In 1863, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln wrote a scathing letter to his top Union general, who had squandered an opportunity to end the American Civil War. Then Lincoln folded it up and tucked it away in his desk. The letter was never signed and sent—just one example of how Lincoln’s legendary emotional discipline enabled him to rise above mundane arguments and focus on a larger mission. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor and historian Nancy Koehn analyzes Lincoln’s leadership bot...
Aug 14, 2024•29 min
Growing up in the heart of the Confederacy, Maggie Lena Walker started work as a laundress at age nine. At the urging of her mother and mentors, she turned to education, and used it to propel her life forward — graduating high school at 16, working as a teacher, and learning accounting. Those experiences, coupled with her strong work ethic, culminated in Walker rising to lead the Independent Order of St. Luke and found several other businesses, all of which created jobs and opportunities for man...
Aug 07, 2024•30 min
Most of us can point to a few key people who have made a real difference in our lives and careers— the coach who pushed you to outperform, the teacher whose passion for a subject inspired your own, or the boss who showed you what it is to be a leader at work. In this episode, NBA star Chris Paul shares how his own mentors guided him through the early years of his professional basketball career and helped him develop his leadership skills on and off the court. Paul is regarded as one of the best ...
Jul 31, 2024•32 min
Do you have a difficult employee on your team— someone who might be underperforming or resistant to taking feedback? Do you know how to help them? Melvin Smith says that coaching can be harder than you realize. First you must figure out which approach will work well for that specific employee. But you also need to know how to measure the success of your coaching and when it’s time to move on to other options—like performance management. In this episode, he takes questions from listeners who are ...
Jul 24, 2024•37 min
Making business decisions often means choosing one path over another—but that doesn’t always need to be the case. Wendy Smith and Marianne Lewis argue that leaders should move beyond “either/or” choices and try to come up with solutions that embrace ambiguity and paradox. In this episode, you’ll learn how to reframe the question you’re asking in order to get more creative answers. You’ll also learn how to shift your own internal thinking away from oppositional relationships and instead focus on ...
Jul 17, 2024•28 min
You’re probably familiar with the term “psychological safety.” But do you know what it really means? HBR contributing editor and workplace conflict expert Amy Gallo says both the idea and the value of psychological safety are commonly misunderstood. Gallo cohosts HBR’s Women at Work podcast, and her most recent book is Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) . In this episode, you’ll learn how to define psychological safety, how to figure out if your team has it, and what ...
Jul 10, 2024•10 min
Many of us manage projects—even if “project manager” isn’t in our official job title. We try to learn the basics as we go: how to manage multiple stakeholders, adapt as circumstances change, and set realistic deadlines. It’s not easy, and it’s no wonder that people get certified in project management: it’s a discipline that’s surprisingly deep, from planning to close-out. In this episode, you’ll hear from a former clinical social worker who recently pivoted to project management and has already ...
Jul 03, 2024•36 min
Mountains are often used as metaphors for the challenges that arise in business and leadership. But when Rick Ridgeway compares mountaineering to risk management, he’s speaking from deep experience navigating both the boardroom and some of the world’s highest slopes. Ridgeway is an outdoor adventurer, writer, and advocate for sustainability and conservation initiatives. He’s also the former vice president of environmental initiatives at Patagonia. In this episode, Ridgeway explains why good comm...
Jun 26, 2024•16 min
You’ve likely heard the phrase, “Move fast and break things.” But Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei says speed and experimentation are not enough on their own. Instead, she argues that you should move fast and fix things. (That’s also the topic and title of the book she coauthored with Anne Morriss .) In this episode, Frei explains how you can solve any problem in five clear steps. First, she says, start by identifying the real problem holding you back. Then move on to building trus...
Jun 19, 2024•33 min
GitLab, which builds and manages an open-source software development application, started off with employees fully dispersed and has stayed that way. Now with more than 1,300 people spread across more than 60 countries, it’s said to be the world’s largest all-remote company. In this episode, the company’s CEO Sid Sijbrandij shares the lessons he’s learned about how to manage a distributed workforce. He explains how to recruit talent who are well-suited for remote work and how to onboard them eff...
