HBR IdeaCast

HBR IdeaCast episodes:

• 04.16.2024

  Are You Asking the Right Questions?

  Few leaders have been trained to ask great questions. That might explain why they tend to be good at certain kinds of questions, and less effective at other kinds. Unfortunately, that hurts their ability to pursue strategic priorities. Arnaud Chevallier,...

  
• 04.09.2024

  A Roadmap for Today’s Entrepreneurs

  Many people aspire to entrepreneurship but we all know it's a high-risk endeavor. Bill Aulet, the Ethernet Inventors Professor of Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management, has for decades studied what it takes for start-ups to succeed and...

  
• 04.02.2024

  Treat Email Like Laundry — and Other Tips from Google’s Productivity Expert

  The amount of work we need to get done seems to grow daily. To avoid becoming overwhelmed, we have to become more productive than ever. Laura Mae Martin has advice on what has worked well at one of the biggest...

  
• 03.26.2024

  Why the Glass Cliff Persists

  It's been nearly two decades since the term "glass cliff" was coined; it refers to the tendency for women to break through the glass ceiling to top management roles only when there is a big crisis to overcome, which makes it more difficult for...

  
• 03.19.2024

  Why Leaders Need to Value Their Retirement-Age Workforce

  A growing number of workers are reaching retirement age around the globe. At the same time, many countries face a worker shortage, especially in critical areas like health care. Ken Dychtwald, cofounder and CEO of Age Wave, says it’s time...

  
• 03.12.2024

  What’s Your Interviewing Style?

  There's a lot of advice out there on how to get job interviews right, whether you're the one trying to get hired or the one evaluating the candidates. But the dos and don'ts aren't always applicable to every person. In...

  
• 03.05.2024

  To Negotiate Better, Start with Yourself

  The coauthor of the classic book Getting to Yes has new advice on how to negotiate, designed for a world that feels more conflicted than ever. William Ury, cofounder of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation, has come to learn that the biggest obstacle...

  
• 02.27.2024

  Rethinking Growth at All Costs

  Many companies, especially in the tech world, have come to embrace the idea of growth at all costs. But according to research from Gary Pisano, professor at Harvard Business School, most firms fail to consistently increase revenues and profits over the long term, adjusting for...

  
• 02.20.2024

  Companies Can Win by Reducing Overwork

  Organizations regularly reward devoted workers who put in long hours. At the same time, “always-on” communication spurred by the pandemic and new digital tools encourage workaholism. But research shows that it’s not just individuals who are harmed by overworking. Their...

  
• 02.13.2024

  When Should Companies Weigh in on Contentious Issues?

  In a globally connected and highly politicized world, organizations are increasingly expected to comment on social, political, and environmental issues. But taking a stance doesn't always make business sense and can backfire when employees or consumers see a disconnect between leaders’ words and actions. Alison Taylor, associate professor at New York...

  
• 02.06.2024

  Stuck on a Problem? Try Switching Up Your Approach

  Many leaders confidently go about tackling challenges. After all, relying on their experience got them to where they are. But taking the same approach over and over again can actually hold you back. Sometimes you need to switch up your...

  
• 01.30.2024

  How to Reduce the Friction that Hurts You — and Harness the Friction that Helps

  Organizations too often subject their employees and customers to unnecessary friction that creates inefficiency and causes frustration. But, in some situations, friction can be a positive force, spurring more innovation and better decision-making. So how do you reduce the bad...

  
• 01.23.2024

  What the New Freelance Economy Means for Your Talent Strategy

  The rapid pace of technological change is making a big impact on hiring. Some organizations are dynamically securing freelance workers through platform apps like Upwork and Freelancer. Other companies are investing heavily in work enabled by artificial intelligence. John Winsor...

  
• 01.16.2024

  Making Peace with Your Midlife, Mid-career Self

  Research shows that happiness bottoms out for people in their mid to late 40s. We might struggle with mid-career slumps, caring for both children and aging parents, and existential questions about whether everything has turned out as we'd planned. But...

  
• 01.09.2024

  Supercharge Your One-on-One Meetings

  Most good bosses know that they should schedule regular one-on-ones with each of their team members. But fewer know exactly how to manage these meetings well, in part because organizations rarely offer relevant training. Steven Rogelberg, Chancellor's Professor at the...

  
• 01.02.2024

  The Best Return-to-Office Policies Aren’t One-Size-Fits-All

  A growing number of companies are mandating office time for employees and structuring hybrid work under broad, rigid rules. But pushing people into the office is a mistake, argues Kimberly Shells, a senior director in the Gartner HR practice. She...

