The Journal of Young Innovators

Leadership. Innovation. AI.

Our current articles.

Opinion Pieces10/1/2024

The Next Big Arenas of Competition

Chris Bradley, Michael Chui, Kevin Russell, Kweilin Ellingrud, Michael Birshan, Suhayl Chettih

McKinsey Global Institute

This report from the McKinsey Global Institute identifies and describes a category of industries that could account for much of the future change in the business landscape and transform the world. We call these industries arenas of competition. To identify the arenas of tomorrow, we look back at the arenas of today to see how they evolved. Arenas are defined by two characteristics: they capture an outsize share of the economy’s growth, and market share within them changes hands to an outsize degree. The presence of those two attributes indicates that a new competitive game has begun, usually prompted by a new bundle of technologies and business models.

Opinion Pieces4/3/2025·Volume 1, Issue 1

Standing Steady in Shifting Ground: Why Leadership Education Matters for International Students

Francella Ochillo, Clara Ma

International students in U.S. higher education face increasing uncertainty, not only due to shifting immigration policy and rising xenophobia, but also due to systemic failures in institutional support. This article argues that leadership education—when centered on ethics, creativity, and resilience—is no longer a curriculum enhancement. Drawing on narrative, policy context, and global ethics scholarship, the piece calls for a reimagining of leadership development as a core element of higher education and an essential navigational tool for future leaders. A global moral compass, as defined by Thompson (2010), offers an essential framework for international students navigating complex and inequitable systems.

Opinion Pieces4/2/2025·Volume 1, Issue 1

From Neurons to Leaders: A Brain-Targeted Framework for Leadership Education

Mariale Hardiman

Johns Hopkins University

The rapidly evolving fields of neuroleadership and neuroeducation hold immense potential for transforming our understanding of effective leadership and learning. While neuroleadership delves into the neural underpinnings of leadership behaviors and decision-making processes (Rock & Schwartz, 2006), neuroeducation bridges the gap between neuroscience and education to optimize learning and cognitive performance (Hardiman, 2012). Despite their distinct origins and focal points, these two fields converge in their shared objective of translating neuroscience research into practical strategies for enhancing human performance and development. In this article, we propose a unified framework that synergizes insights from both domains, leveraging Dr. Mariale Hardiman's Brain-Targeted Teaching (BTT) model to optimize learning and leadership development across organizational and educational contexts. We aim to represent a comprehensive approach to fostering environments that nurture continuous improvement and innovation in leadership by integrating principles from neuroleadership, such as emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1998), transformational leadership (Bass & Riggio, 2006), adaptive leadership (Heifetz et al., 2009), and authentic leadership (Avolio & Gardner, 2005), Ultimately, this article seeks to arm leaders with a brain-targeted approach to leadership and learning, helping them to create impactful experiences that empower individuals to thrive and realize their full potential.