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Hiring Without Firing
Leadership Magazine ArticleHitting the hiring bull’s-eye is one of an executive’s most important—and most difficult—responsibilities. Ten common mistakes can get in the way, but a pointed and systematic approach can virtually guarantee success. -
Executive Incentives vs. Corporate Growth
Boards Magazine ArticleBonuses and other forms of incentive compensation are an effective motivator of executives to achieve ever higher earnings per share. The drive to produce short-term results, however, often influences management to forgo investment in capital equipment and R&D that would benefit the corporation several years hence even more than improved earnings next year would. The […] -
Corporate Governance 2.0
Corporate governance Magazine ArticleWe need to return to first principles rather than meander toward “best practices.” -
So You Want to Join a Board
Organizational Development Digital ArticleHow to get inside the club. -
Establish Credibility in a New Job
Michael Watkins, author of "The First 90 Days," explains how to secure early wins during a transition. -
The Trouble with CFOs
Leadership Magazine ArticleIf the CEO sits in the hot seat, the CFO’s chair is positively smoking. According to analysis conducted by the CFO Executive Board, annual CFO turnover at the largest 162 global companies between 1995 and 2003 was 17%—even higher than for CEOs—and three out of four current Fortune 500 finance officers have been in their […] -
Build a Family Business That Lasts
Leadership & Managing People Magazine ArticleJudging from how they're portrayed in the media, it would be easy to dismiss family businesses as hotbeds of power-playing, backstabbing, and favor-currying,... -
Board Members: Rocket Fuel or Rocks?
Boards Digital ArticleA good board can be rocket fuel or it can be rocks in an organization’s pockets. Much of success and failure in the boardroom comes down to the way the individuals around the table — be it on a public company board, a small private board, or a non-profit board — do their jobs. So […] -
The Key to a Better Board: Team Dynamics
Boards Digital ArticleLessons from new research. -
Giving Up the CEO Seat
Leadership & Managing People Magazine ArticleThe CEO and cofounder of Seventh Generation, a maker of environmentally responsible household and personal care products, describes how he came to realize... -
Should CEOs Be Allowed to Be Chairmen?
Boards Digital ArticleWhen the US pay czar, Kenneth Feinberg, approved the compensation of the top executives at seven troubled financial institutions, he insisted that they all appoint an independent director as the board chair rather than the CEO. Several major investors — the Government Pension Fund of Norway, which manages $400 billion in assets, among them — […] -
News Corp and Questions Boards Need to Ask
Boards Digital ArticleMuch has been written and said regarding News Corp and its activities in the UK, and serious questions have been raised about the leadership and culture of this company. Some of these questions have been directed at the company’s board of directors: did it properly fulfill its independent fiduciary responsibilities in overseeing this global organization? […] -
Assess Your CEO’s Strategic Fit Over Time
Leadership Digital ArticleCompanies change, and so should the way tenure is managed. -
5 Questions About China That Boards Should Be Asking Right Now
Global Business Digital ArticleA closer look at the risks. -
Making Sustainability Count
Organizational Development SpotlightInvestors these days are paying close attention to companies' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. But business leaders are discovering... -
Beware the Transition from an Iconic CEO
Organizational Development Digital ArticleDisney, Starbucks, GE, and others have stumbled painfully when it comes to CEO succession. -
Changing Leaders: The Board’s Role in CEO Succession: A Roundtable with Philip Caldwell, George D. Kennedy, G. G. Michelson, Henry Wendt, and Alfred M. Zeien
Corporate governance Magazine ArticleA Roundtable with Philip Caldwell, George D. Kennedy, G. G. Michelson, Henry Wendt, and Alfred M. Zeien The selection of a CEO is one of the most important decisions a board of directors makes. Not only does a chief executive have an enormous impact on the fortunes of a company, but the very process by […] -
The Successor’s Dilemma
Collaboration and teams Magazine ArticleLeadership transitions go awry with alarming frequency, often the result of an emotionally charged power struggle between the CEO and his would-be heir. Four practices, however, can help successors defuse the crisis—and make it to the top. -
Transferring Power in The Family Business
Change management Magazine ArticleOne of the most agonizing experiences that any business faces is the moving from one generation of top management to the next. The problem is often most acute in family businesses, where the original entrepreneur hangs on as he watches others try to help manage or take over his business, while at the same time, […] -
After the Handshake
Leadership & Managing People Magazine ArticleA startling percentage of new CEOs fail within their first 18 months, according to many estimates--whether they come from outside or are promoted from...
