As companies contemplate adjustments to their global strategies, it is important to recognize how much continuity there still is even in a period of wrenching change. The idea of a world where economic efficiency alone drives patterns of international flows was always a myth. Globalization has always been an uneven process, with cross-country differences and…
April 11, 2022 We all need to be persuasive. Maybe you’re trying to get clients to buy into your idea, trust your expertise, or sign on with your company. Or perhaps you want to convince colleagues to start a new initiative, or kill one you think is doomed to fail. Which persuasion tactics are most…
Your cofounder is the key person you turn to to help you manage the emotional ups and downs of your startup, and the success of your relationship is directly correlated to the success of your business. Through her experience coaching founders and cofounders of fast-growing startups, the author has discovered five key principles you can…
The psychological toll of the pandemic has challenged workers and managers in a variety of ways. As we head into the third year of Covid, a new issue has sprung up: “splitting,” a mental defense mechanism which allows us to tolerate difficult and even unbearable emotions by seeing someone or something as either heroes or…
In the past few decades, organizations have warmed to corporate social responsibility and environmental, social, and governance issues. Whether to drive cost and efficiency improvements or to help heal the planet, many companies have adopted sustainability goals such as reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or committed to even more lofty pursuits, such as becoming net-zero…
To reach the global climate goal of halving emissions by 2030, we can’t leave behind small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). But helping them will require collaboration and support from the large corporations that are often SME’s most important clients. Taking climate action is not easy for small businesses. Large businesses can help by directing small business to the…
To understand how corporations and startups can better collaborate, researchers studied 150 meetings between 108 deep tech startups and 34 corporation. They found that collaborations that moved past the first meeting shared three characteristics: They had clarity about their current and future needs; they were open-minded to the novel ideas of startups; and they assembled a…
Crafting a powerful vision is often considered the sine qua non of great leadership, but it’s only the first step. How can leaders translate that vision into reality — a process that can take years — while the rapidly changing context distracts with the need for daily adaptation? The authors, both advisors to large firms…
If you’ve ever had to “walk the beans,” you probably appreciate the use of the farm pesticide chlorpyrifos, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last August said it will ban growers from using around food crops in the future. Agricultural groups are seeking a court injunction against the ban and as recently as this past…
After two years of turmoil, employees need their managers to show compassion. At the same time, executives expect their managers and their teams to deliver results. Middle managers are often the ones feeling that tension most acutely. How can they cope with these competing pressures? Focus on two sets of actions. First, work to increase…