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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How to Succeed in Your Career When Change Is a Constant
Jul 9, 202500:29:28Summary readyDisruption and transformation are the new normal in nearly every industry. So how do you stay ahead of the curve? Over the past four decades, Bonnie Hammer successfully adapted to massive changes in the media industry, rising from production assistant to leadership roles in broadcast, cable, and streaming. As the former vice chair of NBCUniversal, she has advice on how to get noticed, acquire the right skillsets, make smart decisions, and adjust to shifting corporate and market dynamics. She’s the author of the book 15 Lies Women Are Told at Work: …and the Truth We Need to Succeed.Key episode topics include: career transitions, leadership, managing uncertainty, decision making, innovation, entertainment industry Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: How to Navigate Change at Any Career StageFind more episodes of HBR IdeaCastDiscover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org
SummaryThe Right Way to Step Down as CEO
Jul 2, 202500:28:43Summary readyWhen news breaks of a CEO succession, much of the attention is given to the new leader and how they will change the company. But new research shows that the leave-taking process of the outgoing chief executive is often mishandled, with negative impacts on succession and the organization. Rebecca Slan Jerusalim, an executive director at Russell Reynolds Associates, and Navio Kwok, a leadership advisor at RRA, say that boards are often surprised when a CEO gives notice, and they often make that person feel excluded during the handoff process. The researchers share stories from the front lines about CEO psychology, best practices for outgoing leaders and their boards, and broader lessons for effective transitions. Jerusalim and Kwok wrote the HBR article “The Vital Role of the Outgoing CEO.” Key episode topics include: leadership transitions, succession planning, leadership, managing uncertainty, corporate communications, boards Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Why We Should Pay More Attention to Departing CEOsFind more episodes of HBR IdeaCastDiscover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org
SummaryWhy Profits Follow Purpose
Jun 25, 202500:30:09Summary readyThis month, we're highlighting some of the best conversations from the 2025 HBR Leadership Summit held in April. In today’s episode, Anish Shah, CEO of Mahindra Group, one of India's largest and most prominent conglomerates, discusses the importance of purpose in driving profit. Shah provides examples of Mahindra's positive impact on communities. And he shares his thoughts on navigating the current political and business environment and maintaining Mahindra's mission-driven culture. He also explains how Mahindra is making a positive impact on communities, from educating children to empowering women to driving productivity in farming.
SummaryHow Nonprofits Can Navigate Uncertainty
Jun 18, 202500:32:05Summary readyThis month, we're highlighting some of the best conversations from the 2025 HBR Leadership Summit held in April. In this episode, Janti Soeripto, CEO of Save the Children US, shares how the organization navigates overlapping global crises—from pandemics to war—while staying focused on its core mission: ensuring children survive and thrive. With 24,000 staff members working across 115 countries, Save the Children provides health, education, protection, emergency response, and advocacy services. Soeripto offers hard-won lessons on leading with clarity, measuring impact in volatile environments, and remaining agile while never losing sight of mission—and why optimism and data must coexist.
SummaryCustomer-Obsessed Innovation
Jun 11, 202500:34:49Summary readyThis month, we're highlighting some of the best conversations from the 2025 HBR Leadership Summit held in April. In this episode, David Risher, CEO of Lyft, shares how he’s driving a turnaround at the rideshare company by anchoring everything in customer obsession. Since Risher took the wheel in 2023, Lyft reached record bookings and a 31% increase in annual revenue and its first full year of profitability. Risher shares how his own experience behind the wheel as a Lyft driver informs product innovation. And why listening deeply—whether to a single passenger or a room of drivers—can lead to breakthrough ideas. He also opens up about navigating layoffs, launching inclusive features, and preparing for an autonomous future while keeping human dignity front and center.
SummaryBuilding an AI-Powered, Talent-Friendly Organization
Jun 4, 202500:28:59Summary readyOver the next four weeks, we're highlighting some of the best conversations from the 2025 HBR Leadership Summit held in April. In this episode, Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, shares her leadership approach to scaling one of the world’s largest online travel companies. From pioneering the use of AI in customer experience and internal operations to reimagining hybrid work and gender diversity, she shares how she's steering a global company through rapid change and geopolitical uncertainty. She discusses her emphasis on hiring for integrity, competence, and curiosity, and outlines how AI is embedded throughout the business—from resume screening and customer personalization to employee training and product development.
SummaryDon’t Just Coach Your Employees—Teach Them
May 28, 202500:19:37Summary readySydney Finkelstein, a professor of management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, encourages leaders to approach their direct reports like teachers. As Finkelstein explains, being a teacher-leader means continually meeting face to face with employees to communicate lessons about professionalism, points of craft, and life. He says it’s easy to try and that teaching is one of the best ways to motivate people and improve their performance. Finkelstein is the author of “The Best Leaders Are Great Teachers” in the January–February 2018 issue of Harvard Business Review.
SummaryHow to Resolve Team Conflict
May 21, 202500:41:25Summary readyPeople management consists of a fair amount of mediation and diplomacy, and you can’t expect to get the hang of it right away. You’re in the middle of a lot now. Initiating difficult conversations, and then getting all the way through them, takes planning and practice (and sometimes even a breather). Holding tension takes restraint. Amy Bernstein and Kelsey Alpaio interview Amy Gallo about the types of conflict that new managers should expect to handle, as well as options for responding. They talk through real experiences and common scenarios. Like that time Kelsey needed to tell a direct report they were falling short of her expectations (but didn’t end up saying anything). Or that time Amy G started reporting to a friend. They also give guidance for intervening or not when team members are arguing and for discreetly clueing your group in about the office politics going on. Key episode topics include: managing conflicts, interpersonal skills, interpersonal communication, difficult employees, hard conversations, leadership Listen to the original Women at Work episode: How to Manage: ConflictFind more episodes of Women at Work.Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org.
SummaryThe Best Leaders Ask the Right Questions
May 14, 202500:27:43Summary readyFew leaders have been trained to ask great questions. That might explain why they tend to be good at certain kinds of questions, and less effective at other kinds. Unfortunately, that hurts their ability to pursue strategic priorities. Arnaud Chevallier, strategy professor at IMD Business School, explains how leaders can break out of that rut and systematically ask five kinds of questions: investigative, speculative, productive, interpretive, and subjective. He shares real-life examples of how asking the right sort of question at a key time can unlock value and propel your organization. With his IMD colleagues Frédéric Dalsace and Jean-Louis Barsoux, Chevallier wrote the HBR article “The Art of Asking Smarter Questions.” Key episode topics include: decision-making, problem solving, active listening, leadership strategic planning Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Are You Asking the Right Questions?Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast.Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org.
SummaryHow to Fix Dysfunctional Team Dynamics
May 7, 202500:31:11Summary readyIs your teamwork not working? In this episode of HBR’s advice podcast, Dear HBR:, cohosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer your questions with the help of Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School and the author of The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. They talk through what to do when your team isn’t communicating, doesn’t respect its leader, or has one employee who’s causing problems. Key episode topics include: managing teams, managing difficult people, managing conflict, team dysfunction, organizational culture, communication styles, feedback, trust, employee performance management, leadership styles, leadership Listen to the original Dear HBR: episode: Dysfunctional TeamsFind more episodes of Dear HBR:.Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org.
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