HBR On Leadership

Johnson Security Bureau is one of the oldest Black-owned security firms in the United States, providing services to New York-area banks, public works, hospitals, transportation facilities, and other industries. The company had been handed down across three generations and its status as a woman-owned, minority-owned firm had been part its competitive strategy since CEO Jessica Johnson-Cope took over the firm from her father. In order to grow the business, however, Johnson-Cope considered partnering with security firms in other states, something that threatened to put some of the company’s founding priorities on the back burner. She also considered expanding the business into cybersecurity. In this conversation with host Brian Kenny, Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer Henry McGee and CEO Jessica Johnson-Cope discuss the leadership dilemmas at the heart of the case “Johnson Security Bureau: Building Multigenerational Success.” Key episode topics include: leadership, family businesses, entrepreneurs and founders, strategic thinking, growth strategy, scaling entrepreneurial ventures ● Listen to the original Cold Call episode: Scaling a Family Business While Maintaining Founding Values ● Find more episodes of Cold Call ● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Most organizations struggle to kill initiatives, even those that no longer support their strategy. Leadership consultants Rose Hollister and Michael Watkins explore the problem of initiative overload and how it can trickle down to employees who are already dealing with more projects than they can handle or do well. They offer practical tips on how to truly prioritize your company’s most important initiatives—or risk losing top talent. Hollister and Watkins are the authors of the 2018 HBR article “Too Many Projects.” Key episode topics include: leadership, leading teams, project management, time management, product management. • Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Stop Initiative Overload • Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast • Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

There’s nothing easy about being a manager today. But for team leaders who are feeling burnt out or overwhelmed with their job, workplace strategist Daisy Auger-Domínguez has advice on how to regain some of your joy at work. She recommends various techniques to incorporate optimism and well-being into your role. They include remembering your purpose, embracing a beginner’s mindset, keeping a folder of positive feedback as inspiration, and celebrating the contributions of team members. Auger-Domínguez is a workplace strategist, global people leader, and the author of the HBR article “Finding Joy as a Manager—Even on Bad Days.” Key episode topics include: leadership, leading teams, motivation, managing yourself, stress management, personal resilience • Listen to the original HBRIdeaCast episode: Here’s How Managers Can Rediscover Their Joy at Work • Find more episodes of HBRIdeaCast  • Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at hbr.org 

After running Yum! Brands, which includes well-known chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, David Novak wanted to help others become better leaders. He believes the key is to put learning at the center of everything you do, whether you’re an entry-level worker or a C-suite executive. Novak outlines three main areas for learning and offers ideas on how the most effective leaders turn their learnings into action, something that takes insight and practice. Novak wrote the book How Leaders Learn: Master the Habits of the World’s Most Successful People. Key episode topics include: leadership, leading teams, managing yourself, leadership development, strategic thinking, organizational learning • Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Yum! Brands’ Former CEO on Why You Should Never Stop Learning • Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast • Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

If a company starts to veer off track, whether amid technological change, marketplace conditions, or otherwise, it is daunting to get back on a path to growth. But big turnarounds are possible, provided you have the right team and mindset. When he was president and CEO of Marvel, Peter Cuneo oversaw the resurgence and sale of the media company, but even before that he had a long track record for turning around many types of consumer-facing businesses at brands from Clairol to Black & Decker. He shares the strategies that work best for shaking up organizations and teams and boosting their performance. Key episode topics include: leadership, transformation, leading teams, strategy, change management, organizational restructuring Listen to the original HBRIdeaCast episode: Lessons From a Turnaround Expert Find more episodes of HBRIdeaCast Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at hbr.org

Every company has an origin story, which goes on to inform its culture. Phil Knight, co-founder, former CEO, and Chairman Emeritus of Nike, recounts starting the sports apparel and equipment giant after taking an entrepreneurship class at Stanford and teaming up with his former track coach, Bill Bowerman. Together, they changed how running shoes are designed and made. In this conversation from 2017, Knight reflects on the company’s enduring culture of innovation, as well as the company’s succession process for the CEO role. Key episode topics include: leadership and managing people, entrepreneurs and founders, innovation, organizational culture, corporate strategy, succession planning ● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Nike’s Co-founder on Innovation, Culture, and Succession ● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast

