by James Sebenius - Publications - Faculty & Research

04 Sep 2012
Research & Ideas

Why Most Leaders (Even Thomas Jefferson) Are Replaceable

like to think of themselves as truly indispensable—impact makers, history movers, culture changers—few reach the bar set by Steve Jobs, Napoleon, or Martin Luther King Jr., Mukunda says. (Even some people you might think would be shoo-ins... View Details

Keywords: by Kim Girard

02 Apr 2015
Research & Ideas

Digital Initiative Summit: The Business of Crowdsourcing

this a scam?' For us, the most important thing we've done is build trust with the community," said James DeJulio, co-founder and chief product officer of Tongal. "Our marketing strategy was to pay people as fast as we possibly could. If... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

21 Apr 2020
Research & Ideas

7 Successful Battle Strategies to Beat COVID-19

government, and not-for-profits. To war against COVID To aid the fight against COVID-19, here are seven key frameworks and approaches with roots in military strategy that are taught in leading Agile and strategy programs. They can help your organization adapt quickly... View Details

Keywords: by Euvin Naidoo

14 Oct 2013
Research & Ideas

Blockbuster! Why Star Power Works

cannot afford not to do so. I present several case studies, such as on basketball's LeBron James and actor Tom Cruise, that vividly illustrate the ongoing tug-of-war between stars and entertainment companies, with each party vying for a... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Entertainment & Recreation

08 Jan 2007
Research & Ideas

Who Rises to Power in American Business?

generations. What doors are opening? Which remain closed? The book, written by Harvard Business School's Anthony J. Mayo and Nitin Nohria, and Boston College's Laura G. Singleton, is the second in a trilogy on leadership and leaders from... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

08 Oct 2012
Research & Ideas

The Immigrants Who Built America’s Financial System

of the many immigrant policymakers who played a part in establishing the foundational financial system of this country, along with Robert Morris [England], Haym Solomon [Poland], Alexander James Dallas [Jamaica], Stephen Girard [France]... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Financial Services; Banking

31 May 2004
Research & Ideas

How Team Leaders Show Support–or Not

What do leaders do to make employees in creative functions feel supported or not? That was one of the research questions posed by Harvard Business School professor Teresa Amabile and colleagues in what has turned into a penetrating study... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

09 Nov 2006
Research & Ideas

Andy Grove: A Biographer’s Tale

Podcast with: Richard TedlowInterviewer: James AisnerRunning Time: 29 min., 09 sec.Transcript My name is Jim Aisner and I am Director of Media Relations at Harvard Business School. This is the first in a series of podcasts for the... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Computer

09 May 2012
Research & Ideas

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

Editor's note: Every year, HBS Professor Clayton Christensen teaches students that well-tested academic theories can help them succeed not just in business, but in life. He expounds upon those lessons in his forthcoming book, How Will You Measure Your Life? Co-authored... View Details

January 2004 (Revised May 2008)
Case

Johnson & Johnson's Corporate Credo

By: Thomas R. Piper

No corporate credo is better known than that of Johnson & Johnson. Describes the history of the credo, including the credo challenge initiated by the CEO, James Burke, in 1975 and the role the credo played during the Tylenol poisoning crisis. View Details

Keywords: History; Mission and Purpose; Goals and Objectives; Corporate Accountability; Reputation; Crisis Management; Corporate Governance; Management Teams

Citation

Educators

09 Jul 2020
Research & Ideas

It’s Time to Reset Decision-Making in Your Organization

James Lemoine, an assistant professor in the Organization and Human Resources Department of the School of Management at the University at Buffalo, have written extensively on VUCA, and argue, “If VUCA is seen as general, unavoidable, and... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Sarah Abbott

04 Jan 2010
Research & Ideas

Best of HBS Working Knowledge 2009

advantages, great employee and customer loyalty, and a smoother on-ramp in leadership succession. A book excerpt from The Ownership Quotient: Putting the Service Profit Chain to Work for Unbeatable Competitive Advantage by HBS professor... View Details

Keywords: by Staff

13 Jul 2010
First Look

First Look: July 13

he was unsure how clients would respond. Purchase this case:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/310064-PDF-ENG Nichol Negotiates with Walmart: Hard Bargains over Soft Goods (A) James K. Sebenius and Ellen... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

01 Aug 2022
What Do You Think?

Does Religious Belief Affect Organizational Performance?

the leader's role in his book, Win From Within: Build Organizational Culture for Competitive Advantage. References: John P. Kotter and James L. Heskett, Corporate Culture and Performance (The Free Press, 1992). Zhihui, Gu and Liang, Hao... View Details

Keywords: Re: James L. Heskett

19 Mar 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, March 19, 2019

other outputs by autonomous machines. I argue that organizational researchers of creativity and innovation should invest significant energy in studying artificial intelligence and computer-assisted human intelligence, the ways in which... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

07 Feb 2007
Research & Ideas

Dividends from Schumpeter’s Noble Failure

Business Cycles was Joseph Schumpeter's least successful book when measured by its professed aims and several other yardsticks. Yet the book contains two vital aspects that have largely been overlooked. First, the prodigious research that... View Details

Keywords: by Thomas K. McCraw

05 May 2003
Research & Ideas

SEC Commissioner Sees “Healing and Reform”

optimism were New Jersey Senator and former Goldman Sachs co-head Jon S. Corzine, and Ernst & Young chairman James S. Turley. In assessing the current business climate at the Restoring Confidence in American Business conference at... View Details

Keywords: by Catherine Walsh

22 Dec 2006
Research & Ideas

What’s Behind the Private Equity Boom?

Podcast with: Josh Lerner Interviewer: James Aisner Running Time: 15 min., 56 sec. View Details

Keywords: by Jim Aisner; Financial Services

05 Oct 2016
Research & Ideas

Why Don't More People Get Flu Shots at Work?

the start of the influenza season in the United States. “It’s quite strong evidence that just the natural course of your day bringing you by the flu shot clinic increases your likelihood of getting a flu shot” Getting employees to go to... View Details

Keywords: by Roberta Holland; Health

03 Dec 2020
Research & Ideas

Cut Payroll Costs with Transparency, Fairness, and Compassion

and their health.” · In a memo to employees, Morgan Stanley’s CEO, James Gorman, wrote, “While long term we can’t be sure how this will play out, we want to commit to you that there will not be a reduction in force at Morgan Stanley in... View Details