Purpose-Driven Leadership in an Era of Polarization
8 Dec 2025
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Former Ford Foundation president Darren Walker talks about the whiplash leaders have faced in recent years—and why courageous, nuanced leadership is essential when public discourse swings to the extremes.

Listen to the full IdeaCast episode here: https://s.hbr.org/49R1tDx

Purpose-Driven Leadership in an Era of Polarization 8 Dec 2025 --- Former Ford Foundation president Darren Walker talks about the whiplash leaders have faced in recent years—and why courageous, nuanced leadership is essential when public discourse swings to the extremes. Listen to the full IdeaCast episode here: https://s.hbr.org/49R1tDx

Purpose-Driven Leadership in an Era of Polarization

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At Harvard Business Review, we believe in management. If the world’s organizations and institutions were run more effectively, if our leaders made better decisions, if people worked more productively, we believe that all of us — employees, bosses, customers, our families, and the people our businesses affect — would be better off. We try to arm our readers with ideas that help them become smarter, more creative, and more courageous in their work. We encourage comments, critiques, and questions. We expect our community to be a safe space for respectful, constructive, and thought-provoking discussion. We reserve the right to remove or turn off comments at our discretion. We do not tolerate bullying, name-calling, or abusive language related to identity, including race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, age, or region; spam; copyright violation; extreme profanity; or p*rnography.

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Purpose-Driven Leadership in an Era of Polarization

Purpose-Driven Leadership in an Era of Polarization