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 

Productive Tensions: How Every Leader Can Tackle Innovation's Toughest Trade-Offs

By: Chris Bingham and Rory McDonald
  • 2022
  • | 
  • Book
Why is leading innovation in nascent business environments so distressingly hit-or-miss? More than 90% of high-potential ventures don’t reach their projected targets. Surveys show that 80% of...

Decision Leadership: Empowering Others to Make Better Choices

By: Don A. Moore and Max H. Bazerman
  • 2022
  • | 
  • Book
When we think of leaders, we often imagine lone, inspirational figures lauded for their behaviors, attributes, and personal decisions, and leadership books often reinforce that view. However, this...

Air Wars: Deregulating the U.S. Airline Industry

By: Tom Nicholas and James Weber
  • AUGUST 2022
  • | 
  • Case
In the early decades of the twentieth century, the U.S. government assisted in the development of an airline industry by subsidizing the delivery of mail and allowing mail carriers to also fly passengers. Because the government awarded mail routes to the lowest bidders, the emerging airline...

One Tiger Per Mountain: The He Family Office

By: Lauren Cohen, Fei Wu and Grace Headinger
  • AUGUST 2022
  • | 
  • Case
Roy He, founder and majority shareholder of his family construction material production company, was preparing to pass down the family business through its first generational handover to his children. His decision would establish his familial legacy and set a precedent for both future generational...

Negotiating Peace in Colombia

By: Deepak Malhotra and Cody Smith
  • AUGUST 2022
  • | 
  • Case
This case follows the protracted armed conflict between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), tracing it from its origins over 50 years ago, through the private and public negotiations that ultimately resulted in the 2016 comprehensive peace agreement. The...

Call of Fiduciary Duty: Microsoft Acquires Activision

By: Joseph Pacelli, Jonas Heese and James Barnett
  • JULY 2022
  • | 
  • Case
In January 2022, Microsoft announces its acquisition of the video game company Activision Blizzard, in a deal valued at $68.7 billion, which would make Microsoft the world’s third largest video game company. The deal came as Activision Blizzard faced gender pay disparity and sexual harassment...
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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.

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Strategic Management

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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.