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New research from Harvard Business School faculty on the traits, behaviors, and characteristic methods of successful leaders.
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Steve Jobs and the Rise of the Celebrity CEO

by Dina Gerdeman

A new book by Richard Tedlow digs into the careers of Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Oprah Winfrey to understand how CEOs went from nameless suits to acclaimed gurus. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

What the Stockdale Paradox Tells Us About Crisis Leadership

by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams

The Stockdale Paradox and survival psychology contain wisdom for how leaders can manage the coronavirus crisis, according to Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

It’s Not About You: Why Leaders Need to Look Outward

by Kristen Senz

By unleashing the full potential of their teams, leaders increase safety and inclusion in the workplace. Co-author Frances Frei discusses her new book, "Unleashed." Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Are Candor, Humility, and Trust Making a Comeback?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP: Have core leadership values been declining in recent years? If so, how do we get them back? James Heskett's readers provide answers. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Fostering Perceptions of Authenticity via Sensitive Self-Disclosure

by Li Jiang, Maryam Kouchaki, Francesca Gino, Reihane Boghrati, and Leslie John

By making sensitive self-disclosures, leaders can enhance how authentic their followers perceive them to be, leading to positive interpersonal outcomes and potentially organizational ones as well. Aside from the obvious costs of disclosing weaknesses, leaders may also reap surprising benefits from doing so.

Can an Organization Have Too Much 'Rebel Talent'?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP: Staffing your organization with "rebel talent" can produce energy, loyalty, productivity, and creativity. But is there such a thing as too many rebels? asks James Heskett. Readers respond. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

When Your Passion Works Against You

by Dina Gerdeman

Passion is supposed to be the secret sauce that transforms average managers into dynamic leaders. The reality is more complicated, says Jon M. Jachimowicz. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

What Machine Learning Teaches Us about CEO Leadership Style

by Michael Blanding

Tarun Khanna and Prithwiraj Choudhury use machine-learning technology to look for links between a CEO's communications style and company performance. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Activist CEOs Are Rising Up—and Their Customers Are Listening

by Michael Blanding

Are product sales affected by the CEO's stance on political and social issues? Michael Toffel and Aaron Chatterji study how consumers react to vocal chief executives. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Who Will Measure up to These Two Remarkable Leaders?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP. In the wake of the loss of two great CEOs, James Heskett asks which schools are ready to turn out the next generation of transformative leaders? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Make Your Employees Feel Psychologically Safe

by Martha Lagace

To do their best work, people need to feel secure and safe in their workplace. In a new book, Amy C. Edmondson details how companies can develop psychological safety. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

What is the Function of Fear in Leadership?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP Is the use of fear by managers ever justified? For James Heskett's readers, the answer is not so simple. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

How to Be a Rebel Leader

by Carmen Nobel

In the book Rebel Talent, Francesca Gino argues companies should encourage rebellion in their workplaces. Quiz: Discover what type of rebel you really are. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Is Overconfidence a Motivated Bias? Experimental Evidence

by Jennifer M. Logg, Uriel Haran, and Don A. Moore

People are most at risk of making overly positive self-assessments when their assessment criteria are not clearly defined. Yet, even within ambiguous domains, providing clearly defined criteria for what makes a productive employee, an effective leader, and an efficient team, may help people better calibrate their self-perceptions with reality.

The Three Types of Leaders Who Create Radical Change

by Carmen Nobel

Every successful social movement requires three distinct leadership roles: the agitator, the innovator, and the orchestrator, according to institutional change expert Julie Battilana. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

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; 0 Comments.

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; 0 Comments.

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; 0 Comments.

The Truth About Authentic Leaders

by Bill George

Is "Be yourself" terrible advice for a leader? Bill George, the creator of the "authentic leadership" approach to management, answers critics and outlines the path for executives to be more effective. Open for comment; 0 Comments.