Agility - Publications - Faculty & Research

September 2019
Case

Teaming Up to Win the Rail Deal at GE (A)

By: Amy Edmondson, Ranjay Gulati and Rachna Tahilyani

In 2012, Nalin Jain, then head of GE aviation for South Asia, was given the added responsibility for GE’s transportation business in India, including bidding for a $2.5 billion contract to manufacture, service and maintain 1,000 diesel locomotives for state owned... View Details

Keywords: Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Human Capital; Groups and Teams; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Industrial Products Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Rail Industry; Transportation Industry; United States; India

Citation

Educators

Purchase

14 Feb 2022
Research & Ideas

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

leaders need agility and courage to adapt to unfolding circumstances, but they also need determination and discipline to move a company toward digital maturity. They need to be bull-headed about the organization's shared purpose, its... View Details

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

04 Sep 2013
What Do You Think?

How Relevant is Long-Range Strategic Planning?

Maffei framed the case by saying that "We need to influence leaders to envision longer term possibilities while creating short term experiments." Shann Turnbull warned this may not be easy, commenting: "The establishment of 'smaller, faster, more View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

07 Feb 2022
Research & Ideas

Digital Transformation: A New Roadmap for Success

algorithms can lead to unintended bias that harms certain employees and customers, and the company’s reputation (a bias story can go viral on social media within minutes). 5. Design for inclusive and agile problem-solving As they become... View Details

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

Web

Leadership Initiative - Leadership

for Talent in Emerging Markets;” “Are You a High Potential?” “The Board’s New Innovation Imperative;” “Drive Innovation with Better Decision-Making;” “What Makes a Great Leader?” “Being the Agile Boss;” “Incorporating the Arts to Create... View Details

04 Jan 2017
What Do You Think?

How Much Bureaucracy is a Good Thing in Government and Business?

to make key decisions with the agility of System 1 (using Kahneman’s terminology) while within a larger System 2-developed strategic framework.” Chiding other respondents for not shedding more light on the role that bureaucracies can... View Details

Keywords: by James L. Heskett

09 Jul 2020
Research & Ideas

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

positioning. Strategy execution and implementation Strategic planning, converting strategic objectives into activities, is central to most organizations. Still, it is not possible to anticipate every event that might impact those plans. Executives need to be View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Sarah Abbott

01 Sep 2023
News

Solving for Z

With nearly 20 years of experience as a senior human resources executive, Matthew Breitfelder (MBA 2002) has seen a lot of change in the corporate talent space. But what’s happening now looks like a tectonic generational shift. From his perch as global head of human... View Details

Keywords: Alexander Gelfand; Illustrations by Doug Chayka; Administration of Human Resource Programs; Government

01 Dec 2023
News

Thinking Ahead

As we wind down 2023, there’s talk everywhere of generative AI and how it will fundamentally alter the world as we know it; but how does that translate for your corner of the business world? Is TikTok something you need to take seriously? (Is it time to dance?) We... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; Illustrations by Chris Gash; News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information

04 Jan 2022
Research & Ideas

Scrap the Big New Year's Resolutions. Make 6 Simple Changes Instead.

kata to make our lives a little better every day,” Takeuchi says. 2. Ask the right questions When navigating uncertain waters, an ingrained sense of purpose serves as a rudder. To maintain the necessary balance between agility and... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz

10 Feb 2020
In Practice

6 Ways That Emerging Technology Is Disrupting Business Strategy

testing, and agile strategies. 6. Cloud computing is lowering barriers to entry “Competition will intensify in many digitally enabled industries as the cloud makes it ever easier for competitors to enter a market, which we’ve seen with... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost

06 Jul 2023
News

Lessons from Major League Baseball's Game-Changing Innovations

basically in one year took game times down back to 1984 levels. So we went back 30 years in one year. So something like that, you can't do in an agile fashion. You can't just throw that out there and hope it works and then, see what... View Details

Web

Faculty & Researchers - Managing the Future of Work

Business Books, 2018. Vodafone: Managing Advanced Technologies and Artificial Intelligence , Harvard Business School case, 2018. With Emer Moloney. Transformation at ING (A): Agile , Transformation at ING (B): Innovation , and... View Details

Web

Career Re-Entry & Flexible Work - Alumni

people on the right work, and accelerate transitions to an agile operating model. TalMix TalMix is an online platform connecting companies and independent consultants. Mom Corps Mom Corps' CEO, Allison O'Kelly, is an HBS alumna (MBA... View Details

06 Oct 2020
Sharpening Your Skills

18 Tips Managers Can Use to Lead Through COVID's Rising Waters

models cannot predict. COVID-19 events deliver surprises daily to many organizations, so the decision-making process that responds to rapid change is as important as the decision itself. Agile leaders promote a move in mindsets that... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

07 Jul 2003
Research & Ideas

4+2 = Sustained Business Success

agile company turns out innovative products and services and anticipates disruptive events in an industry rather than reacting when it may already be too late. Relentlessly pursue disruptive technologies to develop innovative new products... View Details

Keywords: by Nitin Nohria, William Joyce & Bruce Roberson

10 Sep 2020
Research & Ideas

The COVID Two-Step for Leaders: Protect and Pivot

work, and perhaps rotating people off and on the team in predetermined intervals. This could both prevent burnout and provide a pipeline of fresh perspectives. Create an agile enterprise from the top down We recommend building View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly Baden

05 Feb 2018
What Do You Think?

Should Companies Disclose Employee Compensation?

innovation, foster trust, and contribute to an organization’s agility in a fast-moving competitive landscape. It also can build cohesion among employees and provide them a shared sense of mission. Vineet Nayar, former CEO of India-based... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Financial Services

28 Jan 2020
Book

Advanced Leadership Requires More Than Outside-The-Box Thinking

change. Look at how we personify buildings: “Headquarters wants . ” “The Pentagon says ....” In today’s fast-paced world, fixed structures can weigh you down, can make agility and resilience very difficult, and can stifle the... View Details