  
• 12.26.2023

  Best of IdeaCast: Behaviors of Successful CEOs

  For the qualities that top-performing CEOs have in common, research shows some surprising results. It turns out that charisma, confidence, and pedigree all have little bearing on CEO success. Elena Botelho, partner at leadership advisory firm ghSMART and coleader of its CEO...

  
• 12.19.2023

  Why More Companies Are Getting in on the Resale Game

  For a long time, conventional wisdom ruled that companies should avoid reselling their own products in used condition. There’s the threat of cannibalization, marketing confusion, and tricky logistics that can erase margins. But more name-brand retailers are jumping into resale,...

  
• 12.12.2023

  How Hybrid Work Is (And Isn’t) Reshaping Cities

  Economic activity has long been concentrated in big metropolitan areas. But has the rise of remote work technology -- and its accelerated adoption during the pandemic -- changed that? How are talent flows between geographies changing? And what does...

  
• 12.05.2023

  Setting AI Projects Up for Success

  Unfortunately, you can’t set up your organization’s artificial intelligence projects like just any other IT project. By their nature, AI endeavors are quite different and suffer high failure rates. But there are proven approaches you can take to increase your...

  
• 11.30.2023

  New Here: Getting a Raise Is a Process, Not a Conversation

  Introducing HBR’s podcast for young professionals, New Here, hosted by Elainy Mata. Whether it’s your first job or a fresh start, New Here will help you build a meaningful career on your own terms. In this episode, author and personal...

  
• 11.28.2023

  Fast Casual Food Pioneer Ron Shaich Explains How to Find a Niche — and then Scale

  The restaurant business is notoriously competitive and often propelled by passing fads. But, first at the helm of Au Bon Pain, and then as the founder of Panera Bread, Ron Shaich managed to create an entirely new category of dining between fast food and table service and then dominate...

  
• 11.21.2023

  Why Private Equity Needs to Invest More in Talent Development

  Traditionally, private equity companies have created value at the companies they own by taking on debt, restructuring, and exploiting underserved opportunities. But surging interest rates and increased competition have made it much harder to deliver strong returns. Ted Bililies, a partner...

  
• 11.14.2023

  Nvidia’s CEO On What It Takes To Run An A.I.-Led Company Now

  The future of AI goes far beyond individuals using ChatGPT. Companies are now integrating artificial intelligence into all aspects of their businesses. One key player in this transition is Nvidia, the AI-driven computing company, which makes both hardware and software...

  
• 11.07.2023

  A High-Performance Coach on the Key to Achieving Your Full Potential

  What holds many people back from attaining the success they want - whether it's winning an Olympic medal or a seat in the C-suite - isn’t a lack of effort or talent. It’s the fear of other people’s opinions. That’s according...

  
• 10.31.2023

  How Job Training Must Change in the AI Age

  The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence technology is creating, destroying, and changing jobs. And Harvard Business School professor Raffaella Sadun has been studying how leading companies are training and reskilling employees for this new paradigm. She says many firms underestimate...

  
• 10.24.2023

  Getting Feedback Right on Diverse Teams

  We know that teams mixing people of different generations, genders, and cultures yield better outcomes, and that frank, constructive feedback is key to improving individual, group, and organizational performance. But these two attributes -- diversity and candor -- often clash,...

  
• 10.17.2023

  Tools for Managers to Help Employees with Their Mental Health Challenges

  It’s a reality that more employees are discussing their mental health in the workplace. And proactive leaders can serve their teams better by listening and responding. At the same time, managers can’t play the role of a therapist or the...

  
• 10.10.2023

  Reflecting on What Matters After a Terminal Cancer Diagnosis

  How does someone who's been told he will die much sooner than expected find contentment in the time he has left? As a former therapist, cofounder of the Deeper Coaching Institute, and business book author, Mark Goulston has spent...

  
• 10.03.2023

  How to Solve Tough Problems Better and Faster

  When it comes to solving complicated problems, the default for many organizational leaders is to take their time to work through the issues at hand. Unfortunately, that often leads to patchwork solutions or problems not truly getting resolved. Instead, Anne...

  
• 09.26.2023

  Improve Your Impromptu Speaking

  We all know that leaders need to captivate audiences and effectively convey their ideas. But not every speaking opportunity can be prepared and practiced. That's why it's so important to learn the skill of speaking off-the-cuff, and Matt Abrahams, lecturer at...

  
• 09.19.2023

  How Companies Can Recommit to Their DEI Goals

  After the summer of 2020 in the United States, many organizations made a big push to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in their ranks and operations. But now, many fear that that momentum is slipping, especially in the face of...

  
• 09.12.2023

  People with Disabilities Are an Untapped Talent Pool

  It is now accepted wisdom that increasing the diversity of your workforce in any dimension can improve both organizational culture and performance. But one group — people living with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities — continues to be overlooked by many companies. Luisa Alemany, associate professor at London Business School, has studied workplaces that do recruit and hire employees with...

