“Scott Anthony Tuck”)
• Visit epicdisruptions.com for book and resources

This episode provides both clarity and inspiration for anyone leading, navigating, or reimagining in a world where change is no longer episodic but constant—and epic.