Jun 12, 2024•30 min
In 2014, Deloitte launched Pixel to facilitate open talent and crowdsourcing for client engagements that need specific expertise — like machine learning or digital production. But uptake across the organization was slow, and some internal stakeholders resisted outsourcing consulting work to freelance talent. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Mike Tushman discusses his case, “Deloitte's Pixel (A): Consulting with Open Talent,” which breaks down the challenges the firm’s leadershi...
Jun 05, 2024•24 min
Do people see your leadership potential? Suzanne Peterson says many talented professionals miss out on leadership roles for relatively intangible reasons. But she argues that aspiring leaders can learn to alter their everyday interactions in small ways to have a big influence on their professional reputation. Peterson is an associate professor of leadership at Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, and the coauthor of the HBR article “ How to Develop Your Leadership...
May 29, 2024•24 min
Managing difficult personalities, stalled productivity, and conflict are inevitable parts of leading a team. But how do you know if your leadership is part of the problem? Melanie Parish says that many leaders see problems on their team as external without considering the impact of their own behavior on team dynamics. As she says, “ There are so many different challenges. They circle. You have one challenge one week, and another challenge another week. That’s the work of leadership.” Parish is a...
May 22, 2024•31 min
Do you know how to influence people who don’t report to you? That might include your boss, clients, or even your peers. Nashater Deu Solheim argues that there are proven techniques to help you understand your colleagues’ thinking and win their respect—even in virtual work settings. Solheim is a forensic psychologist and a leadership coach who studies how people gain influence within organizations. In this episode, she explains that the key to influencing others is understanding them, and she off...
May 15, 2024•27 min
If you’ve invested in someone you manage, it’s natural to feel hurt when that person tells you they’re leaving—especially if they’re a strong contributor. The classic management advice is: Don’t take it personally. Be professional. But it’s important to acknowledge your feelings and work through them—for yourself and with your team. In this episode, three HBR leaders join managers drawn from the Women at Work audience to share their experiences losing team members. They discuss how to manage you...
May 08, 2024•29 min
Some leaders are too comfortable talking about themselves — and others — at work. Their teams may struggle to trust them because they have no boundaries . Other leaders are reluctant to share anything at all, and risk coming across as remote and inaccessible. But Lisa Rosh says that when you get self-disclosure just right, it can build greater trust on your team. Rosh is an assistant professor of management at the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University. In this episode, you’ll learn ho...
May 01, 2024•15 min
When you’re in the middle of a conflict, it’s common to automatically enter fight-or-flight mode. But HBR contributing editor and workplace conflict expert Amy Gallo says it’s possible to interrupt this response, stay calm, and find a path towards a more productive discussion. In this episode, you’ll learn some simple techniques that will help you manage your emotions when conflict arises at work. First try to distance yourself from the negative emotion you’re feeling by labeling it. Then focus ...
Apr 24, 2024•9 min
In early 1915, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship became trapped in ice, north of Antarctica. For almost two years, he and his crew braved those frozen expanses. Then, in December 1916, Shackleton led them all to safety. Not a single life was lost, and Shackleton’s leadership has become one of the most famous case studies of all time. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor and historian Nancy Koehn analyzes Shackleton’s leadership during those two fateful years that he and his m...
Apr 17, 2024•32 min
Imagine you’re a new manager, and one of your team members consistently underperforms. But there’s a catch: your struggling employee is a personal friend of your CEO. When performance review time rolls around, should you be honest and give them a low rating? There are no simple answers for the tough decisions that managers face. Harvard Business School professor Joe Badaracco says that hard and fast rules only go so far in these sorts of situations. Instead, managers must use their best judgemen...
Apr 10, 2024•16 min
Problem solving skills are invaluable in any job. But all too often, we jump to find solutions to a problem without taking time to really understand the dilemma we face, according to Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg , an expert in innovation and the author of the book, What's Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve . In this episode, you’ll learn how to reframe tough problems by asking questions that reveal all the factors and assumptions that contribute to the sit...
