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New research on business leadership from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including skills development, authentic leadership, and creating value.
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Summing Up: What Are the Limits of CEO Activism?

by James Heskett

Do CEOs have a responsibility to speak out when they encounter social injustice? James Heskett's readers offer a variety of viewpoints. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Op-Ed: After Charlottesville, Where Does a CEO's Responsibility Lie?

by Gautam Mukunda

Donald Trump, the "business president," has recently had serious disagreements with some of the most powerful CEOs in the country. Gautam Mukunda discusses the responsibility of business leaders to themselves, their companies, and their country. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

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

by Bill George

CEOs are responsible to uphold their company’s mission and values, says Bill George. When these values are violated, even by the president of the United States, they are obliged to take a clear stand. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Op-Ed: As America Recedes from Global Leadership, Its CEOs are Stepping Up

by Bill George

CEOs and other business leaders are speaking loud and clear on global issues of monumental importance, says Bill George. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

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

by Bill George

Courageous leaders inspire employees, energize customers, and position their companies on the front lines of societal change. Bill George explains why there aren't more of them. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

CEO Behavior and Firm Performance

by Oriana Bandiera, Stephen Hansen, Andrea Pratt, and Raffaella Sadun

This paper combines a new survey methodology with a machine learning algorithm to measure the behavior of CEOs in large samples. Results show that larger and more complex firms require CEOs with a more coordinative—and less micromanaging—behavior. Inefficiencies in the way CEOs match with firms have important consequences for firm productivity.

Reputation is Vital to Survival in Turbulent Markets

by Sean Silverthorne

Reputation and resilience are key ingredients that determine whether companies will survive tumultuous markets, according to a new paper by Geoffrey Jones, Tarun Khanna, Cheng Gao, and Tiona Zuzul. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Black Business Leaders Series: Franklin Leonard, 'Black List' Mastermind

Re: Henry W. McGee

Using crowdsourcing to identify Hollywood’s hottest yet unproduced screenplays, Franklin Leonard's Black List is a coveted place to be—three films that appeared on the list are nominated for Best Picture awards this year. Professor Henry McGee, former president of HBO Home Entertainment, discusses his case study about Leonard and navigating Hollywood's film industry. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Black Business Leaders Series: A Remarkable Legacy of Firsts, Maggie Lena Walker

Re: Anthony Mayo

Maggie Lena Walker used her leadership of the Independent Order of St. Luke to form a bank, newspaper, and department store—all in the stronghold of the Confederacy. Tony Mayo discusses his case study about this pioneering African American woman. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

A Strategy For Steady Leadership in an Unsteady World

by Bill George

Management is tough enough in normal times. But what are leaders to do when their companies are buffeted by global uncertainty? Bill George explains charting a course True North. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Black Business Leaders Series: Putting Diversity to Work

Re: Robin J. Ely

In theory, most companies would love to diversify their workforce. In practice, hiring specifically to increase diversity can cause a variety of cultural problems within an organization. Professor Robin Ely discusses two case studies that train a critical lens on race-based and race-blind hiring. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Black Business Leaders Series: The Entrepreneurship Behind Ebony Magazine

Re: Steven S. Rogers

Over seven decades Ebony magazine has covered the most important African-American issues, personalities, and interests. Now it faces difficult times that most publications confront. Senior Lecturer Steve Rogers discusses his case study of Ebony's past, present, and future in this podcast. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Here’s How Businessman Trump Is Likely to Approach the Presidency

by Christina Pazzanese

Harvard Business School professors weigh in on how Donald Trump’s nearly 50 years of experience in building a global corporate empire (and zero years of political experience) might shape his approach to leading a nation. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Business Lessons from Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson

by Christian Camerota

Actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and partner Dany Garcia are quickly gaining ground in Hollywood as producers. A recent case study by Anita Elberse details the story behind their company, Seven Bucks Productions. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How Do Leaders Manage the Tension Between Pride and Arrogance?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP: James Heskett's readers agree that leaders can and should influence whether an organization crosses the line from pride to arrogance, and that it's possible to lead close to the line without crossing it. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

It Matters That Your CEO Doesn't Know Much About Sales

by Michael Blanding

Sales appears to be getting short-changed in the C-suite, says Frank Cespedes. What’s needed are more links between top executives and the customer-facing side of the business. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

5 Lessons I Hope Marketers Don’t Learn from Donald Trump

by John A. Deighton

Donald Trump's election should not serve as a model of marketing success, argues John A. Deighton. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Resolve Your Toughest Work Problems with 5 Questions

by Michael Blanding

In Managing in the Gray, Joseph Badaracco offers managers a five-question framework for facing murky situations and solving tough problems. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

CEO Personality and Firm Policies

by Ian D. Gow, Steven N. Kaplan, David F. Larcker, and Anastasia A. Zakolyukina

This study analyzes the linguistic content of the Q&A portion of more than 70,000 conference calls in order to explore the relationship between individual traits of senior executives, the investment and financing choices made by these executives, and firm performance. Among the findings, openness is positively associated with R&D intensity and negatively associated with net leverage. Conscientiousness is negatively associated with growth. In performance tests, extraversion is negatively associated with both contemporaneous and future return on assets and cash flow.

Panic Management: Keep Your Eyes on the Road

by Dina Gerdeman

Many of us respond with a knee-jerk reaction when adversity hits, but a more considered approach is better for a successful resolution. Joshua Margolis discusses the resilience regimen. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.