  
• 09.05.2023

  If You Want Culture Change, Create New Stories

  Many leaders realize they need to change their organization’s culture to save the business. But employees usually resist change and stick to past norms. Jay Barney, professor at the University of Utah’s Eccles School of Business, studied leaders who successfully...

  
• 08.29.2023

  Leading a Workforce Empowered by New AI Tools

  New AI technology enables anyone to become a programmer — opening doors to faster analytics and automation but also presenting big challenges. Organizations need policies and strategies to manage the chaos created by what Tom Davenport calls “citizen developers.” Davenport is a professor of management and information...

  
• 08.22.2023

  How One Ukrainian Company Cultivated Resiliency Amid War

  Companies plan for crises and aim to be resilient and adaptive in the face of all kinds of risks, but it’s always easier said than done. And perhaps none of these threats is as serious as war. That’s what Roman...

  
• 08.15.2023

  How to Reinvent a Consumer Brand

  How does a brand or product that's been around for decades suddenly become popular with a whole new segment of consumers? Terence Reilly has some pointers. As CMO of Crocs, he used social media and celebrity collaborations to drive sales...

  
• 08.08.2023

  The VC Fund Closing Equity Gaps — and Making Money

  Much of the business world has bought into the idea of stakeholder capitalism. But Freada Kapor Klein and Mitch Kapor say that doing some good by doing well isn’t enough when the business impact still creates negative effects and broader...

  
• 08.01.2023

  How Companies Can Adapt to More Government Intervention

  After decades of industrial policy that favored globalization and free trade, we are entering a new era. Prompted by the pandemic, climate change, rising geopolitical tensions and economic concerns, countries and groups of countries are once again using the power...

  
• 07.25.2023

  How One F-35 Fighter Pilot Makes Decisions Under Pressure

  There are few jobs that demand decisive, clear thinking under pressure more than that of a fighter jet pilot. But the best combat pilots don't act on gut and muscle memory alone. They train to use proven mental models for...

  
• 07.18.2023

  In Defense of Middle Management

  Middle managers are meant to serve as a go-between for leadership teams and individual contributors. But in large organizations, with many layers of hierarchy, some of these roles feel like bureaucratic bloat, which, in tighter economic times, makes them a...

  
• 07.11.2023

  What the Best Leaders Know — and What Skills They Develop

  If you had the chance to talk to hundreds of business leaders at the top of their game, what habits and patterns would you learn? Adam Bryant has done just that. He's the senior managing director of the ExCo Group...

  
• 07.04.2023

  Best of IdeaCast: Escape Your Comfort Zone

  We know that trying new things, taking risks, and even failing are vital to most success stories. But getting out of areas where you’re comfortable and breaking through to the next level is easier said than done. Andy Molinsky, professor of organizational...

  
• 06.27.2023

  Why Entrepreneurs Don’t Need Venture Capital to Scale

  With all the hype in the startup world around unicorns and hypergrowth, entrepreneurs feel enormous pressure to raise massive amounts of cash from venture capitalists. But now, as interest rates have risen, a lot of that funding has dried up....

  
• 06.20.2023

  NBA Star Chris Paul on Mentorship and Taking a Stand

  Most of us can point to a few key people who have made a real difference in our lives and careers - a family member, a coach, a boss. And many who get that kind of mentoring build on the...

  
• 06.13.2023

  When Small Stresses Lead to Big Problems

  It's easy to see how big stresses at work or home -- like layoffs, illnesses, or even a complex and important project -- cause anxiety too spike. But sometimes the stresses that cause the most hard are the tiny, everyday...

  
• 06.06.2023

  Why More Companies Should Have a Sabbatical Policy

  Sabbaticals have long been thought of as an academic privilege, but a growing number of companies offer them, especially since the pandemic. DJ DiDonna, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and founder of The Sabbatical Project, has interviewed hundreds...

  
• 05.30.2023

  Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai on Leadership, AI, and Big Tech

  The use of artificial intelligence and specifically generative AI is growing rapidly, and tech giants like Google have an important role to play in how that technology gets adopted and developed. Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google as well...

  
• 05.25.2023

  How Generative AI Changes Strategy

  Strategy is about making the future happen, not just reacting to it, according to author Gary Hamel. And with generative artificial intelligence, senior leaders suddenly wield an awesome new tool to change the fortunes of their organizations. The promise of...

  
• 05.23.2023

  Stop Looking for the Perfect Job

  One of the first things we learn about people is what they do for a living. But the link between work and identify has moved far beyond that, especially in certain industries, geographies, and cultures. Many of us put everything...