B2B companies can use the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to reevalute what clients and stakeholders need, and accelerate products and services that will better serve them.
Organizations that shift compliance from a cost of doing business to a position of strategic value can generate significant competitive and cost advantage, and build trust. For more insight, see www.pwc.com/compliance-transformed.
For businesses battling the COVID-19 crisis, it may be hard to envision what the world is going to look like in the future. What is clear is that uncertainty will remain constant. These insights from five CEOs on how they manage in uncertain times — which were published before the pandemic — are a reminder that resilience and agility are important drivers of success, whatever the economic and business environment.
Two years’ of interviews with CEOs from around the world reveal how leaders view the effect of technology on their workforces. For more insight, see PwC’s 23rd Annual Global CEO Survey.
The first step to rebuilding trust is to be aware that change and complexity are constant and that everyone — customers, regulators, employees, and the general public — are potential stakeholders.
How to raise the skills of your employees so that they can move successfully into the future. For further insights, read “10 principles of workforce transformation.”
A comprehensive way to build talent and fill jobs in our rapidly changing digital economy. For further insights, read “A strategist’s guide to upskilling.”
Financial services is full of customer pain points that could be resolved with the help of voice-assisted devices. For further insight, read “Banking on voice.”
The next time you’re confounded by an unexpected or confusing situation at work, use these practical strategies to move forward with greater success. For further insights, read “Three ways to demystify disappointments at work.”
Taxes are often viewed as simply a compliance issue. But what if organizations thought of taxes as a way to benefit their businesses now, and help them plan for a better future? Here, a collection of articles delves into different corners of the tax world to explain how it’s done.
Dan Cable, professor of organizational behavior at the London Business School, argues that although managers need an element of control to get results, change efforts should happen with less work and more play. For more insights, visit the Transformation Talks podcast series.
Moya Greene, former chief executive of Royal Mail, shares insights on how to approach a complex change initiative involving multiple stakeholders. For more insights, visit the Transformation Talks podcast series.
Tim Davie, CEO of BBC Studios, talks about making change efforts meaningful by involving people at every level of the process. For more insights, visit the Transformation Talks podcast series.
The monetary value of information about a single person’s online and offline activity may reach $10 a month by 2025 in the U.S. For further insights, read “Tomorrow’s Data Heroes.”
Workers today want careers that fit their values, are enjoyable, and contribute to society. Here’s what business leaders can do to deliver on this idea of “good work.” For further insights, read “Good Work.”
Despite all the information available about artificial intelligence — and the efforts business leaders are making to come to terms with this technology — there are still some takeaways you should consider this year. Gain additional insights with PwC’s 2019 AI Predictions.
Inside every company, people work across functions to meet their own goals and their firm’s priorities. But relationships that start out well often become adversarial over time. For more insight, read “Turning ‘Accidental Adversaries’ into Allies.”
Improvising in a structured manner will help ensure big bumps in the road don’t throw you completely off course. For more insight, read “How to Fail Successfully.”
Explore the companies that made the 2007, 2012, and 2017 high-leverage innovator lists with our interactive tool. For further insight, see What the Top Innovators Get Right.
To be a more agile leader, nurture the habits that accelerate your learning capacity and be aware of the ones that block new experiences. For more insight, see “Leaders: Break Through Your Learning Blockers.”
A quick look at the challenges faced by location-independent freelancers, and the opportunities they present for organizations. For more insight, read “Designing a Future for the Untethered Workforce.”
By carefully selecting the change-driving behaviors that are right for your organization, and the mechanisms to spread them, you can drive cultural evolution. For further insights, read “Make Your Company’s Culture Go Viral.”
Scenes from Union Square Cafe as the staff gets ready to open for the day show the company’s culture of “enlightened hospitality” in action. For more insight, read “Danny Meyer’s Recipe for Success.”
If you want to advance in your job and find meaning in your day-to-day work, consider these strategies. For further insights, read “What to Do When Success Leaves You Empty.”
