Great American Business Leaders of the 20th CenturyGreat American Business Leaders of the 20th Century   

Identifying and chronicling the lives of 20th century men and women whose business leadership shaped the ways that people live, work, and interact. And understanding how contextual influences deeply affected the opportunities available for businesses throughout the last century. 

Leadership Initiative 

Leaders have always faced the job of inspiring others while making important decisions with incomplete information. Today's leaders are confronted with challenges and opportunities that have never been more dynamic or complex. We help leaders effectively understand and manage these forces.

Faculty & Research 

Deeply Responsible Business: A Global History of Values-Driven Leadership

By: Geoffrey Jones
  • 2023
  • | 
  • Book
Corporate social responsibility has entered the mainstream, but what does it take to run a successful purpose-driven business? This book examines leaders who put values alongside profits to showcase...

Making Meritocracy: Lessons from China and India, from Antiquity to the Present

By: Tarun Khanna and Michael Szonyi
  • 2022
  • | 
  • Book
How do societies identify and promote merit? Enabling all people to fulfill their potential, and ensuring the selection of competent and capable leaders are central challenges for any society. These...

Vanderbilt: Transforming an Academic Health Care Delivery System, 2020

By: Michael E. Porter, Robert S. Kaplan, Mary L. Witkowski and David N. Bernstein
  • AUGUST 2023
  • | 
  • Case

Reimagining Hindustan Unilever (A)

By: Sunil Gupta and Rachna Tahilyani
  • AUGUST 2023
  • | 
  • Case
In the fall of 2019, the CEO and MD of Hindustan Unilever (HUL), India’s largest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) firm, is wondering what to do about their experiments to digitize distribution. Despite three years of intense efforts, their apps to empower retailers have not seen any traction. Is...

Raymond Jefferson: Trial by Fire

By: Anthony Mayo and Carin-Isabel Knoop
  • JULY 2023
  • | 
  • Case
In the spring of 2021, Raymond (Ray) Jefferson applied for a job in President Joseph Biden’s administration. Ten years earlier, false allegations were used to force him to resign from his prior U.S. government position as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training (VETS) in...

Schuberg Philis: From Success to Significance

By: Thomas J. DeLong and Daniela Beyersdorfer
  • JULY 2023
  • | 
  • Case
The founders of Dutch professional services firm Schuberg Philis, and the new leadership team entrusted with the day-to-day management, must set the path forward in 2019. The company has grown into a 70 million revenue strong IT provider with top ranks in the industry’s yearly customer satisfaction...

How to Manage for Collective Creativity

Linda Hill
14 Sep 2014

Executive Education 

We offer programs that strengthen the leadership capacity of individuals and their organizations.

MBA Experience 

Students exercise the leadership skills they will practice in business and beyond, and leave with lessons in leadership that are practical, priceless, and most importantly, real.

In the News 

How the Best Chief Data Officers Create Value

By: Suraj Srinivasan
  • 13 Sep 2023
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review

The Myth of the CEO as Ultimate Decision Maker

By: Nitin Nohria
  • 13 Sep 2023
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review

Who Gets the Loudest Voice in DEI Decisions?

By: James Heskett
  • 12 Sep 2023
  • | 
  • HBS Working Knowledge

Test Your Leadership Skills

Strategic Management

Rate yourself to discover resources to improve your strategic management skills.
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Develops distinctive strategies to achieve competitive advantage
Translates broad strategies into specific objectives and action plans
Defines strategic issues clearly despite ambiguity
Aligns the organization to support strategic priorities
Initiatives focus on societal challenges that are too complex for any one discipline or industry to solve alone.