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One Acre Fund: Outgrowing the Board
Organizational Development Case Study11.95View Details One Acre Fund, a young, international, nonprofit social enterprise--governed by friends of the founder--had grown rapidly since its inception. It now... -
The Board of Directors at Market Basket
Organizational Development Case Study11.95View Details The firing of Market Basket CEO Arthur T. Demoulas by his cousin, Arthur S. Demoulas, and directors affiliated with Arthur set off employee protests throughout... -
Barrick Gold: Peter Munk's Leadership and Legacy
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details Under the guidance and vision of founder Peter Munk, Barrick Gold Corporation had risen to become an industry leader and the world's largest gold producer.... -
Independent Governance of Meta's Social Spaces: The Oversight Board
Management Case Study11.95View Details Julie Owono is a member of the Oversight Board, an outside entity with the authority to make binding decisions on tricky moderation questions for Meta's... -
Mark Pitts
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Case Study11.95View Details Describes Peoplestreet, an Internet business being developed at Cambridge Incubator. Peoplestreet is attempting to hire a VP of business development and... -
General Dynamics: Compensation and Strategy (A)
Organizational Development Case Study11.95View Details William Anders became CEO of defense giant General Dynamics in 1991 as the Cold War was ending and as the industry became saddled with excess capacity.... -
RiskMetrics Group
Organizational Development Case Study11.95View Details RiskMetrics Group, a risk and governance consultancy, had a great deal of influence on U.S. companies. This case examines the history and growth of the... -
House of Tata
Leadership & Managing People Case Study11.95View Details The case traces the evolution of the Tata group, one of the largest and highly respected Indian business houses, from its 19th century founding and early... -
Ockham Technologies (A): Building the Team
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Case Study11.95View Details Describes the issues facing a founder-ceo regarding building a board, assembling an executive team, managing tension between co-founders, and outsourcing... -
Enfoca: Private Equity in Peru
Finance & Accounting Case Study11.95View Details This case follows Enfoca, Peru's largest local private equity firm and its portfolio company Maestro, a leading player in Peru's hardware retail market.... -
Back to the Drawing Board: Designing Corporate Boards for a Complex World
Strategy & Execution Book40.00View Details Business scandals from Enron to WorldCom have escalated concerns about corporate governance into a full-blown crisis. Institutional investors and legislators... -
Sidhi Tribal Women's Cooperative: Leadership Succession
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details Sidhi was a cooperative society aimed at rehabilitating destitute tribal women living in one of the poorest states in India. Most of these women were... -
Donatella Cinelli Colombini: "A Volcano of Ideas"
Organizational Development Case Study11.95View Details This field-based case offers the experiences of a historic winery in Tuscany, Italy, to set the stage for how the leader's philosophy affects all aspects... -
A Leader's Guide to Cybersecurity: Why Boards Need to Lead--and How to Do It
35.00View Details Cybersecurity threats are on the rise. As a leader, you need to be prepared to keep your organization safe. Companies are investing an unprecedented amount... -
Aravind Eye Care System: Retaining the Legacy
Leadership & Managing People Case Study11.95View Details The case deals with issues on the management of values in a family organization when it is growing and undergoing a generational transition. The organization... -
Nedbank: Transformational Leadership in Sustainable Turnaround
Leadership & Managing People Case Study11.95View Details In 2013, the chief executive officer of South Africa's fourth largest bank, the Nedbank Group Limited, is considering the past and future of his organization.... -
Saturday Evening Post
Leadership & Managing People Case Study11.95View Details Permits analysis of the need for adapting strategy to environmental change and for choosing among strategic alternatives in the light of new environmental... -
Governance and Sustainability at Nike (B)
Strategy & Execution Case Study5.00View Details Two members of Nike's executive team must decide what sustainability targets to propose to Nike's CEO and to the corporate responsibility committee of... -
United Way of Southeastern New England (UWSENE)
Finance & Accounting Case Study11.95View Details A regional United Way organization, a nonprofit already active in total quality management, implements a Balanced Scorecard to link its strategic planning... -
Executive Decision Making at General Motors
Leadership & Managing People Case Study11.95View Details Describes the evolution of General Motors' strategy, organizational structure, and management processes from its founding to the present day. Focuses...
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Hiring Without Firing
Leadership Magazine ArticleHitting the hiring bull’s-eye is one of an executive’s most important—and most difficult—responsibilities. Ten common mistakes can get in the way, but a pointed and systematic approach can virtually guarantee success. -
Executive Incentives vs. Corporate Growth
Boards Magazine ArticleBonuses and other forms of incentive compensation are an effective motivator of executives to achieve ever higher earnings per share. The drive to produce short-term results, however, often influences management to forgo investment in capital equipment and R&D that would benefit the corporation several years hence even more than improved earnings next year would. The […] -
One Acre Fund: Outgrowing the Board
Organizational Development Case Study11.95View Details One Acre Fund, a young, international, nonprofit social enterprise--governed by friends of the founder--had grown rapidly since its inception. It now... -
Corporate Governance 2.0
Corporate governance Magazine ArticleWe need to return to first principles rather than meander toward “best practices.” -
Harvard Business Review, May 2013
Leadership & Managing People Magazine Issue16.95View Details Harvard Business Review publishes new and authoritative ideas for improving the practice of management. Written by leading business thinkers and executives,... -
So You Want to Join a Board
Organizational Development Digital ArticleHow to get inside the club. -
Establish Credibility in a New Job
Michael Watkins, author of "The First 90 Days," explains how to secure early wins during a transition. -
The Trouble with CFOs
Leadership Magazine ArticleIf the CEO sits in the hot seat, the CFO’s chair is positively smoking. According to analysis conducted by the CFO Executive Board, annual CFO turnover at the largest 162 global companies between 1995 and 2003 was 17%—even higher than for CEOs—and three out of four current Fortune 500 finance officers have been in their […] -
The Board of Directors at Market Basket
Organizational Development Case Study11.95View Details The firing of Market Basket CEO Arthur T. Demoulas by his cousin, Arthur S. Demoulas, and directors affiliated with Arthur set off employee protests throughout... -
Build a Family Business That Lasts
Leadership & Managing People Magazine ArticleJudging from how they're portrayed in the media, it would be easy to dismiss family businesses as hotbeds of power-playing, backstabbing, and favor-currying,...