Issue 86, Spring 2017

In this issue
Cover story
- Strategy & LeadershipHow to link where your company is headed with what it does best. See also “A Guide to Strategy through Execution.”
- Strategy & Leadership
Building trust while cutting costs
During a restructuring, rumors spread and fear takes hold. You can reduce the turmoil by finding ways to inform, empower, and inspire employees. - Technology
Siri, Who Is Terry Winograd?
For 40 years, the Stanford professor has steered the increasingly complex and meaningful interactions between humans and computers.
Leading Ideas
- Finance
Banking’s Biggest Hurdle: Its Own Strategy
Why coherent institutions were the first to rebound after the financial crisis. - Innovation
Microsoft Starts Up
The tech giant’s partnership model shows how large companies can work with new ventures to drive innovation. - Thought Leaders
The CEO as Activist
Duke professor Aaron Chatterji believes business leaders have social and political responsibilities they can’t afford to neglect. - Auto, Airlines & Transport
Who Will Insure Self-Driving Cars?
The advent of autonomous vehicles may send the auto insurance industry over a cliff. - s+b BlogsOrganizations & People
Helping Women Leaders Plot Their Next Career Move
An innovative program helps seasoned women executives — including former military officers — plan what to do next. - Organizations & People
s+b Trend Watch: Female Board Members on the Rise
The number of women on corporate boards is increasing — and these directors value diversity in the workforce.
Essays
- Marketing, Media & Sales
The art of customer delight
The service sector needs to break away from old manufacturing-oriented habits and build great consumer experiences into every facet of its business model. - Strategy & Leadership
The Line between Confidence and Hubris
You can identify early signs of failure or success from a prospective CEO’s behavior.
Books in Brief
- Business Literature
Women’s Work
Veteran journalist Joann Lublin chronicles the triumphs and travails of women rising to the C-suite. - Business Literature
Buying Our Time
Author Tim Wu argues that the Internet’s descent into clickbait and trivia is only the latest chapter in a long history of advertisers grabbing our attention. - Business Literature
Cash Advances?
Economist Kenneth Rogoff argues that getting rid of paper money will lead to a more secure economy and effective monetary policy. - Business Literature
It Pays to Get to Know Your Superconsumers
Beyond revenue, customers who are obsessed with a product don’t just provide valuable insight but are a conduit to new markets.
Thought Leaders
- Thought Leaders
The Thought Leader Interview: GE’s Bill Ruh on the Industrial Internet Revolution
During the next few years, says GE Digital’s leader, the Industrial Internet will turn every company into a digitally empowered enterprise.
Recent Research
- s+b Blogs
Return on Design
Companies that receive awards for product design see an immediate uptick in stock price.