HBR On Leadership 6b5i1x

Over 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.

Sydney 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.

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 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: Conflict Find more episodes of Women at Work. Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

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. ]]>

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, , trust, employee performance management, leadership styles, leadership Listen to the original Dear HBR: episode: Dysfunctional Teams Find more episodes of Dear HBR:. Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

s Frei, professor at Harvard Business School, says that trust, empathy—and even a bit of tough love—are all essential ingredients to strong leadership in today’s world. Successful managers focus on the effect they have on others, not themselves. They also define a strategy and create a culture that drives employee behavior in their absence. Frei is the coauthor, along with Anne Morriss, of the book Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You as well as the HBR article “Begin with Trust.” Key episode topics include: leadership styles, constructive criticism, , trust, empathy, managing people, employee performance management, underperforming employees, Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Great Leaders Use Tough Love to Improve Performance Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

Rebecca Shambaugh. Instead of showing how well you build consensus and work with others, it can look like indecision or failure to prioritize. She explains what to do if you over-collaborate, how to manage someone who does, and offers some advice for women—whose bosses are more likely to see them as overly consensus-driven. Shambaugh is the author of the books It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor and Make Room for Her. Key episode topics include: leadership styles, collaboration, decision making, problem solving HBR On Leadership curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Managing Someone Who’s Too Collaborative Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

Jennifer Jordan offers tactics for navigating these tensions. Key episode topics include: leadership styles, leadership qualities, management, managing people, VUCA, personal growth HBR On Leadership curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. Watch to the original Quick Study video: 7 Key Tensions Every Leader Must Balance Find more videos on HBR’s YouTube channel: @HarvardBusinessReview Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

Dear HBR:, cohosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer your questions with the help of Adrian Gostick, an executive coach and the coauthor of Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results. They talk through what to do when your direct report is creating problems only to fix them, one team member is hoarding knowledge, or two employees have created a disruptive office clique. Key episode topics include: difficult employees, conflict management, conflict resolution, managing people, management, leadership HBR On Leadership curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. Listen to the original Dear HBR: episode: Subversive Employees Find more episodes of Dear HBR: Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

Joseph Fuller and senior researcher Manjari Raman of Harvard Business School say that the real reason has been long in the making. Their studies show that companies view low-wage workers as people who will be in the job only for a short time. Instead, the researchers find that these employees are loyal and want development and a clear path to career advancement. The researchers share practical suggestions for how leaders and managers can do better in hiring, development, and mentoring. Fuller and Raman wrote the HBR article “The High Cost of Neglecting Low-Wage Workers.” Key episode topics include: career development, talent management, hiring, recruitment, promotions, leadership HBR On Leadership curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Stop Neglecting Low-Wage Workers Find more episodes of HBR Idea Cast Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

Lynn Perry Wooten has studied crisis leadership and managing uncertainty. Her most recent book, The Prepared Leader, breaks down successful strategies for navigating crises—whether it’s a pandemic or a viral customer complaint. She taught leaders how to deal with these predicaments during a master class at HBR’s Future of Business Conference in 2023. Key episode topics include: crisis management, managing uncertainty, leadership qualities, leadership HBR On Leadership curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. Learn more about HBR’s “Future of Business” virtual conference (November 2023) Find more Harvard Business Review live events Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

Women at Work, as part of the “How to Manage” series, McKinsey senior partner Lareina Yee discusses these challenges—and how to overcome them—with host Amy Bernstein and former HBR editor Kelsey Alpaio. Key episode topics include: leadership, managing people, management, personal growth, resilience, communication, gender HBR On Leadership curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. Listen to the original Women at Work episode: How to Manage: Being Taken Seriously Find more episodes of Women at Work · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

Geoff Jones wrote a case study about the visionary leader. He explored her journey—and the lasting impact she made on global beauty standards—on Cold Call in 2019 with host Brian Kenny. Key episode topics include: gender, leadership, feminism, beauty industry, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial business strategy, marketing HBR On Leadership curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. Listen to the original Cold Call episode: How Helena Rubinstein Used Tall Tales to Turn Cosmetics into a Luxury Brand Find more episodes of Cold Call. Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

Key episode topics include: managing up, sales team management, client management, sales, leadership qualities, interpersonal communication, HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. · Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: How CEOs Can Drive Sales — or Kill Deals · Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

Key episode topics include: upskilling, continuous learning, personal growth, organizational culture, talent development, hiring and recruitment, talent management, leadership HBR On Leadership curates the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. · Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: IBM’s Ginni Rometty on Skill-Building and Success · Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

How to Develop Your Executive Presence

Linda Hill explains how Bastian shifted Delta’s talent architecture to prioritize skills over four-year degrees and how he created new apprenticeship programs to recruit entry-level employees. Hill studied Bastian’s efforts to transform Delta for a case study. She also explains why Bastian prioritized front-line employees for internal promotions, instead of recruiting new talent externally. Key episode topics include: leadership, hiring and recruitment, diversity and inclusion, corporate social responsibility, airline industry, talent, recruiting, career. HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. · Listen to the original Cold Call episode: Building a More Equitable Culture at Delta Air Lines (2023) · Find more episodes of Cold Call · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org ]]>

Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall argue that many managers invest too much energy in correcting weaknesses. Instead, they encourage leaders to focus on developing employees’ strengths. Buckingham and Goodall are the authors of the book, Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World and the HBR article “The Fallacy” In this episode, they explain how to lead more effective conversations about performance by focusing on what your team do best. Key episode topics include leadership, giving , managing people, performance indicators. HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. · Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: What Managers Get Wrong About (2019) · Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast. · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

Carol Kauffman, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and the founder of the Institute of Coaching, challenges this view. She explains why falling back on automatic behaviors can lead to poor decisions, especially when the stakes are high. In this episode, Kauffman outlines her framework for sound decision-making in high-pressure situations. She also shares real-life stories of leaders she has coached through difficult decisions and offers insights into how to navigate high-stakes challenges effectively. Key episode topics include: leadership, leadership styles, strategy, decision making and problem solving. HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. · Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Why Leaders Should Rethink Their Decision-Making Process (2023) · Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast. · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org. ]]>

Jason Buechel became CEO of Whole Foods in 2022, he faced the challenge of succeeding co-founder John Mackey, who led the company for over 40 years. This leadership transition was not only a personal challenge for Buechel but also a significant shift for the entire organization. In this episode, Buechel tells Harvard Business Review editor in chief Adi Ignatius how he addressed employees' concerns while preserving Whole Foods’ culture and core values. He also discusses his focus on internal leadership and strategies for ing the company’s ongoing growth. Key episode topics include: leadership, careers, leadership transitions, succession planning, Whole Foods, authenticity, culture. HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week. · View to the original New World of Work episode: Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel on the Challenges and Opportunities of Following a Visionary Leader (2023) · Find more episodes of the New World of Work · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org ]]>