Leadership and managing people

Using the results of a survey of 380 companies in 34 industries, this author examines three basic types of compensation plans: salary, commission, and combination (salary plus commission). Most companies in the study favored a combination plan, but such plans have some disadvantages to offset their obvious attractiveness. The author sets out the possible reasons […]

A close study of the real thing — seafarers’ insurrections during the Age of Discovery — might help you decide.

The story of how one organization envisioned a future transformed.

Many managers of service businesses are aware that the strategic management (by which I mean the total process of selecting and implementing a corporate strategy) of service businesses is different from that of manufacturing businesses. This article discusses how pure service businesses are different from product-oriented businesses and why they require different strategic thinking. A […]

The position, not the person, often determines whether a manager has power.

The ousted J.C. Penney chief understood the importance of intuition.

Relying on "sink-or-swim" approaches is expensive - and irresponsible.

Normalize failure. No, really: Do it.

Skills leaders need today from the professor who wrote the book on leadership.

The makeup of the global workforce is about to undergo a seismic shift. In four years, Millennials-the people born between 1977 and 1997-will account...

If we could better track the value of human capital, employees would be better off.

We are all familiar with and horrified by the stories that came out of Guyana about the Reverend Jim Jones and the mass suicide that occurred at Jonestown. After the dust had settled, everyone wanted to know how so many people could have believed in one person so completely that they would commit suicide to […]

If we asked you to make a list of the top 50 performing CEOs in the world, who would you name? Jeffrey Immelt? Jamie Dimon? Carols Ghosn? They’re on your list? They shouldn’t be. What about Bart Becht? John Martin? John Lau? Not on your list? They should be. Becht, of Reckitt-Benckiser, Martin, of Gilead […]

Set them - and your executives - up for success.

Tomorrow became a little distant from today in 2008. With the challenges facing businesses today–versus even six months ago–emerging leaders find little solace in the best practices that have worked so far. So what can help us cope with the challenges ahead? I have put together 10 mantras that might guide us ahead: 1. Listen […]

In 2005, Harry C. Stonecipher, CEO of Boeing and one of America’s most highly respected corporate leaders, was asked by the company’s Board of Directors to resign his post. The reason was Stonecipher’s affair with Debra Peabody, a Boeing vice president. There was no charge of sexual harassment and no indication that Stonecipher had given […]

How you respond to a crisis will have repercussions for years to come.

Start by getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Dilbert is right. Managers are incompetent, worse even than the managers themselves realize. That was the conclusion of a well-known study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in December 1999, long before The Office premiered. “Not only do incompetent people reach incompetent conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them […]

Changing demographics will change the demands on your workers.

Jack Rivkin's innovative approach to hiring, developing, and retaining employees created opportunities for female analysts to thrive at the equity research...

An executive has just joined adult entertainment producer Private Media Group Inc. (PMG) as a strategy consultant. Despite being a highly controversial...

The case is set in July 2010. André Glardon, who is the regional sales director of a major health care products provider for the Levante and the Balearic...

In 2016, Akira Fukabori and Kevin Kajitani, aeronautical engineers at All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd., began to wonder why, in a world of accelerating globalization...

The unelected Federal Reserve Chairman exerts exceptional influence over the U.S., in fact global, economy. As Janet Yellen prepared to take over the...

The Developmental Network Questionnaire is an instrument designed to reveal information about the sources of developmental assistance in an individual's...

A printer and paper converter produces customized packaging used by industrial customers to deliver promotional materials, software, luxury beverages,...

New Tools to Overcome the Human Barriers to Change. Leaders know that their job is to transform their organizations to keep pace with technology and an...

Following a leadership crisis, the chairman of Tse Sui Luen Jewellery (TSL) had revitalized the company and now wondered which initiatives TSL should...

Tim Trowac and Dave Rahall, two former investment bankers, skillfully execute the leveraged buyout of a golf ball recycling company after working intensely...

This case accompanies the (A) case from Anthony Starks's perspective.

In late March 2017, Clara Miller, director and president of the F.B. Heron Foundation ("Heron"), a philanthropic institution focused on helping people...

This note introduces a leadership communication competencies framework as part of the embodying executive presence model. The model can be leveraged in...

The case describes Vanke's response to the decisions posed in the A1, A2, and A3 cases and asks whether Vanke should expand its strategic scope by defining...

In January 2012, Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) Corporation's chief executive officer resigned after two major breakdowns on the North-South Line...

In 2006, Sophia Tannis, a 36-year-old professional with the U.S.-based multinational company CPA Solutions (CPA), who had worked internationally for many...

During the Holi festival in March 2012, the managing director of Ramcides, a family-run agrochemical business, was considering the path of the company...

The (B) case gives an update on the development of knowledge management at Danone two years after the (A) case: The Networking Attitude spread throughout...

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You're trying to help--but is it working? Helping others is a good thing. Often, as a leader, manager, doctor, teacher, or coach, it's central to your...

Jack Rivkin's innovative approach to hiring, developing, and retaining employees created opportunities for female analysts to thrive at the equity research...

Using the results of a survey of 380 companies in 34 industries, this author examines three basic types of compensation plans: salary, commission, and combination (salary plus commission). Most companies in the study favored a combination plan, but such plans have some disadvantages to offset their obvious attractiveness. The author sets out the possible reasons […]

A close study of the real thing — seafarers’ insurrections during the Age of Discovery — might help you decide.

The story of how one organization envisioned a future transformed.

Many managers of service businesses are aware that the strategic management (by which I mean the total process of selecting and implementing a corporate strategy) of service businesses is different from that of manufacturing businesses. This article discusses how pure service businesses are different from product-oriented businesses and why they require different strategic thinking. A […]

Not only is it more fun, it also produces more novel ideas.

An executive has just joined adult entertainment producer Private Media Group Inc. (PMG) as a strategy consultant. Despite being a highly controversial...

Build connections, communicate your preferences, and set ground rules for collaboration.

The case is set in July 2010. André Glardon, who is the regional sales director of a major health care products provider for the Levante and the Balearic...

...and the skills you need to successfully adapt.