HBR On Leadership

Is Your Company Suffering from Initiative Overload?

Most organizations struggle to kill initiatives, even those that no longer support their strategy. Leadership consultants Rose Hollister and Michael Watkins explore the problem of initiative overload and how it can trickle down to employees who are already dealing with more projects than they can handle or do well. They offer practical tips on how to truly prioritize your company’s most important initiatives—or risk losing top talent. Hollister and Watkins are the authors of the 2018 HBR article “Too Many Projects.” Key episode topics include: leadership, leading teams, project management, time management, product management. • Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Stop Initiative Overload • Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast • Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

When You’re Worn Down—and Your Team Is Too

There’s nothing easy about being a manager today. But for team leaders who are feeling burnt out or overwhelmed with their job, workplace strategist Daisy Auger-Domínguez has advice on how to regain some of your joy at work. She recommends various techniques to incorporate optimism and well-being into your role. They include remembering your purpose, embracing a beginner’s mindset, keeping a folder of positive feedback as inspiration, and celebrating the contributions of team members. Auger-Domínguez is a workplace strategist, global people leader, and the author of the HBR article “Finding Joy as a Manager—Even on Bad Days.” Key episode topics include: leadership, leading teams, motivation, managing yourself, stress management, personal resilience • Listen to the original HBRIdeaCast episode: Here’s How Managers Can Rediscover Their Joy at Work • Find more episodes of HBRIdeaCast  • Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at hbr.org 

The Most Successful Leaders Never Stop Learning

After running Yum! Brands, which includes well-known chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, David Novak wanted to help others become better leaders. He believes the key is to put learning at the center of everything you do, whether you’re an entry-level worker or a C-suite executive. Novak outlines three main areas for learning and offers ideas on how the most effective leaders turn their learnings into action, something that takes insight and practice. Novak wrote the book How Leaders Learn: Master the Habits of the World’s Most Successful People. Key episode topics include: leadership, leading teams, managing yourself, leadership development, strategic thinking, organizational learning • Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Yum! Brands’ Former CEO on Why You Should Never Stop Learning • Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast • Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

What It Takes to Execute a Successful Company Turnaround

If a company starts to veer off track, whether amid technological change, marketplace conditions, or otherwise, it is daunting to get back on a path to growth. But big turnarounds are possible, provided you have the right team and mindset. When he was president and CEO of Marvel, Peter Cuneo oversaw the resurgence and sale of the media company, but even before that he had a long track record for turning around many types of consumer-facing businesses at brands from Clairol to Black & Decker. He shares the strategies that work best for shaking up organizations and teams and boosting their performance. Key episode topics include: leadership, transformation, leading teams, strategy, change management, organizational restructuring Listen to the original HBRIdeaCast episode: Lessons From a Turnaround Expert Find more episodes of HBRIdeaCast Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at hbr.org

Looking Back on Nike’s Evolution from Startup to Global Enterprise

Every company has an origin story, which goes on to inform its culture. Phil Knight, co-founder, former CEO, and Chairman Emeritus of Nike, recounts starting the sports apparel and equipment giant after taking an entrepreneurship class at Stanford and teaming up with his former track coach, Bill Bowerman. Together, they changed how running shoes are designed and made. In this conversation from 2017, Knight reflects on the company’s enduring culture of innovation, as well as the company’s succession process for the CEO role. Key episode topics include: leadership and managing people, entrepreneurs and founders, innovation, organizational culture, corporate strategy, succession planning ● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Nike’s Co-founder on Innovation, Culture, and Succession ● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast