On Principle

While creating her new role, what did Kriegler do to structure the department, learn the job, gain visibility into Alaska Airlines’ supply chain and prepare for the inevitable challenges? How did that preparation serve her when dealing with a seemingly endless series of crises? And how did she adapt? What can Kriegler’s experience tell us about how leaders build a new operation with agility and creativity?

When megatrends are buffeting your industry and your business, how do you respond? What drives the decision to zig when others are zagging? How do leaders gain the confidence to make a choice when the future of the business—and more than 300 employees—is on the line?

What do business leaders fail to understand about how to “keep the phones ringing” as they maintain and grow their businesses? What are the keys to forecasting where a firm is headed and holding itself accountable? And how can they build an environment where ownership in the business’ success is spread throughout the organization?

Is this a story about succession planning—but on a smaller scale? How does a newly minted business school graduate form and grow an organization, then position it to keep growing? And what lessons might this small example offer to others—large and small?

Bucking a trend. Making an unpopular decision. Leaders do it all the time. Why did Purina do it in this case? How did they approach this decision—not only making it, but implementing it? What did they learn, and what can we learn?

It’s hard to imagine an organization that wouldn’t do what it takes to protect employees who are swept into a global conflict with bombs literally falling from the sky. Are there principles at work in this episode that might apply in less harrowing situations? Do our Olin scholars know other similar examples—and what those examples say about leadership?

A consumer brand builds a following and then, essentially, decides to change direction. How do leaders bring their customers along for the ride, manage that pivot and minimize the harm to the brand? Strong customer engagement is seemingly one of the Holy Grails of consumer marketing. But what does that mean? And what are its limits?

Startups often operate on a razor’s edge. So, when opportunity strikes, founders have to be nimble, resourceful—and willing to ask for help to get what they need, when they need it. Is it a question of being innovative about how they innovate? Can our WashU Olin experts think of other examples of this sort of creativity?

How do business leaders challenge themselves to dream bigger? How do you know whether you’re really dreaming big enough? And is there a danger in allowing your reach to exceed your grasp?

The voices in today's bonus episode may be familiar to On Principle listeners. They're voices from previous guests, sharing stories about some major “Oh, shoot!” moments they confronted in their businesses. They came together for a special "On Principle Live!" event at WashU Olin Business School on September 1, 2022, called "Now What?" The event was the first of our Leadership Perspectives events for the academic year.