Havard Management Tip of the Day

When you suspect a job candidate is having AI feed them answers to your interview questions, it’s tempting to play detective—maybe their answers feel too polished, or there’s a slight delay before they respond. But calling someone out for using AI during an interview can come off as hostile, and it doesn’t reveal what matters […]

When personal and professional crises collide, your capacity and clarity can quickly erode. You can’t compartmentalize your way through it; instead, take these steps to stay steady, sustain progress, and lead well despite the competing pressures.  Start by naming what’s real. Avoid pretending everything is fine. Acknowledge what you’re feeling—fatigue, grief, stress—so you can respond […]

If you’re experimenting with gen AI across your company, be careful not to spread your efforts out too much. Shallow and broad AI deployments may produce short-term wins, but they rarely lead to lasting advantage. A smarter strategy is to go deep and narrow by using AI to strengthen one high-impact area that competitors can’t […]

As a leader, the decisions you make in high-stakes moments carry weight far beyond legal or operational impact—they shape trust, culture, and your credibility. When every option feels risky, here’s how to lead with clarity and care.  Map trade-offs instead of reacting on instinct. Big decisions—think restructuring, layoffs, and policy shifts—carry legal, reputational, and cultural […]

Your company strategy should inspire, energize, and align employees. But when strategy language is too vague (hello, “market leader” and “agility”), teams interpret it through personal or cultural filters. The result? Misalignment, drift, and wasted effort. To avoid this, you need to make strategy specific enough to guide action—without stifling creativity. Here’s how.   Illustrate what […]

You know that trust is essential to good leadership—but do you have a reliable way to measure it? Instead of relying on gut instinct or vague proxies like engagement scores, you need to start measuring, tracking, and managing trust in your organization the same way you do other key metrics like financial performance or customer […]

Periods of transformation often increase employee uncertainty—and attrition. A talent strategy can stabilize your workforce by signaling investment in their future and equipping them with the skills they need to thrive. Here are four pillars of a successful talent strategy in times of transformation. Leadership development. Retention starts with leaders. Employees look to them for […]

If you’re a woman stepping into senior leadership during midlife, menopause symptoms like hot flashes or brain fog can feel like professional roadblocks—but they don’t have to be. Here are some research-backed strategies to lead through menopause with strength and clarity. Advocate for your health. Don’t settle for vague answers or inadequate treatment. Take initiative: […]

Coaching your team doesn’t always have to happen in formal, dedicated sessions—it can simply be a way of leading. The best coaching often happens in short, consistent moments throughout the day. Here’s how to embed it in the flow of work. Use in-the-moment nudges. Spot teachable moments in casual settings: after a meeting, in a […]

Yesterday we went over four ways to address your team’s low morale. If your team is checked out or stuck in “job-hugging” mode—clinging to their jobs despite low engagement—it’s time to act. Here are four more strategies to help you reverse employee discontent. Support well-being. Make mental health resources easy to access and normalize their […]

Your team’s performance depends on how they feel at work—and right now, many employees feel burned out, disconnected, and underappreciated. If you want to reverse that trend, start by addressing the root causes.  Remove the biggest frustrations. Ask yourself what makes work harder than it should be. Whether it’s an unmanageable workload or inefficient processes, focus on removing friction […]

When you’re promoted to a leadership position, it’s tempting to hang on to your old responsibilities. But trying to do both jobs prevents you and your team from growing. Here’s how to shift from executing to leading.   Get clear on your new role. Don’t assume your new scope is obvious. Ask your boss what success […]

Leading change often means influencing others without formal authority, whether you’re launching a new initiative or reshaping culture. But even the most capable leaders can struggle without clear backing from senior leadership. Here’s how to secure the support you need—without appearing hesitant or overreaching.   Check your motives. Before you ask for support, ask yourself: Am […]

The best negotiators communicate clearly, think strategically, build trust, and lead with integrity. To improve your outcomes, hone four essential skills during negotiations.   Start with language and emotional control. How you speak and listen shapes perceptions. Use precise, logical language. Listen to understand rather than react. Regulate your emotions and read others’ cues to keep conversations productive, […]

Yesterday we outlined three commonly known threat responses that show up at work. Beyond fight, flight, and freeze are three lesser-known threat responses: please/appease, attach/cry for help, and collapse. These behaviors can look like loyalty, neediness, or disengagement—but they’re often signs that someone doesn’t feel emotionally safe. Here’s how to recognize and respond to each.   Please/appease: Reward honesty, not just helpfulness. When someone […]

You’ve likely heard of fight, flight, and freeze—the body’s instinctive responses to threats. But these aren’t just survival reactions formed in childhood. They show up in adult life, especially at work, where pressure, politics, and feedback can feel emotionally risky. These aren’t flaws, but protective responses to perceived danger. Here’s how to spot them on your team and respond in a constructive, supportive […]

Yoga is more than a physical activity; it can provide a practical framework for navigating life, including work. In high-pressure environments, its core principles can sharpen focus, build resilience, and improve decision-making. Here’s how to apply them.  Unblock your energy. Use breathwork and meditation to shift from stress to clarity. When you remove mental and […]

The best negotiators communicate clearly, think strategically, build trust, and lead with integrity. To improve your outcomes, hone four essential skills during negotiations.  Start with language and emotional control. How you speak and listen shapes perceptions. Use precise, logical language. Listen to understand rather than react. Regulate your emotions and read others’ cues to keep […]

When your emotional energy is running low, it’s easy to fake your way through the day. But leaders who consistently “surface act” by suppressing their true feelings while putting on a front risk falling into a loop of exhaustion and disconnection. Research shows that breaking this cycle doesn’t require grand gestures. It starts with these […]

Digital tools are meant to make work easier and more efficient, but they can derail our attention and drain our energy. The tools aren’t going away (or getting less numerous), but you can mitigate the digital exhaustion they cause. Yesterday we laid out four tips to help you do that. Here are four more.  Don’t […]