Publications

27 Apr 2009
Research & Ideas

Building Businesses in Turbulent Times

programs to jump-start the search for those innovative opportunities that will enable them to cut costs and restructure in a way that best positions them to lead their companies as well as their industries out of the crisis. Like IBM,... View Details

Keywords: by Staff

Teaching Interest

Overview

By: Nancy F. Koehn

My teaching and research focus on crisis leadership and how men and women use crises to make themselves better leaders. I currently teach a module in the Advanced Management Program and an HBS Online LIVE course on Courageous Leadership. The purpose of each course is... View Details

Keywords: History Of Leadership; Effective Leadership In Turbulent Times; Crisis Management; Change Management; Entrepreneurship; History; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Advertising Industry; United States; Europe

January 2021
Article

Turbulence, Firm Decentralization and Growth in Bad Times

By: Philippe Aghion, Nicholas Bloom, Brian Lucking, Raffaella Sadun and John Van Reenen

What is the optimal form of firm organization during “bad times”? We present a model of delegation within the firm to show that the effect is ambiguous. The greater turbulence following macro shocks may benefit decentralized firms because the value of local information... View Details

Keywords: Decentralization; Growth; Turbulence; Great Recession; Organizational Design; System Shocks; Economic Growth; Performance

Read Now

27 Feb 2017
Research & Ideas

Reputation is Vital to Survival in Turbulent Markets

characterized quite often by turbulent situations. When you are negotiating in a turbulent environment, you feel reassured if the entity you are transacting with is likely to... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

April 2017
Case

Global Leadership in a Dynamic and Evolving Region: Molinas @ The Coca-Cola Company (A)

By: Tsedal Neeley and Esel Çekin

Galya Frayman Molinas, President of Coca-Cola's Turkish business and a 20-year company veteran, is unexpectedly asked to take the helm of a newly expanded territory with operations across eight additional countries in Central Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia,... View Details

Keywords: Functions; Structure; Centralization; Decentralization; Diversity; Country Of Origin Effects; Global Contextual Intelligence; Leading Change; Crisis Management; Organizational Structure; Experience and Expertise; Situation or Environment; Central Asia; Turkey

Educators

February 2004 (Revised January 2005)
Case

Hewlett-Packard: Culture in Changing Times

By: Michael Beer, Rakesh Khurana and James Weber

HP had been a highly successful and respected company for decades. It was well known for its company culture and management practices--the HP way--which emphasized both profits and people. Changing markets, strong competitors, and the growth of its computer business,... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Decision Choices and Conditions; Human Resources; Leading Change; Managerial Roles; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Performance Effectiveness; Adoption; Competition

Educators

2011
Book

What to Ask the Person in the Mirror: Critical Questions for Becoming a More Effective Leader and Reaching Your Potential

By: Robert Steven Kaplan

Successful leaders know that leadership is less often about having all the answers-and more often about asking the right questions. The challenge lies in being able to step back, reflect, and ask the key questions that are critical to your performance and your... View Details

Keywords: Leadership Development; Organizational Development; Reaching Your Potential; Career Planning; Management Styles; Interpersonal Communication; Leadership; Performance Effectiveness; Personal Development and Career

09 Jul 2020
Research & Ideas

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

effectively lead an agile enterprise—can be aptly applied to the type of leadership required in the current environment. The authors highlight the importance of a rapid... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Sarah Abbott

Research Summary

Overview

By: Nancy F. Koehn

My research focuses on crisis leadership and how leaders and their teams rise to the challenges of high-stakes situations. Using the lens of history, my work examines how individual leaders from business, government and other walks accomplish important—often seemingly... View Details

Keywords: Courageous Leadership In Turbulent Times; Emotional Experience Of Leaders; History Of Leadership; Leadership; Entrepreneurship; History; Media And Broadcasting Industry; Health Industry; Beauty And Cosmetics Industry; Fashion Industry; Advertising Industry; United States; Europe

November 2005 (Revised March 2007)
Case

Leadership Development at Goldman Sachs

By: Boris Groysberg, Scott A. Snook and David Lane

In November 1999, 11 of Goldman Sachs' finest gathered to put the final touches on a revolutionary leadership development plan. Following Goldman's explosive growth during the 1990s and its eventual IPO in 1999, a diverse group of leaders from across the firm were... View Details

Keywords: Initial Public Offering; Leadership Development; Growth and Development Strategy; Management Skills; Organizational Design; Planning

Educators

05 Dec 2022
What Do You Think?

How Would Jack Welch’s Leadership Style Fare in Today’s World?

business faced incredible barriers at the time (and arguably still do)—there had only been two women CEOs in the Fortune 500 at that point. As we gathered for lunch, Welch arrived a few minutes late and... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Industrial Products; Media & Broadcasting; Medical Devices & Supplies; Manufacturing

Article

Timing is Everything: The Importance of Finding the Right Moment in Leading Teams

Great team leaders have superb timing. We explore in this article two different types of timing that leaders need to help their teams. First, they understand when teams are naturally open to help, and what kinds of help to give teams at predictable times in... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Groups and Teams; Leadership Style

01 Aug 2008
What Do You Think?

Has the Time Come for “Stretch” in Management?

progress that the effect of such an agreement may have been fatally compromised. But at least it was discussed and publicized. Is it time to revisit stretch? For example, if the concept had been employed... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

10 May 2010
Research & Ideas

What Top Scholars Say About Leadership

those papers for a volume devoted to that topic, a Part Two to accompany the Handbook. This June, we're convening a conference titled Imagining the Future of Leadership to address the kinds of skills, knowledge, and identity that will be... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Education

30 Aug 2004
Research & Ideas

Mapping Your Board’s Effectiveness

corporation's business strategy. Mapping Board Performance Currently, prior to a typical board meeting, members receive reams of paper that are difficult to wade through and make sense of. Once the meeting is in progress, board members... View Details

Keywords: by Robert S. Kaplan

July–August 2018
Article

How CEOs Manage Time

By: Michael E. Porter and Nitin Nohria

In 2006 Harvard Business School’s Michael E. Porter and Nitin Nohria launched a study tracking how large companies’ CEOs spent their time, 24/7, for 13 weeks: where they were, with whom, what they did, and what they were focusing on. To date, Porter and Nohria have... View Details

Keywords: CEOs; Executives; Time Management; Attitudes; Managerial Roles; Leadership; Performance Effectiveness; Strategy; Decision Making; Organizational Culture