A lawyer and a surgeon walk into a bar…

About this episode

What can business leaders learn from a surgeon about risk management? What can they learn from a lawyer about transformation? And what do these two industries have in common? Quite a lot, it turns out, in the first of this two-part interview.

James Kinross from Imperial College London is no stranger to risk. Every time he steps into an operating theatre, the 'consultant colorectal surgeon with a special interest in robotics and laparoscopy surgeon knows there is a patient counting on him to succeed. And every time he and his colleagues introduce a new innovation, there are potential unintended consequences.

In this discussion, Head of Ashurst Advance Chris Georgiou and James reflect on how data and robotics can augment human decision-making and mitigate risk. The conversation also explores how technology is altering the rites of passage for junior professionals, why traditional hierarchies are problematic, and how leaders can create the optimal conditions for innovation.