The MIT Media Lab’s finding that 95% of generative AI investments have produced no measurable returns highlights a familiar pitfall: Leaders are repeating the mistakes of the digital transformation era by funding scattered pilots that don’t connect to real…

Despite billions spent, a new MIT study shows that 95% of organizations aren’t yet seeing ROI from generative AI, raising questions about hype, strategy, and timing. In this edition of the HBR Executive Agenda, editor at large Adi Ignatius talks to a number…

On paper, a flattened org chart may look efficient, but the day-to-day can feel overwhelming when you’re a senior leader suddenly responsible for a sprawling team. Without a clear strategy, scale becomes a liability. It’s easy to feel buried by decisions…

Amid constantly changing tariff rates, the firing of top government officials, and splashy headlines about their implications, it can be hard for companies to plan for the future. Which data is reliable? Which is relevant? Researchers from the Yale Budget…

Despite advances in AI and digital tools human expertise remains crucial for complex and high-stakes purchases, where salespeople help buyers navigate ambiguity and build trust. Because companies continue to produce complex products, the demand for skilled…

A conversation with MIT Sloan’s Elsbeth Johnson on letting go effectively.

What it takes to maintain momentum and customer trust when the road to change gets bumpy.

How to reshape your reputation without losing your identity.

For leaders in the age of AI, creativity and adaptability will be the most important skills, more sought-after than static expertise. One valuable way of developing such skills is to embrace strategic amateurism, the practice of intentionally engaging in…

Adapted from the September-October 2025 edition of our magazine, these recent research findings—pulled from academia, consultancies, and more—can help companies make the most informed decisions. Topics include a simple way to set a new CEO up for success…

Adapted from our September-October 2025 magazine, this succinct write-up offers insights from a recent study on incentives and group performance. Across 722 escape-room teams in Germany, comprising more than 3,300 participants, from 2015 to 2017, researchers…

Teams need to be able to take risks—from making hard decisions, to naming inconvenient truths, to having a hard conversation—in order to be successful. But human biology makes risk-taking the exception, rather than the rule. So, how can leaders encourage…

Cross-functional collaboration has always been critical for innovation, but it’s even more critical today as complex challenges require system-wide responses. But these collaborations fail at high rates, whether due to unclear decision rights, competing goals…

In this HBR Executive Live, Foreign Affairs editor Daniel Kurtz-Phelan joins HBR editor at large Adi Ignatius for a candid conversation on geopolitics, national security, and the new realities of globalization. The session goes beyond the daily news cycle…

Leading a team in an organization where communication and trust have broken down can leave you feeling powerless. The bad energy has a way of seeping into everything, threatening to contaminate your team. But you have more control than you might realize.…

As crypto increasingly goes mainstream, CEOs, CFOs, and treasurers need a strategy for where assets like Bitcoin belong on their balance sheet. The important thing to understand is that Bitcoin is both an asset and a network for moving money. For most corporations…

A company’s success will not rest on AI per se; it rests on what companies do with it. When companies lead with AI or treat it as the answer, they put the cart before the horse and risk compromising their company’s strategy and the value it provides to the…

The news has been filled with reports of the eye-popping salaries that tech giants are offering AI talent. So how can other companies compete in this marketplace? In this edition of the HBR Executive Agenda, editor at large Adi Ignatius asks a number of executives…

During periods of turbulence and turmoil, leaders must be not just muscular strategists but also caring empaths, attuned to the emotional barometers of their teams and able to move the mood of the organization in a most positive direction. This requires communicating…

Small Language Models (SLMs) are redefining enterprise AI by offering faster, more efficient, and cost-effective solutions compared to Large Language Models (LLMs). Their compact design enables deployment on edge devices, allowing real-time decision-making…