Digital transformation can mean a lot of different things. For leaders, it can be hard to know where you should be focusing investment — and what kind of digital transformation you’re really after. The authors outline four pillars of digital transformation: IT uplift, digitizing operations, digital marketing, and new ventures. Which pillar is the right…
While the dominant narrative about tech today is that human judgment is being replaced by machines, particularly far down on the org chart, the truth is far more nuanced. The authors have conducted research into decentralized firms in which individual employees have more, rather than less, autonomy. They found that in these firms it is…
Whether we like it or not, change is a fact of life. Unfortunately, especially when a major change feels like it’s been forced on us, it can be easy to fall into identity paralysis: a feeling of stuck-ness in which your sense of self fails to keep up with your new role or situation. The…
Of all leadership roles at any organization, the chief financial officer (CFO) may have one of the trickiest balancing acts. In a volatile business environment, the CFO is responsible for both driving growth and safeguarding against risk. There’s a lot at stake. Ninety percent of respondents to a recent Harvard Business Review Analytic Services survey…
Each business seems to have a unique set of skills that differentiate it from its competitors. A company’s ability to perform functions,…
If you have an open position, rehiring a former employee, known as a boomerang, may seem like the easy answer because they already know the company culture, business nuances, and people. But there are several reasons why they might not be the right person for the job. The author presents five questions managers should ask…
Most of us don’t have a good plan to celebrate accomplishments. Individuals and organizations tend to have an “on-to-the-next” mindset, as though it is contrary to productivity and efficiency to relish, even briefly, reaching our objectives. Nothing could be further from the truth. Celebration is an important opportunity to cement the lessons learned on the…
Success in today’s fast-changing world requires organizations to be in a permanent state of flexibility, able to react quickly when necessary. This requires a culture of constant learning. Gig mindsetters — a bold new breed of full-time, salaried employees who think and act like freelancers — self-manage, take spontaneous initiative, focus on skills more than…
Xi Jinping’s China is different than the country companies dealt with in the 1990s and 2000s. China’s size, state capacity, and specific policies create unique ethical risks; companies can inadvertently become involved in human rights violations or military projects. Firms have dealt with this situation through four common strategies: withdraw, continue and contain, operate with…
4 Critical Strategy Execution Questions That Executives Should Be Asking By Razat Gaurav You live it daily: shifting customer expectations, market dynamics, supply-chain issues, sociopolitical developments. Factors such as these may have your organization rethinking everything from strategies to business and operating models. Another concern is engaging and empowering your workforce amid all this uncertainty.…