Hard Power - Publications - Faculty & Research

24 Oct 2023
HBS Case

From P.T. Barnum to Mary Kay: Lessons From 5 Leaders Who Changed the World

industry pioneer Mary Kay Ash learned about hard work, strict priorities, and the power of positive reinforcement firsthand. When she was seven, her father contracted tuberculosis, becoming housebound and... View Details

Keywords: by Avery Forman

05 Jul 2023
HBS Case

What Kind of Leader Are You? How Three Action Orientations Can Help You Meet the Moment

specific task at hand (e.g., an appreciation for broader market changes, competitor behaviors, or emergent industry trends). Relational. Relational leaders design a plan of action based on how others will perceive and be affected by the course of action (e.g., a focus... View Details

Keywords: by Ben Rand

28 Jun 2010
HBS Case

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Technology and Operations Management course (TOM), the case offers valuable takeaways for future managers of any complex service organization. "It's a good TOM case in that it includes hard numbers and rigorous analysis,"... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Health

20 Apr 2023
Blog Post

Tackle the First 90 Days of Your Next Role: A 5 Step Process for Success on the Job

five-step process, you can write out clear goals. What four goals (approximately) should you plan to achieve and in what time horizon? To ensure that you are setting the right goals in this process, follow the ACHIEVE model: Action-Oriented, Consequential, View Details

06 Nov 2023
Research & Ideas

Did You Hear What I Said? How to Listen Better

these nuggets can help you stay more attentive to the conversation, and keep your partner engaged, too.” An even more powerful way to show you’re listening may be through “long-term listening cues,” like calling back from one conversation... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

18 Apr 2022
HBS Case

Dick’s Sporting Goods Followed Its Conscience on Guns—and It Paid Off

with less power at other publicly traded firms may not be in such an advantageous position. But the concrete steps Stack took also prevented the company from paying a higher price for following its corporate conscience—and the way it... View Details

Keywords: by Jay Fitzgerald

09 May 2012
Research & Ideas

Clayton Christensen’s “How Will You Measure Your Life?”

watch the DVDs that they had ordered. As long as the DVDs sat unwatched at customers' homes, Netflix did not have to pay return postage-or send out the next batch of movies that the customer had already paid the monthly fee to get. “As Blockbuster learned the View Details

Web

Lifelong Learning - Alumni

Out Five strategies that will help you actively manage mentorships more efficiently and sustainably throughout your career 22 Dec 2023 HBR The Hard Questions to Ask When Planning Your Strategy Many managers view strategy as a complex... View Details

26 Aug 2002
Research & Ideas

High-Stakes Decision Making: The Lessons of Mount Everest

to how they expect people to behave. For instance, Hall made it very clear that he did not wish to hear dissenting views while the expedition made the final push to the summit. Most leaders understand the power of these very direct... View Details

Keywords: by Michael A. Roberto

17 Dec 2012
Research & Ideas

Teaming in the Twenty-First Century

workforce are expressed," she says. “The most counterproductive thing a manager can do is to come down hard in a punitive manner on a well-intentioned failure.” "There's a growing recognition across all sectors about the importance of... View Details

Keywords: by Maggie Starvish

24 Sep 2013
First Look

First Look: September 24

Monetary Economics Cyclicality of Credit Supply: Firm-Level Evidence By: Ivashina, Victoria, and Bo Becker Abstract—Theory predicts that there is a close link between bank credit supply and the evolution of the business cycle. Yet fluctuations in bank-loan supply have... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

22 Mar 2010
Research & Ideas

One Strategy: Aligning Planning and Execution

each with a remarkable track record of innovations that built on past capabilities. The same assets, processes, and capabilities that make established firms complex and hard to manage also make them incredibly View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Video Game; Web Services

Person Page

Recent articles

By: Richard S. Tedlow

Don't Deny the Facts

Investor's Business Daily, April 27, 2010

The ability to see facts objectively is paramount to business success. An interview with Richard S.... View Details

17 Aug 2020
Research & Ideas

What the Stockdale Paradox Tells Us About Crisis Leadership

What is the Stockdale Paradox? Stockdale was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for seven-and-a-half years. Before meeting with the legendary soldier and statesman, Collins read Stockdale’s memoir and found its grim details hard to bear,... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams

14 Feb 2022
Research & Ideas

Curiosity, Not Coding: 6 Skills Leaders Need in the Digital Age

to live with the risk profile necessary for breakthrough ideas (as opposed to incremental choices) they must model what it means to act with courage and conviction: identifying as many risks as they can and working with their colleagues to mitigate them, while also... View Details

Keywords: by Linda A. Hill, Ann Le Cam, Sunand Menon, and Emily Tedards; Technology

23 Jul 2001
Research & Ideas

Sam Walton: Great From the Start

fully the power of the idea. Once seizing on it, never wavering from it became the centerpiece of Wal-Mart's greatness. Sam Walton That was still a long time in the future. Butler Brothers was not thrilled by Walton's freelancing ways,... View Details

Keywords: by Richard S. Tedlow; Retail

03 Oct 2023
Research Event

Build the Life You Want: Arthur Brooks and Oprah Winfrey Share Happiness Tips

coauthor of the new book Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier, for an intimate, powerful conversation that touches on: the mistake people make in thinking that money, power, and fame will bring them happiness;... View Details

Keywords: by HBS Staff

Web

Named Fellowship Funds - Alumni

recognizes the combination of Marine Corps and HBS training as being extraordinarily powerful and having provided him unparalleled preparation for high-level responsibilities. This fund is to be awarded to high-potential senior Marine... View Details

22 Aug 2016
Research & Ideas

Master the One-on-One Meeting

private, conversation with each other about what’s really going on—professionally and personally. This is a routine opportunity for you, as a manager, to assess the parts (your employees) that lead to the productive whole (your team)—which we all know is more View Details

Keywords: by Julia B. Austin

02 Feb 2010
First Look

First Look: Feb. 2

foster a culture that aligns all employees around the shared goals of customer solutions. 3) Clout: redistribute power to "bridge builders" and customer champions. 4) Capability: develop employees' skills at tackling changing... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

Publications