CEO Role - Publications - Faculty & Research

02 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

What Makes a Good Leader?

the way to go forward is a true test of leadership," he asserts. Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, has said that one of the key elements of being a good business leader is the capacity to tell the hard truths. "Leaders... View Details

Keywords: by Deborah Blagg & Susan Young

23 Nov 2021
Book

What It Takes to Build an Organizational Culture That Wins

because they don’t know how to get there. In the book, Heskett shares a collection of stories that illustrate the real-world ways a number of CEOs have swiftly and effectively tackled cultural change, spurring their employees to become... View Details

Keywords: by Avery Forman

Web

Leadership Fellows

expertise to roles where they produce immediate results and build long-term capacity within the organization while gaining exposure to senior leaders within the sector. Hear from Leadership Fellow students and organization participants... View Details

08 Mar 2021
In Practice

COVID Killed the Traditional Workplace. What Should Companies Do Now?

A year ago, COVID-19 forced many companies to send employees home—often with a laptop and a prayer. Now, with COVID cases subsiding and vaccinations rising, the prospect of returning to old office routines appears more possible. But will employees want to flock back to... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

08 Dec 2022
HBS Case

The War in Ukraine and Nestlé’s Moral Dilemma: Stay or Leave Russia?

Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company, faced a difficult choice last February as Russian tanks rolled across Ukraine, and the 24/7 news and social media cycle amplified the company’s every move. CEO Mark Schneider was... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Consumer Products

Web

Research - Global

Business School, describes the profound implications of climate change for businesses, the economy, and societies around the world. Drawing from his background in... February 2025 Teaching Material Moleskine: Daniela Riccardi Turns the Page By: Ryan Raffaelli Newly... View Details

06 Jun 2011
Research & Ideas

Why Leaders Lose Their Way

forced to resign for trading in Lubrizol stock prior to recommending that Berkshire Hathaway purchase the company. Examples abound of other recent failures: Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd resigned for submitting false expense reports... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

Web

Skydeck - Alumni

transition to a market economy The Business of Lego Batman Lego Movie and Lego Batman producer Dan Lin (MBA 1999) offers an inside look at the role of a modern Hollywood producer—and how he manages a burgeoning franchise Such Great... View Details

August 2001 (Revised October 2001)
Case

Shinsei Bank (A)

By: Michael Y. Yoshino and Perry Fagan

In a deal marking the first acquisition of a domestic Japanese financial institution by foreigners, a consortium of Western investors purchased the assets of the Long Term Credit Bank (LTCB) of Japan in March 2000. The new management renames the bank Shinsei Bank,... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Assets; Banks and Banking; Investment; Business or Company Management; Managerial Roles; Organizational Structure; Failure; Adaptation; Banking Industry; Japan

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31 Oct 2023
Research & Ideas

Beyond the 'Business Case' in DEI: 6 Steps Toward Meaningful Change

disconnect between a company’s stated argument for diversity and the psychological reality of decision-making. “Your employees, future employees, customers and investors are watching.” As some CEOs weigh the future of their company’s DEI... View Details

Keywords: by Katherine Hutt Scott and Barbara DeLollis

01 May 2013
What Do You Think?

Why Isn’t ‘Servant Leadership’ More Prevalent?

What do you think? Original Article Servant leadership is an age-old concept, a term loosely used to suggest that a leader's primary role is to serve others, especially employees. I witnessed a practical example of it at a ServiceMaster... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

Web

Faculty & Research - Business & Environment

Mitchell The case opens in March 2023, as Sten van der Ham and Jaap Maljers, CEO and co-founder of eBee, an electric bike (e-bike) company in Africa, are contemplating the different avenues for growth and path to profitability for the... View Details

02 Sep 2015
What Do You Think?

What's Wrong With Amazon’s Low-Retention HR Strategy?

employee replacement costs, low prices, and substantial but lower profit than Costco). The implied conclusion was that high retention strategies like Costco’s can be more attractive for employees, customers, and investors alike. (The irony here is that David Glass,... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Web Services; Retail; Apparel & Accessories; Consumer Products; Fashion

04 Oct 2010
Research & Ideas

Introverts: The Best Leaders for Proactive Employees

We often expect corporate executives to conform to certain extroverted CEO stereotypes: C for charismatic, E for effusive, and O for outgoing. To wit: Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson, who very publicly flew around the world in a hot... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

May 2011 (Revised June 2011)
Case

The Crisis at Tyco - A Director's Perspective

By: Suraj Srinivasan and Aldo Sesia

In 2002, Wendy Lane had been a member of the board of directors at Tyco International a little more than a year when the company's CEO Dennis Kozlowski and other top executives were accused of fraud, which ultimately led to resignations, imprisonments, lawsuits, and... View Details

Keywords: Management Teams; Reputation; Governing and Advisory Boards; Crisis Management; Accounting Audits; Problems and Challenges; Risk Management; Finance; Managerial Roles; Lawsuits and Litigation; Service Industry; United States

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07 Mar 2011
Research & Ideas

Why Companies Fail—and How Their Founders Can Bounce Back

entrepreneurs whose companies are succeeding. Ghosh says boards of successful companies often seek out the founders and CEOs of failed companies because they value experience over a clean slate. After all, Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, and Desh... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

14 Feb 2023
HBS Case

Is Sweden Still 'Sweden'? A Liberal Utopia Grapples with an Identity Crisis

inflation that’s plaguing other nations, resulting partly from the COVID recovery and Russia’s Ukraine invasion. “In a tightly knit society, education plays a crucial role in creating a sense of national, collective identity, and that’s... View Details

Keywords: by Lane Lambert

05 Jun 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, June 5, 2018

Academy for Women, Linda shows how academics can play a leading role in translating theory into practice. Publisher's link: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=53183 forthcoming Econometrica Expressive Voting and Its Cost:... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

Web

Accelerating Solutions - Business & Environment

Climate Change: Accelerating Solutions Climate Change: Accelerating Solutions A Roadmap for Leaders Key Insights There’s no time to waste when it comes to figuring out business’s role in driving global climate solutions. But it’s... View Details

Web

Healthy Outcomes - Managing the Future of Work

HBS alum and Care.com CEO Sheila Marcelo, demographic trends and the changing role of women in the workforce mean that employers must “do the math” when it comes to care. By not accounting for costs like... View Details

Publications