June 4, 2013
Have you ever pondered what you'd ask the CEO if you were made chairman of the board for 10 minutes and could pose one question? You'd want to make it count. Nothing about markets or strategies — CEOs have canned answers for that kind of thing. You'd want a question that would strip away the cloak of invincibility and reveal the CEO's innermost fears. A question that could...
Complexity is not a new condition. While it's true that many aspects of life have become more densely connected and unpredictable, the fact is that our world is inherently complex. Most of the environments we move in and tasks we perform require us to deal with interdependent and dynamic phenomena.
Consider (as economists Andrew Haldane and Vasileios Madouros...
June 3, 2013
How long can this go on? According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, the 17-nation euro zone remains the "weakest link" in our global economy after years of economic stagnation, mired in high unemployment, plagued with stalled or contracting economies, and...
Smartphones and tablets are the first things many of us check in the morning, and the last things we read at night. We use smartphones on the sidewalk, at work, at lunchtime, in line at the grocery store. In the evenings, we're on our tablets while we watch TV.
Being constantly connected has changed our behavior: we simply expect the right information to be at our...
Climbing the organizational ladder often requires employees to work long hours and deal with difficult and complex issues. Some days on the job are likely fun and positive and other days are tension-filled and stressful. A common dilemma for many people is how they manage all of the competing demands in work and life and avoid letting any negative effects of work spill over into their personal lives.
Research has in fact shown that employees who believe they do not have time for...
Every project manager has one key role to play: scope cop. But it's a job you can't do in isolation. You need to share nitty-gritty details and related financials with your team members on at least a weekly basis (more often than that in some industries) so they'll support your efforts instead of undermining them with the best of intentions. It's the only way, aside from sheer luck, that you'll even come close...
People will continue to debate Procter & Gamble's move to replace CEO Bob McDonald with his immediate predecessor A.G. Lafley, but for us the most compelling and determinative part of this story lies with the board.
Many wonder why an academy company like P&G, historically known for developing talent, did not, or was not able to, promote a successor from within its ranks. Where was its leadership bench? What kind of signal did this choice send to P&G's top managers? Is...
May 31, 2013
People are drawn to and influenced by leaders who communicate authentically, easily and effectively. How do you become one of these leaders?
You need to have a "signature voice"—a means of self-expression that is uniquely and distinctly your own. Once you discover and express this voice, you won't believe the impact you can have on those around you.
In this interactive Harvard Business Review webinar with Amy Jen Su and Muriel Wilkins...
Today's top IT leaders have moved beyond ensuring operational efficiency. Many IT leaders are now at the forefront of business model enablement, organizational architecture, management practice, and innovation. But stepping into the role of strategic visionary and business driver requires CIOs to have a dramatic new conversation with their C-suite colleagues.
In this wide-ranging panel discussion, renowned business author Gary Hamel joins with Jim...
Over the past 30 years there have been three major waves of change in how employers and workers have converged on new knowledge work arrangements.
To capitalize on this third wave of change, employers should rethink their compact with workers on five key dimensions: 1) the strategy behind the design of work arrangements; 2) the setting for work; 3) the organization of workflows; 4) the technologies used; and 5) the degree of tailoring work arrangements.
In this interactive...
