Designing Organizational Change That Actually Sticks
Harvard Business Review’s Executive Masterclass, co‑hosted by Boston Consulting Group partners Julia Dhar and Kristy Ellmer, unveils a five‑phase model for designing organizational change that endures. The session argues that most transformation initiatives falter not from flawed strategy but from a misreading of how employees experience change. By mapping the change journey—from readiness assessment through sustainment—the framework equips leaders to align tactics with human behavior. The masterclass offers actionable tools to embed new practices into everyday work, aiming to increase the success rate of large‑scale initiatives.
How Lenovo Built an AI-Powered Supply Chain
Lenovo spent five years rebuilding its data foundation before launching any AI initiatives, then rolled out a unified AI platform called iChain that links procurement, manufacturing, logistics and fulfillment. The system boosted parts‑delivery forecast accuracy by 10‑15% and enabled priority‑based...
What Leads Companies to Betray Their Own Principles
In a May 26 2026 HBR IdeaCast, Eric Ries warns that companies founded on purpose often betray their principles as short‑term shareholder pressure and weak corporate structures dominate decision‑making. His new book *Incorruptible* frames this drift as a systemic force rather than...
Managers Are Struggling to Keep Up with the AI Productivity Boom
AI is compressing execution cycles so dramatically that managers now receive completed work within hours, turning feedback into a new bottleneck. Atlassian research shows 89% of leaders feel the pace has become an always‑on review environment, while a BetterUp survey...
How People Actually Get to the C-Suite in S&P 500 Companies
Research on S&P 500 leadership shows that nearly 60% of functional C‑suite executives are internal promotions, with CEOs averaging 7.8 years in office. When companies look outside, 57% of hires have previously held the same role, and industry experience matters less for...
Getting Buy-In for Your Next Big Idea
Harvard Business Review’s Alison Beard hosts a conversation with University of Michigan professor Sue Ashford and former Harvard Business Publishing VP Ellen Bailey on how mid‑level leaders can secure executive buy‑in for new initiatives. They outline a three‑question framework—problem, mutual...
Surprising Ways to Reduce Turnover in High-Pressure, High-Skill Jobs
In 2024, more than 287,000 U.S. staff nurses quit and roughly 1.6 million plan to leave within five years, creating a severe staffing crisis. A 26‑month study of 420 ICU nurses identified two powerful retention levers: assigning meaningful primary responsibility and...
Supporting Your Employees’ Career Growth When Everyone Is Overwhelmed
Amid layoffs, geopolitical turmoil and AI‑driven uncertainty, leaders must still prioritize employee career growth. Helen Tupper and Wharton professor Matthew Bidwell argue that development conversations should focus on near‑term, transferable skills rather than rigid ladders. Practical steps include one‑on‑one skill‑gap...
How to Break Free of Negative Thought Spirals
Science journalist Donna Jackson Nakazawa explains how rumination hijacks the brain's Default Mode Network, shutting down regions needed for creativity and problem‑solving. She links the rise of digital communication to longer, more frequent thought spirals that drain mental energy. Nakazawa introduces...
A Breakthrough Board Presentation Can Win You the CEO Job
Candidates on a CEO succession shortlist face a steep rise in external competition, with research showing external appointments to S&P 500 chief roles nearly doubling by 2025. The article argues that a well‑crafted board presentation—dubbed a “breakthrough board presentation”—is the most...
Are You Meeting the Needs of the People You Lead?
Companies are spending more than ever on leadership development, yet trust in managers is falling and employee engagement is declining. New research shows the failure often stems from a misdiagnosis: leaders focus on generic styles instead of the specific needs...
Beware the Agentic Convergence Trap
The article introduces the "Agentic Convergence Trap," where independent AI systems trained on similar market data converge on identical competitive actions, effectively coordinating without explicit communication. Recent cases in hospitality, grocery retail, and residential leasing illustrate how AI pricing platforms...
Research: Traditional Marketing Doesn’t Work on AI Shopping Agents
A new study shows that traditional e‑commerce persuasion tactics—such as scarcity badges, countdown timers, and strike‑through pricing—do not reliably influence AI shopping agents like ChatGPT, Google’s UCP, or Amazon’s assistant. The researchers simulated over 16,000 purchase decisions across four AI...
The Leadership Skills That Make Transformation Stick
More than 70% of corporate transformations fall short, draining talent, optimism, and shareholder value. Julia Dhar of BCG argues that the missing piece is not strategy alone but the behavioral "how" of change—aligning incentives, removing barriers, and shaping emotions....
Why Leaders Should Let Minor Mistakes Slide
Harvard Business School research shows that managers often inflate performance reviews to avoid the hidden costs of employee retaliation. A theoretical model in Management Science finds that the expense of sabotage, quiet quitting or other push‑back can outweigh the benefits...