HBR On Leadership

The Secret to Making Difficult Decisions

How to Delegate

The Secret to Giving Great Feedback

How to Communicate in a Crisis — and How Not To

What Makes an “Authentic” Leader?

How to Give — and Receive — Critical Feedback

What It Takes to Lead Across Generations

How One Founder Adapted His Role to Scale His Company

The Secret to Leading Highly Collaborative Teams

What Is “Charisma,” Anyway?

Megan Rapinoe on Team-First Leadership

The Best Leaders Are Also Technical Experts

LinkedIn Co-Founder Reid Hoffman on Innovating Amid Volatility

If uncertainty and turbulence are the new normal, how does that change the way we lead? LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman explains how ongoing volatility can be transformed into an opportunity for innovation. He also discusses why it’s important to align the social impact of your innovative activity with your business mission, and why your talent is the true differentiator that will make or break your team’s success.

Introverts Can Be Leaders Too

We all have preconceived notions about which personality types are associated with good leadership — like confidence or emotional intelligence. But what about shyness? If you’re more reserved but truly competent, can you become a leader? In this episode, an emerging leader speaks candidly about how her introversion affects her ability to lead. Then author and former clinical psychologist Alice Boyes explains why being shy and being a leader aren’t always in conflict.

When You’re Pushed Outside Your Comfort Zone

Is your job pushing you outside your comfort zone? Executive coach and former venture capitalist Jerry Colonna has coached leaders through that journey. He takes questions from Dear HBR listeners about what to do when you don’t feel qualified for your new responsibilities. He also offers advice for leading a team without formal power.

Succeeding as a First-Time Manager

Managing for the first time can be stressful. Sometimes it’s because of others, but often it’s because of the misconceptions many people bring into the job. Three new managers speak candidly about the surprises, the rewards, and the challenges of leading.

Taking Decisive Action in a Crisis

Cynthia Carroll was only a few months into leading the global mining firm Anglo American when she suspended operations in their South African platinum mine. She was concerned about worker fatalities there. But it was an unprecedented move, and it came at a huge cost for the company. Harvard Kennedy School of Government research fellow Gautam Mukunda explains how Carroll used that temporary shutdown to make changes to the company culture at Anglo American.

The Best Managers Are “Connectors”

Some managers are like teachers, sharing their skills and experience with their teams. Others are more like cheerleaders who encourage their direct reports to learn on their own. But the best managers are “connectors,” says Gartner’s Sari Wilde. Wilde is part of a team at Gartner Research that surveyed 5,000 managers around the world to understand how management style affects the success of a team.

F1 Legend Toto Wolff on Leading Through Big Wins — and Crushing Losses

Managing a team in good times is one skill set. But how do you motivate people when things aren't going well? Toto Wolff is the team principle and CEO of the Mercedes team, one of the most successful teams in the history of Formula One racing. But when the team’s eight-year winning streak unexpectedly ended, Wolff had to adjust his leadership style to get them back on track. He tells Harvard Business School professor Anita Elberse about the difference between directing and leading, and how to he...

Why Authentic Leadership Is So Hard

As leaders, we know we’re supposed to be authentic, but that is easier said than done. Babson College management professor Tina Opie explains how leaders can bring their best selves to work and help others do the same – by focusing on good communication and expressing emotion effectively.

How to Lead Across Cultures, Languages, and Geographies

In this era of global business and hybrid work, managers must find ways to unify teams that are geographically and culturally separated. Harvard Business School professor Tsedal Neeley breaks down how one real-life manager, who she profiled in a business case, approached the challenge of leading a hugely diverse, underperforming group back to success.

Hollywood’s Ron Howard on How Filmmakers Are the Ultimate Team Leaders

Legendary actor, producer, and director Ron Howard reveals how he vets top acting talent for his movies, why he tries not to work with the same production crews from one film to the next, and how he manages creative differences on set. He also shares what he learned about handling temperamental collaborators from coaching kids basketball.

Rachel Carson’s Quiet and Powerful Leadership

Rachel Carson is known as a gifted science writer and a trailblazing environmental activist. Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn tells IdeaCast guest host Adi Ignatius that she should also be remembered as a great leader. Carson’s story has lessons for any leader facing an overwhelming challenge that requires resilience and real-time skill-building. In addition, Carson’s ability to carry out her work despite overwhelming family commitments shows that caretaking is an act of leadership.

What It Takes to Become CEO

What does it take to get to the C-suite? Venture capitalist and former tech CEO Mike Troiano has direct experience with that journey. He takes questions from Dear HBR listeners about what to do if you’re falling off the executive track, if you’re moving up but don’t believe in the company’s strategy, or if you have a rival who could block your path to the C-suite.

What Jazz Can Teach Leaders about Innovation and Teamwork

Jazz pianist and management professor Frank Barrett tells IdeaCast guest host Jeff Kehoe that jazz can teach leaders why it’s important to forgive mistakes that happen as part of exploration and experimentation, as well as the importance of moving beyond problem-solving to embrace an improvisational mindset.

What Top Performing CEOs Really Do