Apr 03, 2024•23 min
Notes (iTunes) Would you promote an employee who’s a top performer, but mistreats their colleagues and disregards company values? It’s a dilemma that many managers face in their careers. In this episode, the former dean of Harvard Business School Nitin Nohria discusses the classic case study, “Rob Parson at Morgan Stanley.” He breaks down the issues at the heart of the case—including the questions it raises about managers’ accountability for their employees’ behavior. You’ll learn how to imagine...
Mar 27, 2024•26 min
What should you do when you become the boss? Many of us are promoted into people manager roles without any preparation for the complexities involved in that work. But Harvard Business School professor Alison Wood Brooks says there are some basics that will help you get started as a first-time boss. Brooks is an expert in organizational behavior and the psychology of communication. She takes questions from listeners who are struggling as first-time bosses, and talks through what to do when your d...
Mar 20, 2024•37 min
If you’re a leader, you need to know how to influence people. Maybe you’re trying to get clients to buy into your idea, trust your expertise, or sign on with your company. Or perhaps you want to convince colleagues to start a new initiative or kill one you think is doomed to fail. In this episode, Vanessa Bohns , a professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University, and Raven Hoffman , who works in a construction role that involves recruiting new clients to her firm, break down how to bu...
Mar 13, 2024•34 min
Some leaders spend their careers honing their relationships with employees. But Harvard Business School professor Boris Groysberg and corporate communications expert Michael Slind argue that leaders are at their best when they simply talk with their teams. In this episode, you’ll learn how to be more intentional about your conversations with employees—to ensure that you’re cultivating appropriate intimacy, inviting meaningful interaction, and including everyone. You’ll also learn how to make you...
Mar 06, 2024•17 min
Etsy, the online seller of handmade and vintage goods, was founded as an alternative to mass-manufactured products. The company grew substantially in its first decade but remained unprofitable. When Etsy went public, stakeholders demanded a new level of financial returns and accountability. But the company continued to struggle to contain costs—until a new CEO arrived with a plan for a purpose-driven turnaround. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Ranjay Gulati discusses his case,...
Feb 28, 2024•29 min
The key to success as a leader is to strike a careful balance between ambition and humility. But how do you stay humble while also proving your worth? And how do you advance without showing too much ambition? In this episode, Amer Kaissi offers advice on how to find a better balance between our desire to achieve and the qualities that earn more respect from colleagues. As he says, “h umility keeps our feet on the ground by allowing us to have an accurate assessment of our own abilities, by under...
Feb 21, 2024•27 min
If you’re leading innovation, you need very specific leadership skills. Harvard Business School professor Linda Hill has studied leadership and innovation for decades and is the coauthor of Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation . She says that leaders who shepherd innovation can’t rely on formal authority. Instead, they need to understand how to get people to co-create with them, which requires mastering three key roles — architect, bridger, and catalyst —or the ABCs of i...
Feb 14, 2024•9 min
John Kerry has spent more than 40 years in public service, including several decades in the U.S. Senate, leading the U.S. Department of State from 2013 to 2017, and more recently serving as U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. In this episode, he shares the leadership lessons he learned over many years of leadership in the public sector—from influencing people to recovering from defeats, handling leadership transitions, and staying focused on important long-term goals. Key episode topics...
Feb 07, 2024•26 min
Julie Zhuo was Facebook’s first intern, and she became a manager there in her mid-twenties. Those early years as a manager at the company—now named Meta—were tough. She says she often felt like she was in over her head and she made a lot of mistakes. But Zhuo did eventually learn how to manage team dynamics. When she left Facebook in 2020, she was leading a team of hundreds, as vice president of product design. Now the co-founder of Sundial, she takes questions from listeners who are struggling ...
Jan 31, 2024•33 min
As the host of two successful business podcasts, Guy Raz has interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs and leaders. His podcasts How I Built This and Wisdom From The Top offer an inside look at how visionary leaders build their careers and their companies. Raz has identified three key behaviors successful leaders have in common: They create a culture of collaboration. They encourage risk-taking. And they allow for failure. In this episode, he discusses how to incentivize internal collaboration and w...
Jan 24, 2024•29 min
