Former Governor of MA, Charlie Baker, on How to Make a State Work

Charlie Baker has a reputation for making big, complex institutions actually work. As governor of Massachusetts, he was consistently ranked the most popular governor in America, running one of the bluest states as a Republican without getting bogged down in partisanship. Today, he’s the president of the NCAA, steering college sports through its most turbulent era.

In this conversation, Baker shares the same pragmatic playbook that guided him through both roles: results matter more than rhetoric, and time is money. If it takes five years to permit housing or six years to approve energy, you’re paying for it in higher rents, higher power bills, and lost opportunities.

We talk about what states like Maine can learn from Massachusetts’ turnaround under Baker’s watch: fixing the relationship with cities and towns, treating time as a cost driver, and giving communities the flexibility to actually move. We also touch on his leadership philosophy: building coalitions, keeping public trust, and staying focused on outcomes.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why time is the hidden driver of housing and energy costs
• How to lower the cost of living by fixing state–local processes instead of just writing checks
• Why ownership opportunities matter more than subsidies in housing policy
• How Baker used a simple “menu” approach to let cities bundle grants and revitalize downtowns
• What bipartisan leadership looks like when the goal is results, not headlines
• The leadership lessons Baker carries from Massachusetts into his role as president of the NCAA

If you care about building more, paying less, and leading with results, this conversation with Charlie Baker is a masterclass in pragmatic statecraft. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

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