- 02 Apr 2024
- What Do You Think?
What's Enough to Make Us Happy?
Experts say happiness is often derived by a combination of good health, financial wellbeing, and solid relationships with family and friends. But are we forgetting to take stock of whether we have enough of these things? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 04 Mar 2024
- What Do You Think?
Do People Want to Work Anymore?
Surveys indicate that US employee engagement and job satisfaction are down. To what degree are attitudes toward work to blame? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 Feb 2024
- What Do You Think?
How Do You Hire for Attitude?
Organizations often make the mistake of hiring employees based largely on their skills, rather than their attitude. What questions can you ask to determine if a job candidate aligns with your company’s mission and culture? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 02 Jan 2024
- What Do You Think?
Do Boomerang CEOs Get a Bad Rap?
Several companies have brought back formerly successful CEOs in hopes of breathing new life into their organizations—with mixed results. But are we even measuring the boomerang CEOs' performance properly? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 14 Nov 2023
- What Do You Think?
Do We Underestimate the Importance of Generosity in Leadership?
Management experts applaud leaders who are, among other things, determined, humble, and frugal, but rarely consider whether they are generous. However, executives who share their time, talent, and ideas often give rise to legendary organizations. Does generosity merit further consideration? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 03 Oct 2023
- What Do You Think?
Do Leaders Learn More From Success or Failure?
There's so much to learn from failure, potentially more than success, argues Amy Edmondson in a new book. James Heskett asks whether the study of leadership should involve more emphasis on learning from failure? Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 12 Sep 2023
- What Do You Think?
Who Gets the Loudest Voice in DEI Decisions?
Business leaders are wrestling with how to manage their organizations' commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. If you were a CEO, which constituency would you consider most: your employees, customers, or investors? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Aug 2023
- What Do You Think?
As Leaders, Why Do We Continue to Reward A, While Hoping for B?
Companies often encourage the bad behavior that executives publicly rebuke—usually in pursuit of short-term performance. What keeps leaders from truly aligning incentives and goals? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 Jul 2023
- What Do You Think?
How Are Middle Managers Falling Down Most Often on Employee Inclusion?
Companies are struggling to retain employees from underrepresented groups, many of whom don't feel heard in the workplace. What do managers need to do to build truly inclusive teams? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 Jun 2023
- What Do You Think?
Is the Anxious Achiever a Post-Pandemic Relic?
Achievement has been a salve for self-doubt for many generations. But many of the oldest members of Gen Z, who came of age amid COVID-19, think differently about the value of work. Will they forge a new leadership style? wonders James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 02 May 2023
- What Do You Think?
How Should Artificial Intelligence Be Regulated—if at All?
Some AI pioneers say the technology could be a risk to humanity, and some governments have taken steps to rein it in. But who should set the rules and what details must they consider? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 04 Apr 2023
- What Do You Think?
How Does Remote Work Affect Innovation?
Many companies are still trying to figure out how to manage teams that have limited in-person contact. Remote work will likely lead to new ideas, but what kind? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Mar 2023
- What Do You Think?
How Much Does 'Deep Purpose' Matter to the Bottom Line?
More leaders want their employees to aspire to loftier goals at work. But is deep purpose more about feel-good ideas or delivering business value? wonders James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Feb 2023
- What Do You Think?
Will Hybrid Work Strategies Pull Down Long-Term Performance?
Many academics consider remote and hybrid work the future, but some business leaders are pushing back. Can colleagues working from anywhere still create the special glue that bonds teams together? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 03 Jan 2023
- What Do You Think?
How Would the Leadership Style of Girl Scouts' Frances Hesselbein Fare Today?
Frances Hesselbein's mission-driven leadership helped shift the nonprofit's image, and expand and diversify its membership. James Heskett reflects on the late executive director's reputation for storytelling and change management. Would her tactics work today? Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 Dec 2022
- What Do You Think?
How Would Jack Welch’s Leadership Style Fare in Today’s World?
Some consider Jack Welch the best CEO of the 20th century, but two recent books examine his effectiveness as a leader. James Heskett ponders his early interactions with Welch and his complex legacy. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Nov 2022
- What Do You Think?
Why Aren’t Business Leaders More Vocal About Immigration Policy?
Immigration fuels the American economy, feeds the talent pool, and can directly affect company performance. And yet few executives and entrepreneurs have waded into the policy dialogue, says James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 04 Oct 2022
- What Do You Think?
Have Managers Underestimated the Need for Face-to-Face Contact?
COVID-19 made remote work and instant delivery mainstays of life for many people, but will the need for community erode these concepts after the pandemic ends? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Sep 2022
- What Do You Think?
Is It Time to Consider Lifting Tariffs on Chinese Imports?
Many of the tariffs levied by the Trump administration on Chinese goods remain in place. James Heskett weighs whether the US should prioritize renegotiating trade agreements with China, and what it would take to move on from the trade war. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Have You Had Enough?
James Heskett has been asking readers, “What do you think?” for 24 years on a wide variety of management topics. In this farewell column, Heskett reflects on the changing leadership landscape and thanks his readers for consistently weighing in over the years. Open for comment; 0 Comments.