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The Human Risk PodcastPeople are often described as the largest asset in most organisations. They are also the biggest single cause of risk. This podcast explores the topic of 'human risk', or "the risk of people doing things they shouldn't or not doing things they... Author: Human Risk
People are often described as the largest asset in most organisations. They are also the biggest single cause of risk. This podcast explores the topic of 'human risk', or "the risk of people doing things they shouldn't or not doing things they should", and examines how behavioural science can help us mitigate it. It also looks at 'human reward', or "how to get the most out of people". When we manage human risk, we often stifle human reward. Equally, when we unleash human reward, we often inadvertently increase human risk.To pitch guests please email guest@humanriskpodcast.com Language: en Genres: Science, Social Sciences Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Tom & Sue Hardin On Wired On Wall Street
Saturday, 28 February, 2026
What’s the difference between a mistake… and a bad decision? My guest knows this only too well. Tom Hardin has been on the show several times before. As Tipper X, he wore a wire for the FBI and helped build the largest insider trading investigation in US history. Since then, he has spent nearly a decade speaking to organisations around the world about slippery slopes, rationalisation, and how good people drift into serious trouble. In this episode, he returns to discuss his new book, Wired on Wall Street. The book goes beyond the insider trading case many listeners already know. It explores the ambition, insecurity and desire for status that shaped his early career, and the patterns he only recognised years later when writing it down. For the first time on a podcast, Tom is also joined by his wife, Sue. She played no role in the trades that changed his life, but her life was dramatically altered by them. She reflects on discovering the truth, keeping a secret that wasn’t hers, facing sentencing uncertainty, and what it means to rebuild together. This conversation isn’t really about insider trading; it’s about character.Key ThemesWhy calling something a “mistake” can soften accountabilityThe psychology of slippery slopes and rationalisationStatus anxiety and the need to belongResume virtues vs eulogy virtuesShame versus guilt — and why the distinction mattersThe hidden impact of ethical failure on spouses and familiesWhat writing a book can reveal that telling a story on stage cannotThe freedom that comes from having nothing left to hideTom’s story is unusual; the human dynamics behind it are not.AI-Generated Timestamped Summary00:00 – More than insider tradingWhy this conversation is about character — guilt vs shame, mistakes vs bad decisions, and the cost of ethical drift. 02:30 – The story in briefTom recaps becoming “Tipper X” and helping build the largest insider trading investigation in US history. 03:15 – Why write the book now?After a decade of speaking, Tom explains what finally pushed him to put the full story — childhood, ambition, insecurity — on paper. 08:00 – The deeper patternFrom Georgia to the Ivy League to hedge funds: the outsider mindset, status anxiety, and the slippery slope. 16:00 – Small decisions, big consequencesEarly corner-cutting, rationalisation, and the fraud triangle in action. 26:00 – Resume virtues vs eulogy virtuesHow Tom’s definition of success changed — and the difference between shame and guilt. 31:00 – A simple test for integrityOne question that could replace most Codes of Conduct:Are you willing to be held accountable for this decision? Sue’s Perspective 40:30 – The night she found outShock, disbelief, and the future collapsing in an instant. 44:00 – Keeping a secret that wasn’t hersWhite lies, reputational fear, and the strain of silence. 49:00 – Sentencing dayWhy she insisted on being there — no matter the outcome. 52:30 – Reinvention and resilienceStay-at-home dad years, ultramarathons, and rebuilding a life together.LinksWired on Wall Street: www.tipperx.com/bookTipper X Website: www.tipperx.comTom's previous appearances on the show:Tom's experience as FBI Informant Tipper X - https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/tom-hardin-on-his-experience/Turning Crime Into A Calling - https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/tom-hardin-on-turning-a-crime-into-a-calling/Tom's Substack: https://substack.com/@tipperxTom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tipperx/