Stories and storytelling are at the core of many aspects of the corporate world. Consider a great brand campaign or the ability to sell yourself in a job interview. It’s also an extremely important skill for managers who want to win support for new strategies and initiatives—or change their company’s culture. Jay Barney, a professor at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, studied leaders who successfully led culture change and found one thing in common: they created and spread authentic and memorable stories. The new stories then emanated throughout the workforce and rewrote the old narrative. Barney explains the six rules leaders need to follow to drive cultural change with storytelling. He’s a coauthor, with Manoel Amorim and Carlos Júlio, of The Secret of Culture Change: How to Build Authentic Stories That Transform Your Organization and the 2023 HBR article “Create Stories That Change Your Company’s Culture.” Key episode topics include: leadership and managing people, leading teams, change management, business communication, organizational culture, corporate strategy ● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: If You Want Culture Change, Create New Stories ● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast ● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Around the world, we’ve become increasingly cynical about other people, public institutions, and corporations. Back in 2022, Edelman’s Trust Barometer found that nearly 60% of respondents across 27 countries reported that their default is to distrust. And that’s bad for business, says Stanford University associate professor of psychology Jamil Zaki. He says that cynics damage trust, and in workplaces they breed toxicity and lead to poor outcomes. He explains how to identify and change this kind of behavior at your organization. Zaki wrote the HBR article, “Don’t Let Cynicism Undermine Your Workplace.” Key episode topics include: leadership, managing yourself, leading teams, emotional intelligence <ul • Listen to the original HBRIdeaCast episode: Is Cynicism Ruining Your Organization? • Find more episodes of HBRIdeaCast • Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at hbr.org

Companies of every size in every industry and part of the world are basing more of their work around projects. And yet research shows that nearly two-thirds of those efforts fail. Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, who has studied projects and project management for decades, explains how we can do better. He offers advice on the right way to frame projects, how to structure organizations around them, and pitfalls to avoid. Nieto-Rodriguez is the author of the Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook and author of the article “The Project Economy Has Arrived.” Key episode topics include: project management, operations strategy, organizational change • Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: The Future of Work Is Projects—So You’ve Got to Get Them Right • Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast • Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Wayne Baker, professor emeritus at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, has spent much of his career researching the best way to effectively ask for help at work. Whether you’re soliciting support on a tricky assignment or more resources for your team, it can feel uncomfortable to approach bosses and colleagues with hat in hand. But we rarely get what we need or want without asking for it. Baker highlights some of the most effective strategies for defining your goal, figuring out who to ask, and crafting your message so it will be positively received. He is also the author of the book All You Have to Do Is Ask: How to Master the Most Important Skill for Success. Key episode topics include: emotional intelligence, power and influence, managing yourself ● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: The Art of Asking for (and Getting) Help ● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast ● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Eugene Soltes, professor at Harvard Business School, studies white-collar crime and has even interviewed convicts behind bars. While most people think of high-profile scandals like Enron, he says every sizable organization has lapses in integrity. He shares practical tools for managers to identify pockets of ethical violations to prevent them from ballooning into serious reputational and financial damage. Soltes is the author of the HBR article “Where Is Your Company Most Prone to Lapses in Integrity?” Key episode topics include: business ethics, risk management, business management, cross-cultural management, organizational culture ● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Stopping White-Collar Crime at Your Company ● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast ● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Leading people across countries and time zones means dealing with communication gaps and friction that can easily throw a team off course. Tsedal Neeley, a professor at Harvard Business School, explains why global teams are especially vulnerable to misunderstandings and why leaders often don’t realize there’s a problem until collaboration starts to suffer. She has advice for getting everyone to understand one another so that they have enough trust and context to contribute fully. Key episode topics include: collaboration and teams, cross-cultural management, leading teams ● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Communicate Better with Your Global Team ● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast ● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

We all know that leaders need to captivate audiences and effectively convey their ideas. But not every speaking opportunity can be prepared and practiced. That’s why it’s so important to learn the skill of speaking off-the-cuff, and Matt Abrahams, lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and host of the podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart, has advice to help. He explains how to stay calm in these situations, craft a compelling message, and ensure you’ve made a good impression. Abrahams is author of the book Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot as well as the HBR article “How to Shine When You’re Put on the Spot.” Key episode topics include: leadership, public speaking, business communication, interpersonal communication, managing yourself Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Improve Your Impromptu Speaking Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at hbr.hbr.org

