More from the Author

• Book | 2012

  Harder Than I Thought: Adventures of a Twenty-First Century Leader

  Robert D. Austin, Richard L. Nolan and Shannon O'Donnell

  Being a great leader today is much harder than you think—meet Jim Barton. He's a newly minted CEO, rising leader of a firm in transition, and manager of massive complexity—thanks to our incredibly networked and increasingly unpredictable world of business. What if you were in his shoes? If you're a top executive today, you probably are. "Harder Than I Thought" is a fictional narrative that puts the increasingly complex job of Chief Executive in a very real context. It serves as a practical guide by allowing you to walk alongside Jim as he takes on his new role and all its attendant challenges. Jim's story—developed in collaboration with seasoned, real-life CEOs—includes crucial lessons for anyone hoping to master the new-world skills required of successful business leaders today. As the narrative unfolds, Jim grapples with an array of business crises, some he inherited and some of his own making. As events push this new leader to the edge of his abilities, he seeks counsel from a panel of advisers—resulting in a wealth of teaching moments bound to keep you captivated. Experts agree that many twentieth-century leadership practices won't work in the turbulent twenty-first century. This engaging book gives you the insights you'll need to navigate in a fast-changing business landscape.

  Citation:

  Austin, Robert D., Richard L. Nolan, and Shannon O'Donnell. Harder Than I Thought: Adventures of a Twenty-First Century Leader. Harvard Business Review Press, 2012.

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | 2010

  The iPhone at IVK

  Richard L. Nolan and Robert D. Austin

  The CIO addresses a decision to replace salesmen netbook PC's with iPhones, including converting the company's sales and customer applications to the iPhone platform

  Keywords: Mobile Technology; Technology Platform; Salesforce Management; Transition; Technology Adoption; Hardware; Software; Change Management;

  Citation:

  Nolan, Richard L., and Robert D. Austin. "The iPhone at IVK." Harvard Business School Case 911-413, October 2010.

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | 2009

  Medisys Corp.: The IntensCare Product Development Team

  Anne Donnellon and Joshua D. Margolis

  Key topics include designing teams, managing teams, managing conflict, group dynamics, project management, product development, interdepartmental relations, and organizational change. MediSys, a U.S.-based medical equipment maker, has been developing IntensCare, a new medical system for monitoring intensive-care patients. MediSys has invested heavily in IntensCare, which is eagerly awaited by the market. The product development team, representing several functional areas of the company, has been working on the product for six months but is now running into significant problems with the product design, the schedule, and their own group dynamics. Recently, pressure increased when they learned that two more powerful competitors had begun work on their own products for this market. Several team members are concerned about meeting the team's targets. Struggling especially hard to overcome the various problems is the marketing manager who has profit-and-loss responsibility for IntensCare.

  Keywords: leadership; project management; conflict management; Interdepartmental relations; product development; Organizational change; Leadership; Conflict Management; Interpersonal Communication; Groups and Teams; Product Design; Product Development; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Health Care and Treatment; Power and Influence; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; United States;

  Citation:

  Donnellon, Anne, and Joshua D. Margolis. "Medisys Corp.: The IntensCare Product Development Team." Harvard Business School Brief Case 094-059, October 2009.

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