Podcast
HBR On Leadership
Hosted by Harvard Business Review · EN
Leadership isn’t just a personality trait, it’s a set of skills that you can build. Whether you’re managing up or motivating a team, HBR On Leadership is your destination for insights and inspiration from the world’s top leadership practitioners and experts. Every Wednesday, the editors at the Harvard Business Review hand-picked case studies and conversations with global business leaders, management experts, academics, from across HBR to help you unlock the best in those around you.
102episodes
Episodes
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The Types of Questions Every Leader Should Ask
Sep 1700:22:14Summary readyLeslie K. John and Alison Wood Brooks, professors at Harvard Business School, say people in business can be more successful by asking more and better questions. They talk through what makes for a great question, whether you’re looking to get information or get someone to like you. They’re the coauthors of the article, “The Surprising Power of Questions,” in the May–June 2018 issue of Harvard Business Review. Key episode topics include: business communication, persuasion, behavioral science, decision making and problem solving • Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Ask Better Questions ● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast ● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org
SummaryWhat It Takes to Join Your First Board
Sep 1000:47:35Summary readyBeing on a board is a chance to grow—your mind, your skills, your network, your impact. It’s also another time commitment to fit in, and, for some women, another environment where they have to fight to be heard. So, is the payoff worth the effort? Yes, according to the eight women who volunteered to speak about their experience serving on boards of companies, nonprofits, and schools. They share how they landed a seat, gained confidence in the role, and found unexpected personal and professional benefits in the work. We hope that their perspectives and advice will inspire you to consider trying it yourself some day. Ellen Zane, who runs a Harvard workshop for women interested in board work, provides further insight based on her years of experience as a director for nonprofits and private and public companies. Key episode topics include: Listen to the original Women at Work episode: Ever Consider Joining a Board? Find more episodes of Women at Work Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at org
SummaryChange How Your Colleagues See You
Sep 300:32:06Summary readyDo you need a career makeover? In this episode of HBR’s advice podcast, Dear HBR:, cohosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer your questions with the help of Dorie Clark, the author of Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future. They talk through how to change your coworkers’ perception of you, transition to a role outside your area of expertise, or be seen as a leader. Key episode topics include: career planning, managing yourself, professional networks Listen to the original Dear HBR: episode: Personal Rebranding Find more episodes of Dear HBR: Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at hbr.org
SummaryThe Risks of Putting People on Too Many Project Teams
Aug 2700:25:05Summary readyMark Mortensen, a professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD, discusses the research on “multiteaming”—when employees work not only across multiple projects, but multiple teams. It has significant benefits at the individual, team, and organizational levels. Among them: multiteaming saves money. The cost—stretched employees—is hard to see. And that is where the tension, and the risk, lies. Mortensen is the co-author, with Heidi K. Gardner, of “The Overcommitted Organization” in the September–October 2017 issue of Harvard Business Review. Key episode topics include: collaboration and teams, leading teams, business management, organizational restructuring Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: How to Fix “Team Creep” Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at hbr.org
SummaryMake a Mid-Career Industry Change with Confidence
Aug 2000:55:08Summary readyChanging jobs is hard. Changing sectors is daunting. You’ve built a network, a reputation, skills, expertise, a firm grasp of how that industry operates. Maybe you even got a related degree or two! And to just leave all that behind…except that, you really are stuck or unfulfilled or simply underpaid. When it comes to shifting your career, the stakes are high, but so is your potential to succeed. Executive coach Nina Bowman regularly guides people through the process, with all of its uncertainty, time commitment, strategizing, and storytelling. Amy Bernstein speaks with her about making a bold mid-career leap, including how to identify a new path, build connections to land interviews, and tell the story of how you’ll find success in a completely different role. Then, two listeners who made bold leaps themselves—one from academia to tech, the other from government to consulting—share their experiences and insights. Key episode topics include: career transitions, career planning, professional networks Listen to the original Women at Work episode: https://hbr.org/podcast/2024/12/how-to-leap-mid-career-from-one-industry-to-another Find more episodes of Women at Work Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at org
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How to Make Fractional Leadership Work
Aug 12, 202500:30:25Summary readyIf you need senior talent but can’t afford full-time hires, consider fractional leadership, where part-time executives work with multiple organizations. Common in startups, the practice is spreading to other sectors, yet many leaders don’t know how to make it work. Researcher Tomoko Yokoi and executive Amy Bonsall explain when and how fractional leadership benefits both organizations and leaders. They coauthored the HBR article “How Part-Time Senior Leaders Can Help Your Business.”
SummaryStep Up from Middle Management to Senior Leadership
Aug 5, 202500:52:05Summary readyIs mid-level management a stone you’re ready to step off of? Making that move is difficult but doable, and Amy B and her three guests will direct, inspire, and reassure you. An executive coach validates the challenges of scoring a position that’s scarce. Then, two COOs whose careers stagnated in mid-level management before accelerating again, recount the conversations, decisions, and networking that jump-started them.
Summary3 Types of Executive Team Dysfunction
Jul 30, 202500:23:16Summary readyCEOs get a ton of credit or blame for a company’s performance. But the entire leadership team is vital to success, and any dysfunction is often overlooked. Sometimes the CEOs leading them don’t even see that they’re not working. Thomas Keil, management professor at the University of Zurich, and Marianna Zangrillo, a partner at The Next Advisors, have interviewed more than 100 CEOs and senior executives. Their research identifies three main types of failing leadership teams: shark tanks, petting zoos, and mediocracies. And they identify the pitfalls of each pattern and how to turn those teams around. Keil and Zangrillo wrote the HBR article “Why Leadership Teams Fail.”
SummaryHow Leaders Undermine Their Own Authority
Jul 23, 202500:36:07Summary readyDoes your organization lack quality leadership? In this episode of HBR’s advice podcast, Dear HBR:, cohosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer your questions with the help of Peter Bregman, the CEO of Bregman Partners and author of the book Leading with Emotional Courage. They talk through what to do when your leaders are indecisive, unprofessional, or value the wrong things. Key episode topics include: leadership, decision making and problem solving, organizational culture, emotional intelligence Listen to the original Dear HBR: episode: Ineffective Leaders Find more episodes of Dear HBR:. Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at hbr.org.
SummaryIs the C-Suite Right for You?
Jul 16, 202500:50:00Summary readyLots of people’s career timelines go something like this: graduate, get a job, get promoted, and keep climbing until you reach the top. Somewhere along the way, they go on autopilot—accepting each new role as it comes, without much thought. And before they know it, they’re positioned for the C-suite. This is exactly what happened to Sarah, a woman who’s on the cusp of a C-level role. But like many leaders, she’s reached a point where the logical next step no longer aligns with what really motivates her. If you can relate, you’ll get a lot from this conversation on Coaching Real Leaders—where executive coach Muriel Wilkins helps Sarah figure out if the next step is truly right for her, or if it’s just the one she feels like she’s supposed to take. Key episode topics include: career transitions, career coaching, leadership, CEOs, executives, promotions Listen to the original Coaching Real Leaders episode: Do I Really Want to Be a C-Suite Leader? Find more episodes of Coaching Real Leaders Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org
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