If you’re feeling distracted, mentally fogged, and unable to pay attention to the task at hand, you’re not alone. The human brain is highly susceptible to often unproductive mind-wandering, and modern technology has only made the problem worse. But we all know that the best work comes when you’re able to really zero in on an idea or problem for a sustained period of time. So, we need better strategies for blocking out the external and internal noise. Dr. Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of Miami and the author of Peak Mind, offers recommendations based on studies of people in some of the most high-pressure jobs in the world. Key episode topics include: Leadership, psychology, neuroscience, managing yourself ● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Find Focus in a Chaotic World ● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast ● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Jonah Berger, professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, says that most of us aren’t approaching persuasion the right way. Pushing people to behave how you’d like them to or believe the same things you do just doesn’t work, no matter how much data you give or how many emotional appeals you make. Studying both psychology and business, he’s found better tactics for bringing people over to your side. One of the keys? Asking questions so people feel like they’re making the decision to change. Berger is the author of the book The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind. Key episode topics include: ● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Mastering the Art of Persuasion ● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast ● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Nathan Furr, professor of strategy at INSEAD, researches what makes great innovative leaders, and he reveals how they develop and spend “innovation capital.” Like social or political capital, it’s a power to motivate employees, win the buy-in of stakeholders, and sell breakthrough products. Furr argues that innovation capital is something everyone can develop and grow by using something he calls “impression amplifiers.” Furr is the coauthor of the book Innovation Capital: How to Compete—and Win—Like the World’s Most Innovative Leaders. Key episode topics include: leadership, innovation, power and influence, persuasion ● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast: Why You Need Innovation Capital — And How to Get It ● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast ● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Anne Curzan, English professor at the University of Michigan, studies the evolution of language. While many of us roll our eyes at bizspeak—from synergy to value-add to operationalize—Curzan defends business jargon. She says the words we say around the office speak volumes about our organizations and our working relationships. She shares how to use jargon more deliberately, explains the origin of some annoying or amusing buzzwords, and discusses how English became the global business language and how that could change. Key episode topics include: business communication, leadership, organizational culture ● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Why Business Jargon Isn’t All Bad ● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast ● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

In this Coaching Real Leaders session, a leader who has worked in the higher education sector for decades seeks guidance on how to set direction and maintain momentum for her team when so much of their long-term work depends on shifting priorities and partners outside of her control. As she steps into her first role managing managers, she’s unsure how fast to push, how to divide her time, and how to judge progress when the path ahead isn’t fully defined. Host Muriel Wilkins helps her sort through those questions, identify what she can move forward now, and build confidence in her ability to lead with clarity even when the future is still taking shape. Key episode topics include: career coaching, career planning, strategy execution, leading teams ● Listen to the original Coaching Real Leaders episode: How Do I Set the Right Pace To Meet Our Strategic Goals? ● Find more episodes of Coaching Real Leaders ● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Corey Phelps, the dean of Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, says great problem solvers are hard to find. Even seasoned professionals at the highest levels of organizations regularly fail to identify the real problem and instead jump to exploring solutions. Phelps identifies the common traps and outlines a research-proven method to solve problems effectively. He’s the coauthor of the book Cracked It! How to Solve Big Problems and Sell Solutions Like Top Strategy Consultants. Key episode topics include: leadership, decision making and problem solving, strategy ● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: The Right Way to Solve Complex Business Problems ● Find more episodes of the HBR IdeaCast ● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Communicating clearly and persuasively sets you up to have the impact and influence you’re after. But what if you’re running on empty or under a lot of stress? Expressing your ideas and giving direction when you’re time-strapped, overwhelmed, or exhausted can feel nearly impossible. Add to that, having to deliver a message you don’t agree with. So, what then? Leadership development coach Muriel Wilkins talks us through communication techniques that meet you where you’re at mentally and emotionally so that you can rise to the moment (even when you’re worried you can’t). Key episode topics include: leadership, interpersonal communication, difficult conversations, management communication Listen to the original Women at Work episode: Communicating Effectively When You’re Running on Empty Find more episodes of Women at Work Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more atorg