Management

This week we’re sharing Management Tips based on HBR Executive Live events from the past year. Learn more about the HBR Executive subscription here.  Target CEO Michael Fiddelke started at the company as an intern. Twenty years later, as he prepared to assume the top role, he spoke to HBR Executive about a common challenge: preserving what makes an organization […]

This week we’re sharing Management Tips based on HBR Executive Live events from the past year. Learn more about the HBR Executive subscription here.  Former Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton and former Treasury Department chief of staff Joshua Steiner both experienced highly public mistakes that shaped their careers. Here’s what they learned.  Distinguish failures from mistakes. Failures can happen despite good execution. Mistakes […]

This week we’re sharing Management Tips based on HBR Executive Live events from the past year. Learn more about the HBR Executive subscription here.   In a recent panel discussion, three CHROs—Daisy Auger-Domínguez of Digital Asset, Monique Herena of American Express, and Daniela Seabrook of the Adecco Group—discussed how successful AI transformation depends less on technology and more on how leaders […]

AI adoption doesn’t stall because employees lack ideas about how to use these tools. It stalls because they don’t trust what will happen when they share them. If you want your team to reveal their best AI workflows, focus on creating the conditions that make sharing safe and worthwhile.  Earn the disclosure you want. Remove ambiguity around AI use. Make […]

Decision-rights tools are supposed to make collaboration faster, clearer, and less contentious. But assigning roles on paper isn’t enough. To make better decisions, focus on four practices that keep decision rights from becoming a source of confusion.  Define the decision before assigning roles. Broad goals often create ownership disputes because multiple people believe they’re responsible for the same outcome. Break […]

In uncertain times, one of your most important responsibilities as a leader is to give people a reason to keep moving forward. But hope doesn’t come from ambitious visions or optimistic promises alone. If your aspirations outpace what people believe is possible, trust erodes. To inspire sustained effort, you need to ground hope in reality—connecting a better […]

As AI makes it easier for candidates to optimize resumes and receive real-time interview assistance, traditional hiring signals are becoming less reliable. If you continue to rely on polished applications and scripted interviews, you risk selecting people who are best at navigating the hiring process rather than doing the job. To improve hiring outcomes, shift your focus toward […]

Purpose can be a powerful motivator, but when employees feel blocked from making the impact they signed up for, purpose can quickly become a source of frustration. If rules, processes, or constraints repeatedly prevent people from doing meaningful work, the mission that once energized them can start driving disengagement instead. Here’s how to remove barriers that undermine […]

Traditional strategic anchors—defensible positions, stable industries, durable physical assets—are losing their power. As markets shift and assumptions break down, deciding where to invest resources gets harder. The solution is to choose an organizing principle, with a clear center, that guides every strategic decision. Here are five options.  Center on the mission. Start by defining the problem you exist to solve. […]

Companies are racing to use AI to work faster and cut costs. But leaders who focus only on efficiency risk missing the larger opportunity: growth. Use these six questions to assess whether your AI strategy is creating short-term gains or long-term value.  Are you focusing too much on cost savings? Efficiency matters, but if your AI roadmap is […]

Important decisions aren’t over once the moment passes. To think like a great coach after a high-stakes decision, focus on what happens next: learning from outcomes, rebuilding trust, and improving the system before the next big call arrives.  Accept mistakes quickly. High-pressure decisions rarely come with perfect information. Focus less on the outcome and more on whether the […]

Great coaches are judged by what they do during high-pressure moments, when information is incomplete and time is limited. To make a consequential decision like a great coach, you need to stay steady, read what’s happening around you, and trust the preparation you’ve already done.  Manage emotions before they manage you. Strong emotions can distort judgment. Instead of fighting them, narrow your focus. Ask […]

Winning decisions start long before the pressure arrives. To think like a great coach before a high-stakes moment, focus on building the conditions that make fast, clear decisions possible when the pressure is on.  Plan for likely scenarios. Identify the decisions you’re most likely to face and think through them ahead of time. Ask: What information will matter? Who contributes? […]

Your future leaders may be at the greatest risk of burning out. Mid-career employees often face peak responsibilities at work while managing growing demands outside of it, leaving little time to think about what comes next. If you want to retain and develop experienced talent, you need to help people build careers they can sustain for the […]

AI is making it possible for your team to execute faster than ever before. More ideas are turning into projects, and more decisions are requiring your input. To keep pace, you need to rethink how you guide work and spend your attention.  Set direction, not tasks. Focus less on assigning work and more on clarifying outcomes. Make […]

Pressure reveals how you naturally respond when decisions matter most. During high-stakes moments, your default reactions shape what you notice, how quickly you move, and where your blind spots emerge. Performing well under pressure starts with understanding those patterns and building the flexibility to respond differently when circumstances demand it.  Expand your range. Learn your default response patterns, […]

Yesterday we went over five questions to help you lead a project-driven organization. Here are five more questions you need to answer.  If job titles matter less, how do organizations identify expertise? Match people to work based on capabilities and experience rather than formal roles or reporting structures.  What is the difference between a working group and a […]

As change becomes constant, organizations increasingly rely on projects to drive growth and execute strategy. But more projects don’t automatically create better results. Use these questions to assess whether your organization is built to adapt and execute effectively.   What does a project-driven organization look like in practice? Consider what work people would naturally organize around if your org […]

Burnout and turnover are common in high-pressure jobs. But new research suggests that people are more likely to leave when their work feels isolating, unsupported, or disconnected from meaningful responsibility. The way you design work day to day can actually strengthen commitment to a demanding job.   Think carefully about how responsibility is assigned. Don’t make staffing decisions based only on coverage needs […]

When you get a new manager, it’s easy to slip into wait-and-see mode. But the first few weeks shape how you’ll be perceived long term. Instead of reacting passively, treat the transition as a strategic opportunity.   Reset your mindset. Don’t let fear, frustration, or office gossip define your view of the new relationship. Notice your emotional reactions, but focus on the […]