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Publications
Publications
  • December 1996
  • Supplement
  • HBS Case Collection

Cleveland Turnaround: Leadership in Action

By: James E. Austin, Jaan Elias and Andrea L Strimling
  • Format:Video
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Abstract

Consists of three separate parts. Part 1, The Cleveland Turnaround, describes Cleveland's decline until its bankruptcy in 1978. This is followed by the remedial actions taken by community leaders, starting with the election of a new mayor, the formation of new community organizations such as Cleveland Tomorrow, a grouping of CEOs focusing on the economic revitalization of the community, and the Cleveland Roundtable, a grouping aimed at achieving greater racial harmony. The community's actions in the areas of economic development, downtown development, and inner-city housing and commercial development are described. Leaders talk about the central role played in the turnaround by their "public-private partnership." Part 2, Challenges for the Future, provides short comments by a cross-section of leaders about what they perceive to be significant challenges still facing the city as it moves into the 21st century. Part 3, Lessons on Leadership and Community Building, consists of a collection of remarks by a variety of public and private leaders about the lessons of the Cleveland turnaround.

Keywords

Leading Change; Business Cycles; Development Economics; Urban Development; Social Issues; Business and Community Relations; Cleveland

Citation

Austin, James E., Jaan Elias, and Andrea L Strimling. "Cleveland Turnaround: Leadership in Action." Harvard Business School Video Supplement 797-501, December 1996.
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About The Author

James E. Austin

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More from the Authors
  • Responsible Leadership and Transformative Cross-sector Partnering By: James E. Austin, M. H. Jaén, E. Reficco and A. Vernis
  • Key Success Factors in Environmental Entrepreneurship: The Case of Wilderness Safaris By: James E. Austin, Megan Epler Woods and Herman B. Leonard
  • Generating Social Entrepreneurship Knowledge: International Research Collaboration on a Hemispheric Level By: James E. Austin, Gabriel Berger, Rosa Amelia González, Roberto Gutiérrez, Iván D. Lobo and Alfred Vernis
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