Authenticity - Publications - Faculty & Research

January 2024
Case

Sprouts Farmers Market

By: Rajiv Lal, Forest L. Reinhardt and Natalie Kindred

Sprouts Farmers Markets (Sprouts) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based chain of 400-plus natural foods stores in 23 U.S. states and $6.4 billion in sales as of 2022. In its product assortment, brand image, and store environment, Sprouts emphasizes freshness, health, innovation,... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Growth and Development Strategy; Brands and Branding; Strategic Planning; Sales; Business Strategy; Expansion; Product Positioning; Marketing Strategy; Competition; Retail Industry; United States; Arizona

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Purchase

Teaching Interest

Overview

By: Jill J. Avery

Creating Brand Value (MBA elective course)

Overview:

In the consumer/retail space, brands are often companies’ most valuable assets and sources of their sustainable competitive advantage. But, managing brands to achieve their full value potential... View Details

Profile

Joy Chen

diverse people in the way they think and what they aspire to. They’re the reason I’m here. They’re authentic and open to conversations that matter, to forming new emotional bonds and to growing themselves.” Joy applied the resources of... View Details

07 Jun 2023
Blog Post

My One Case: MBA Class of 2023 Looks Back

that are rooted in trust—both in my personal and professional life. As a consultant, I will be working with various groups including clients, peers, and other stakeholders, and I plan to lead with vulnerability and authenticity in a way... View Details

20 Aug 2021
Blog Post

Is the MBA Worth It? Hear What Recent HBS Grads Have to Say

prospective HBS students? The most valuable asset I gained at HBS was the confidence to be myself and chase goals that felt authentic to me instead of pursuing goals for external validation. In this way, I was endowed with the leadership... View Details

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Technology & Operations Management Curriculum - Faculty & Research

Management PhD in Organizational Behavior PhD in Health Policy Management PhD in Business Economics Executive Education The Women's Leadership Forum 03–07 MAR 2025 PLD Module 5 20 MAY–25 JUL 2025 Authentic Leader Development 01–06 JUN... View Details

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Profiles - MBA

an authentic desire to build the world they want to live in. ” Tech areas of interest: AI/ML, Design, Human Computer Interaction, Sustainability, Privacy, Security & Trust Formative experience at the intersection of technology and... View Details

11 Sep 2023
Blog Post

Reflections on My First Semester Teaching at HBS

to the visitors - it's intimidating to visit HBS; it definitely took me a month in the classroom to settle into my more authentic self.) 2. Taking risks - In our entrepreneurship teaching group, we talk about how the case method requires... View Details

09 Jan 2024
Blog Post

Insights From Harvard Business School’s Peek Program

but also a hub for aspiring leaders across various sectors. In my Authentic Leadership Discussion with Professor DeLong, we discussed the Case Study of Harlem’s Children’s Zone and learned about how his former student Kwame Owusu-Kesse... View Details

30 Sep 2019
Book

6 Steps to Building a Better Workplace for Black Employees

feeling unable to bring their whole selves to work, and believing they should nod in agreement with company values, according to the book. Mayo says creating opportunities for people to bring their authentic selves to work boosts... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

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HBR Classics - Alumni

Discovering Your Authentic Leadership , Bill George, Peter Sims, Andrew N. McLean, and Diana Myer Do You Play to Win or Not Lose , Heidi Grant Halvorson, E. Tory Higgins Level 5 Leadership - The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve ,... View Details

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Creating an Inclusive Recruiting Process for Candidates with Diverse Abilities - Recruiting

power dynamics, like in the recruiting process. “One of the ways to dismantle power structures and invite people to be their authentic selves is to proactively share information with candidates in advance of their interviews. Help people... View Details

24 Apr 2017
Op-Ed

Op-Ed: Courage: The Defining Characteristic of Great Leaders

list of authentic leaders that have made courageous decisions to build great global companies. To quote poet Maya Angelou, “Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George; Auto; Food & Beverage

Profile

Varnika Menghnani

Coming to HBS is like Traveling the world in 637 days. It resembles a local, authentic travel experience: You meet people from all over, move past talking about the weather to real problems they want to solve. You sit and enjoy a meal... View Details

17 Mar 2021
Blog Post

The Art of Perseverance and Resilience: Reapplying to HBS

As I worked through my two failed attempts, I realized I had the privilege of time to define my professional goals. This allowed me to tell an authentic story in my final application to HBS. I went from trying to impress the admissions... View Details

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Symposium - Race, Gender & Equity

are experienced, interpreted, and contested through practices of expression, performance, and self-presentation. It examined such topics as the deconstruction of the gender binary; the concept of the authentic self; and how social... View Details

16 Jul 2012
Research & Ideas

Are You a Strategist?

While that may sound obvious at face value, it's something that regularly stymies the veteran leaders in Montgomery's executive classes. "We'll be talking about Nike or Apple, and the participants will be praising the authenticity of the... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

13 Nov 2023
Blog Post

HBS Veteran Spotlight: Lindsey Chrismon (MBA 2025)

things out, and embracing the core values that make one truly human. Ultimately, it was about lacing up those metaphorical cleats daily, fully committing to the team and the mission. It's in these foundational principles that I found the blueprint for View Details

25 Nov 2019
Research & Ideas

When Your Passion Works Against You

who expressed passion in authentic ways, including one who introduced a personal connection to the pitch. However, entrepreneurs seen as expressing passion with a false note did not earn as much support from investors. For example, one... View Details