Publications

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September 13, 2011
Article

Taking Stock of Your Courage Quotient

By: Blythe J. McGarvie

September 19, 2019
Article

Walmart CEO’s Decision on Guns Is the Kind of Corporate Courage We Need

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Corporate courage is in short supply. CEOs generally avoid controversial public issues lest disgruntled groups strike back. That’s why Walmart’s actions to limit ammunition sales and advocate for new gun safety legislation mark a significant milestone. CEO Doug... View Details

Keywords: Gun Policy; Gun Violence; Social Issues; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Leadership; Change; Policy

15 Sep 2003
Lessons from the Classroom

HBS Cases: Developing the Courage to Act

faculty and students cite the "bias for action" that results—what Fouraker professor of business administration Thomas Piper calls "courage to act under uncertainty." That courage is essential for corporate leadership.... View Details

Keywords: by David A. Garvin

2017
Book

Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times

By: Nancy F. Koehn

An enthralling historical narrative filled with critical leadership insights that will be of interest to a wide range of readers—including those in government, business, education, and the arts—Forged in Crisis spotlights five masters of crisis: polar explorer... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Personal Characteristics; Crisis Management; Biography

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November 7, 2023
Article

How Courage Can Help Leaders Stay the Course

By: Ranjay Gulati

Keywords: Leadership; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Profit; Food and Beverage Industry

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2009
Book

Shaking the Globe: Courageous Decision-Making in a Changing World

By: Blythe J. McGarvie

18 Aug 2017
Op-Ed

Op-Ed: Courageous Leader Triggers a Moral Revolt of CEOs Against Trump

today’s era of pragmatic CEOs, moral courage in the form of public statements is rare indeed. With such sharp divisions in the country, any statement at all is certain to incur the wrath of one side or the other. That’s why Frazier’s... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

Winter 2022
Article

Courageous Leadership: Paul Polman’s Insights for the Next Generation of Business Managers

By: John Pontillo, Celia Bravard and Andrew J. Hoffman

In 2021, John Pontillo, Celia Bravard, and Andrew Hoffman conducted a series of interviews with Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever. They discussed how business managers and leaders can build a new model of capitalism that serves the needs of society. Here’s what they... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Social Issues

winter 2002
Article

Just Say No to Wall Street: Courageous CEOs Are Putting a Stop to the Earnings Game and We Will All Be Better Off for It

By: M. C. Jensen and Joseph Fuller

Keywords: Management; Profit

SSRN

April 3, 2020
Article

What FDR, Churchill, and Shackleton Can Teach Us About Leadership During the Coronavirus Crisis: A Harvard Business School Historian Who Focuses on Courageous Leadership Outlines Some Critical Lessons from the Past

By: Nancy F. Koehn

Keywords: Crisis Management; Leadership

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

24 Apr 2017
Op-Ed

Op-Ed: Courage: The Defining Characteristic of Great Leaders

Source: guvendemir Courage is the quality that distinguishes great leaders from excellent managers. Over the past decade, I have worked with and studied more than 200 CEOs of major companies through board service, consulting, and research... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George; Auto; Food & Beverage

11 Feb 2002
Research & Ideas

Guts and Bliss: The Entrepreneur’s Journey

It's easy to run a company in an up market. OK, sort of easy. But a down market is something else again, and what a roller-coaster year the past year was, said six entrepreneurs in a panel discussion at the 2002 Dynamic Women in Business conference. Despite serious... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

2010
Book

Denial: Why Business Leaders Fail to Look Facts in the Face--and What to Do About It

By: Richard S. Tedlow

This book deals with two of the biggest problems in business: Why do sane, smart leaders often refuse to accept the facts that threaten their companies? And how do they find the courage to resist denial when facing new trends, changing markets, and tough new... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Leadership; Problems and Challenges; Personal Characteristics; Competition

October 19, 2020
Article

Today's Leaders Need Vulnerability, Not Bravado

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Few myths are as pervasive as the notion that leaders ought to appear tough and confident. Or at least, that was the case prior to the current pandemic, which has exposed the many weaknesses of forceful, dominant leaders and highlighted the superiority of those who... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Leadership Style

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2019
Chapter

Daring to Understand and Change Thinking

By: G. Zaltman

Jagdish Sheth's many outstanding qualities and contributions to management and society in general share a common theme. He dares to think deeply and challenges his own and others' thoughts. The larger lesson he provides, and the focus of this essay, is the need for... View Details

Keywords: Cognition and Thinking; Change; Management Practices and Processes

June 2021
Case

Bozoma Saint John: Leading with Authenticity and Urgency

By: Francesca Gino and Frances X. Frei

In this multimedia case, Bozoma Saint John recounts numerous defining moments from her childhood and work experiences. We learn what empowered and inspired her to be her authentic self, to be vulnerable and open to new experiences, to find commonality with others, to... View Details

Keywords: Biases; Personal Development and Career; Identity; Interests; Ethics; Values and Beliefs; Opportunities; Leadership Style; Diversity

Educators

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October 2014 (Revised January 2015)
Background Note

Advanced Leadership in Public Education: Tools for Tackling Change from Outside the Building In

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Pamela Yatsko

If you want to create change in public education but are not a school principal or other traditional public education leader, what do you need to do? This long, integrated background note examines the inspiring models and stories of individuals who are improving... View Details

Keywords: Education Reform; Advanced Leadership Initiative; Social Issues; Social Entrepreneurship; Education; Leadership; Education Industry; United States