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Leadership Execution and Action Planning (LEAP) - Course Catalog

HBS Course Catalog Leadership Execution and Action Planning (LEAP) Course Number 2031 Associate Professor Ryan Raffaelli Spring; Q3Q4; 3.0 credits 27 Sessions Exam Leadership Execution and View Details

22 Feb 2022
News

Action Plan: Portfolio Strategy

Sadiq Gillani (MBA 2006) didn’t set out to build a different kind of career for himself. During his time at HBS, he had a clear, conventional vision of his future. As he told the Portrait Project in 2006, “I am going to devote my life to fixing existing airlines and... View Details

Keywords: April White; entrepreneurship; career planning; creativity; Air Transportation; Transportation

August 1997 (Revised October 1997)
Case

Hewlett-Packard's Santa Rosa Systems Division (B2): The Action Plans

By: Michael Beer and Gregory C. Rogers

Supplements the (B) case. View Details

Keywords: Computer Industry

October 2021
Background Note

How to Write an Action-Planning Memo

By: Ryan Raffaelli and Akshaya Varghese

The ability to communicate an action plan through writing is essential for advancing ideas, earning credibility, and garnering support. Research has shown that leaders who write formal plans are more likely to execute successfully—written plans help members of an... View Details

Keywords: Writing; Action Plan; Communication; Competency and Skills; Planning

14 Jul 2023
Blog Post

Balancing Act: Kate Eberle Walker’s Action Plan for C-suite Diversity

responsibility of fostering other women, starting with her executive team. The first step was sharing her plan with employees and listening to their concerns. The response she received at Princeton Review and at PresenceLearning was... View Details

Article

Reflections: Toward a Normative and Actionable Theory of Planned Organizational Change and Development

By: Michael Beer

A normative and actionable theory of planned organizational change and development is proposed based on fifty years of engagement by the author as a scholar-consultant. Five principles are central features of the theory and practice proposed: 1) Organizations are... View Details

Keywords: Consultant; Process; Systems; Silence; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leadership; Learning; Management Teams

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November 2022
Technical Note

Leader Action Orientations

By: Ryan Raffaelli, Akshaya Varghese and Laura Weimer

Leaders are responsible for planning and executing actions that advance organizational goals. As individuals gain career experience, they tend to develop and rely on implicit mental models that shape how they go about “getting things done.” Without knowing it, most... View Details

Keywords: Leadership Development; Prejudice and Bias; Cognition and Thinking; Decision Making; Behavior

08 Oct 2019
Blog Post

Balancing Act: Kate Eberle Walker’s Action Plan for C-suite Diversity

successor and two years later, after Tutor.com had merged with The Princeton Review, she became CEO of the combined company. For Eberle Walker, being in charge came with the responsibility of fostering other women, starting with her executive team. The first step was... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship

October 2022
Article

Climate Change Acknowledgment to Promote Sustainable Development: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Local Action Plans in Coastal Florida

By: Srimayi Tenali and Phil McManus

Globally, the consequences of climate change have rapidly necessitated local govern-ment action to mitigate and adapt to rising sea levels, increased storm frequency, andhigher temperatures. Acknowledgement of underlying climate issues, however, varieswidely across... View Details

Keywords: Climate Change; Local Range; Environmental Sustainability; Government and Politics; Communication

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January 2023 (Revised December 2024)
Technical Note

LCA Action Planning: Responsibility and Accountability

By: Sandra J. Sucher, Nien-he Hsieh and Marilyn Morgan Westner

LCA action plans integrate responsibility and accountability into decision-making and planning. This module note was designed for the LCA course and reviews six steps leaders can follow to develop a practical LCA action plan for their business. It shows how integrating... View Details

Keywords: Responsibility; Accountability; Management Challenges; Corporate Accountability; Leadership; Planning; Decisions; Strategy

Blog

Two-Year Action Plan Update: Q+A with Terrill Drake, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Harvard Business School

shift the culture, we will want the support of our allies across the University. We're all part of the same ecosystem. Looking back on this year, what are your thoughts on our progress? Are we ahead or behind schedule, or right where we should be? The View Details

November 2005 (Revised July 2006)
Background Note

A Note on Scenario Planning

By: David A. Garvin and Lynne Levesque

Describes the process, components, and detailed action steps involved in using scenario planning in any organization. Provides detailed examples that use the process. View Details

Keywords: Planning

03 Jun 2016
News

Airbnb says it plans to take action to crack down on racial discrimination on its site

April 21, 2023
Article

When Scenario Planning Fails

By: Kalle Heikkinen, William R. Kerr, Mika Malin, Panu Routila and Eemil Rupponen

How can organizations perform scenario planning when they are hit by shocks outside of leaders’ field of vision? Interviews with Nordic executives, who experienced both the Covid-19 pandemic and were in close proximity to Russia as the country invaded Ukraine, can... View Details

Keywords: Planning; Crisis Management; Organizational Structure; Forecasting and Prediction; System Shocks; Organizational Change and Adaptation

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May 1995 (Revised March 1996)
Case

ToyWorld, Inc.: Information Technology Planning

By: Lynda M. Applegate

ToyWorld, a fast growing retailer, was revitalizing its information technology (IT) infrastructure and called in AT&T to help plan for the future. Five strategic alternatives for use of information and communications technology were identified through value chain... View Details

Keywords: Strategic Planning; Information Technology; Growth and Development; Expansion; Partners and Partnerships; Retail Industry