Publications

March 2021 (Revised August 2023)
Case

Helen Keller: Changing the World

By: Robert Simons and Shirley Sun

This case describes the rise of Helen Keller who at 19 months became deaf and blind. Refusing to be sidelined from life, Keller showed great determination in learning how to communicate with others, employing tutors and travelling to Boston to enroll in the Perkins... View Details

Keywords: Mission And Purpose; Values And Beliefs; Success; Diversity; Leading Change; Personal Development and Career; Personal Characteristics; Power and Influence

18 Oct 2021
Blog Post

Embracing Activism for Social Change

that’s working well,” Mendu says. “I was able to lead the training session for the Detroit effort, which was an honor for me.” Enabling Career Exploration Each year, the HBS Leadership Fellows Program gives a select group of graduating... View Details

January 2008
Article

How to Change the World

By: Howard H. Stevenson

Alan Wilson has a decision to make. The CEO of his company, Grepter, wants him to relocate to Zurich, where he can gain valuable experience for a rise to the top. Karl, his best friend, hopes to lure him to a hedge fund that promises big money fast. Shiori, an enticing... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Values and Beliefs; Compensation and Benefits; Personal Development and Career; Power and Influence

Find at Harvard

19 May 2021
Op-Ed

Why America Needs a Better Bridge Between School and Career

change among training organizations, our research team at Harvard’s interdisciplinary Project on Workforce analyzed 316 applications to the Postsecondary Innovation for Equity initiative. The grant competition, launched by venture... View Details

Keywords: by Joseph B. Fuller and Rachel Lipson

March 2024
Case

Katharine Graham: Changing the World

By: Robert Simons and Shirley Sun

This case traces the life of Katharine Graham from housewife to publisher of the Washington Post. Born into a family of wealth, Graham described herself as a “doormat wife” after she married Phil Graham and stayed at home to raise their children. His unexpected death... View Details

Keywords: Mission and Purpose; Values and Beliefs; Power and Influence; Personal Characteristics; Leadership Style; Success; Work-Life Balance; News; Newspapers; Media; Gender; Publishing Industry

March 2021 (Revised June 2022)
Case

Bill Wilson: Changing the World

By: Robert Simons and Max Saffer

This case describes the life choices of Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. A young man with tremendous potential, Wilson hit rock bottom as a drunk. An epiphany, coupled with his personal drive, led him to build a worldwide organization that has helped... View Details

Keywords: Leadership Development; Nonprofit Organizations; Mission and Purpose; Values and Beliefs; Personal Characteristics; Leadership Style; Work-Life Balance; Personal Development and Career

27 Sep 2021
Blog Post

Working to Change the Food System

dedicate my time and energies toward. This year you’ll be co-president of the Food, Agriculture, and Water Club. What motivated you to pursue this role? What goals do you have as co-president? I think to the broader HBS population, View Details

Research Summary

Changing the World: Life Choices of Influential Leaders

By: Robert Simons

This project studies the life choices made by a variety of people who have left a lasting legacy. Using biographical data, we are examining the choices that high-impact individuals faced in their lives and the paths they chose to follow. The leaders we study come... View Details

Keywords: Leadership Style; Personal Characteristics; Work-life Balance; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Success

07 Sep 2022
News

How to Build a Career in a New Industry

19 Jun 2023
News

How Do I Move Forward from a Career Setback?

01 Sep 2011
News

Breaking Free from Fear of Change

anxieties that can arise and block career growth when change is the order of the day. What’s the meaning of “flying without a net” in your book’s title? High-need-for-achievement professionals — and I would... View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg; Publishing Industries (except Internet); Information

21 Aug 2008
Working Paper Summaries

Traveling Agents: Political Change and Bureaucratic Turnover in India

Keywords: by Lakshmi Iyer & Anandi Mani

Web

Supporting Careers | Social Enterprise | Harvard Business School

understanding of the complexities of leading in the social sector. Who Gets that Opportunity Right Out of Business School Clive Chang Making an Impact Multiple Students Summer Fellows The Summer Fellows Program enables students to apply... View Details

August 2021
Article

The Undervalued Power of Self-relevant Research: The Case of Researching Retirement While Retiring

By: Teresa M. Amabile and Douglas T. (Tim) Hall

For decades, training in management research has emphasized objectivity, typically viewed as an arm’s length distance between the topic of the research and the interests of the researcher. This emphasis has led most scholars to avoid research topics of deep personal... View Details

Keywords: Qualitative Research Methods; Case Research Methods; Organizational Behavior; Careers; Career Changes And Transitions; Self-relevant Research; Research; Personal Development and Career; Transition; Identity; Retirement

Read Now

01 Dec 2019
News

Regional Alumni Events Address Climate Change

and energy sector lead for The Rise Fund at TPG Global, saw interest from both younger alumni working in the field and senior alumni who have had successful careers and are looking for new opportunities to make a difference. “Climate... View Details

Keywords: Jen Myers

25 May 2010
News

Commencement and the Winds of Change

most of his young life working to close the divide that separates Israelis and Palestinians. After a career in finance, he left the United States in 2009 to accept a new position overseas. And here’s the incredible thing: Hussein, a... View Details

Keywords: Garry Emmons; Finance

January 2025
Case

Thomas Müller: Mr. Bayern Munich

By: Boris Groysberg, Sascha L. Schmidt, Alexander Liebhart and Sarah Abbott

In 2024, FC Bayern Munich superstar Thomas Müller announced his retirement from German national football. His contract with Bayern Munich runs through the end of the 2024-25 season. In 2025, Müller reflects on his long career in football, on the skills that have driven... View Details

Keywords: Soccer; Football; Data Science And Analytics Management; Germany; Bundesliga; Sports Data; ＂Sports Organizations,; Career Changes And Transitions; Career Management; Retirement Transition; Skills Development; Sports; Analysis; Competency and Skills; Decision Making; Performance; Sports Industry; Germany