Advanced Leadership Pathways: David Weinstein and Write the World

Rosabeth Moss Kanter; Tessa Natanay Hamilton; Ai-Ling Jamila Malone

Teaching Note | HBS Case Collection | February 2016

Advanced Leadership Pathways: David Weinstein and Write the World

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

Abstract

Following a successful career as a lawyer, Chief Administrative Officer of Fidelity Investments, and law school instructor, David Weinstein became a 2011 Advanced Leadership Fellow at Harvard University. During his Advanced Leadership Fellowship he conceived an idea to promote opportunities for students to engage in identity exploration and skill development through his venture, Write the World. This online platform provides opportunities for individuals to submit pieces of writing for evaluation and feedback from online reviewers. This case provides an overview of Weinstein's personal and professional experiences, his process in exploring the topic, developing ideas, and recruiting a team to contribute to the product's development. This case may be used for courses related to change management, leadership, social enterprise, and entrepreneurship.

Keywords: education; Student evaluation; feedback; online; leadership; change management; social enterprise; entrepreneurship; Education; Leadership Development; Knowledge Sharing; Performance Evaluation; Secondary Education; Middle School Education;

Language: English

Format: Print

13 pages

Citation:

Kanter, Rosabeth Moss, Tessa Natanay Hamilton, and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone. "Advanced Leadership Pathways: David Weinstein and Write the World." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 316-037, 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: David Weinstein and Write the World

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