A conversation with HBS professor Ranjay Gulati about taking bold action amid uncertainty.

Leaders today are facing more complexity, faster change, and higher expectations than ever. But budget cuts, approval bottlenecks, and cultural barriers can put the executive coaching that could help them navigate all this uncertainty out of reach. This is…

In today’s competitive market, brands seeking to accelerate their growth should focus on creating emotional resonance through unexpected joy. Brands that deliver memorable, shareable moments of joy can differentiate themselves from their competition and build…

With the right approach, even small firms can get a competitive advantage from the right kinds of tests.

New research reveals that a manager’s true value—for both individuals and their firms—lies not in being a great motivator or monitor, but in their ability to strategically place talent. Analyzing 20 years of data from 200,000 employees and 30,000 managers…

Generative AI is no longer just automating text; with AI-based wage-setting, it’s shaping paychecks, livelihoods, and access to opportunity. Left unchecked, these systems risk reinforcing, or even widening, global inequalities. New research shows that AI…

While mid-level leaders are often offered structured onboarding programs, frequent manager engagement, 1:1s, skip-level 1:1s, and formal mentorship, senior leaders often enter a new role or organization to…silence. They transition from being nurtured and…

AI is dismantling the traditional hiring model of professional services firms, which relied on large classes of junior associates to supply a handful of future partners. With entry-level roles shrinking, firms must shift from hiring for grunt work to hiring…

Big-bet strategic decisions can define an organization’s success. But when so much is changing and ambiguous and the amount of information available is overwhelming, leaders are often tempted to just make the call based on instinct. How can you make a decision…

Sponsor Content from Zeta Global.

A survey of hundreds of executives point to six red flags that derail organizational hiring, sometimes preventing otherwise qualified candidates from securing roles to which they might be suited. They include poor self-awareness, lack of preparation, poor…

Your team needs you, but you’re exhausted. You need to focus on the big picture, but you can’t move past the daily firefight. This is the classic trap of leadership: The more indispensable you become, the less time and capacity you have to lead. Meanwhile…

Lew Frankfort, former CEO of Coach, has been to the top of the corporate world—and endured emotional and physical maladies along the way. In this edition of the HBR Executive Agenda, editor at large Adi Ignatius shares Frankfort’s strategies for coping with…

A leader struggles with planning her next career steps when she’s happy where she is.

Companies are under pressure to pause digital innovation as costs rise and uncertainty grows—but holding back risks falling further behind in the age of AI and data-driven change. Research shows the most effective organizations avoid waste by funding projects…

A survey of hundreds of executives shows that the most common “red flags“ that deter qualified candidates from interviewing for or accepting jobs with organizations are a lack of clarity about the job or organization, bad recruitment practices, unpleasant…

As companies grow and ownership becomes more complex, leaders often assume the answer is to get everyone more involved. But too much participation can bog down decisions, fuel frustration, and weaken cohesion. The smarter move is to foster shareholder supportiveness—a…

A conversation with writer Cory Doctorow about why tech companies seem to deprioritize users.

While authenticity is linked to higher self-esteem and well-being, it does not necessarily translate into perceptions of leadership competence or effectiveness. In fact, research shows that impression management—adjusting your behavior to meet situational…

To thrive in the rapidly evolving age of generative AI, senior leaders need to recognize that success hinges less on the technology itself than on leadership and organizational transformation. In particular, they’ll need to develop five key skills: 1) cultivating…