Advanced Leadership Pathways: General Gale Pollock and Services for the Vision Impaired

Rosabeth M. Kanter; Tessa Natanay Hamilton; Ai-Ling Jamila Malone

Teaching Note | HBS Case Collection | February 2016

Advanced Leadership Pathways: General Gale Pollock and Services for the Vision Impaired

by Rosabeth M. Kanter, Tessa Natanay Hamilton and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone

Abstract

Following a successful military career as an Army Nurse, achieving rank as Major General, becoming the first female Acting Surgeon General of the Army, and the 22nd Chief of the Army Nurse Corps, Pollock developed a vested interest in improving the lives of the visually impaired. Pollock learned that debilitating physical, occupational, and emotional effects often faced by visually impaired individuals were likely to occur more and more, due to aging and the increase of type-2 diabetes. She became further impassioned to develop an accessible system of support and education so that afflicted individuals were able to recognize their full human potential. As a 2011 Harvard Advanced Leadership Fellow, Pollock developed the concept behind Elevivo, a disease management software program specifically designed for visually impaired persons. This case provides an overview of Pollock's professional and personal experiences, and discusses how these experiences shaped the development of the Elevivo concept. This case may be used for courses related to change management, social enterprise, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

Keywords: Health;

Language: English

Format: Print

14 pages

Citation:

Kanter, Rosabeth M., Tessa Natanay Hamilton, and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone. "Advanced Leadership Pathways: General Gale Pollock and Services for the Vision Impaired." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 316-036, February 2016.

Gun violence was a significant problem in America. Three Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellows Christy Wood, Russell Sternlicht, and Gareth Glaser each decided to do something about gun safety. They each used their professional and leadership experience to identify their own solutions to the issue. Wood created a set of principles for investments funds to pressure gun manufacturers and gun sellers within their portfolios to adopt safety standards. Sternlicht designed a membership-based lobbying and advocacy group in order to harness the power of mass movements to create positive change. And Glaser founded a smart-gun company whose product could help reduce certain types of deaths and injuries. Would any of these three innovations move beyond the historical gridlock on gun safety?

This is a teaching note to the original case: Gun violence was a significant problem in America. Three Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellows Christy Wood, Russell Sternlicht, and Gareth Glaser each decided to do something about gun safety. They each used their professional and leadership experience to identify their own solutions to the issue. Wood created a set of principles for investments funds to pressure gun manufacturers and gun sellers within their portfolios to adopt safety standards. Sternlicht designed a membership-based lobbying and advocacy group in order to harness the power of mass movements to create positive change. And Glaser founded a smart-gun company whose product could help reduce certain types of deaths and injuries. Would any of these three innovations move beyond the historical gridlock on gun safety?

From 2008-2010 Anand Piramal ran a series of pilots for his digital healthcare startup, Piramal e-Swasthya (PeS) to “democratize healthcare” in rural areas of India. PeS ran into difficulties so Anand Piramal had to decide whether to continue the organization and if so how. In 2010, an unexpected opportunity emerged that could have significant implications for PeS’s organizational structure and future prospects. Anand Piramal now faced several options for PeS. He needed to weigh the pros and cons of each option to make the best decision to fulfill his vision of providing quality healthcare services to “bottom-of-the-pyramid” populations. This case exemplifies the strategic decisions an entrepreneur must make to ensure that a social impact venture can be sustainable and scalable.

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Advanced Leadership Pathways: General Gale Pollock and Services for the Vision Impaired

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