A look at the artwork from the recent pages of strategy+business, on themes including overcoming bias at work, competitiveness in the age of digitization, and the ethics of CEOs.
The fear of disruption is often exaggerated. In reality, organizations that are threatened by new technologies and new players usually have more time than they realize to craft an effective response. For further insights, read “The Fear of Disruption Can Be More Damaging than Actual Disruption.”
The founder of the apparel company talks about how much personal growth leaders should demand — of employees and themselves. For further insights, read “Eileen Fisher and the Personal Side of Leadership.”
Whether you’re sinking beneath your workload or sailing through with ease largely depends on your ability to suss out subtle challenges and turn them into opportunities.
A graphic showing why more chief executives are being ousted for ethical lapses, and some tips on how to prevent missteps. For more insight, read “Are CEOs Less Ethical Than in the Past?”
Having a clear sense of who you are will help you grow coherently, and outpace the competition. For further insights, read “Pulling the Triggers That Pull Companies.”
Neuroscientists are learning how executive decision makers can use their minds to transform organizations. For further insights, read “The Neuroscience of Strategic Leadership.”
Digital technologies are changing the game even in places where you might not expect it, including how pizzas get delivered and how household appliances function. For further insights, read “Software-as-a-Catalyst.”
Not every new entrant in your market is a disruption. Learn how to diagnose and respond to threats. For further insights, read “Diagnosing Dislocation.”
Last year, startups died at a rate of one per week. When it comes to scaling, the chances of survival are even lower. For further insights, read “The Chrysalis Effect.”
Most companies lack people in positions of power with the experience and confidence required to challenge the status quo. For further insights, read “10 Principles of Strategic Leadership.”
The security of barriers is based not just on keeping people out, but on watching people who come in. For further insights, read “Safety in the Cloud.”
At its worst, culture can be a drag on productivity. At its best, it is an emotional energizer. Here's how companies can use it to gain a competitive advantage. For further insights, read “10 Principles of Organizational Culture.”
As s+b marks 20 years of publication, we look back (and forward) to reflect on the themes, people, and ideas that have animated two decades of original thinking. This photo gallery is part of the series of blog posts “Celebrating Two Decades of s+b.”
UNC Kenan-Flagler professor Mike Christian discusses techniques executives can use to improve interpersonal relationships and performance. For more related insights, read “Mike Christian on Mindfulness and Mental Energy.”
Brett Gilbert, associate professor at Rutgers Business School, discusses how clusters, or groups of companies that congregate in a region around a particular field, are evolving. For more related insights, read “How Tech Clusters Form.”
Companies are using advanced data analytics to focus on a range of new business problems, and have found there are several keys to success in using big data. For more related insights, read “Overcoming Big Data’s Challenges.”
Leadership author and executive coach Marshall Goldsmith — who is always skeptical of catchphrases like employee engagement — talks about the qualities necessary to galvanize individuals’ commitment at work.
Former BP policy development manager Christine Bader discusses why CSR efforts fail - and how to help them succeed. For more insights, read the related blog post.
Harvard University social psychology professor Ellen Langer says organizations can make better decisions by setting the right context. For more insights, read the related article.
INSEAD professor Erin Meyer discusses how companies can boost the efficiency of their multinational teams by focusing on how they communicate across cultures. For more insights, read the related article.
In this video, Wharton professor Katherine Milkman explains how to motivate people to move beyond their past failures and achieve their goals. For more insights, read “Katherine Milkman on Why Fresh Starts Matter.”
MIT professor Thomas Malone predicts that new technologies will enable more decentralized decision making and ultimately more freedom in business. For more related insights, read “Thomas Malone on Building Smarter Teams.”
DeAnne Aguirre, senior partner with Strategy&, discusses techniques that can help companies transform quickly and effectively. For more insight, read “10 Principles of Leading Change Management.”
Successful companies, MIT professor Thomas Malone says, take advantage of collective intelligence theory to improve their performance. Also read “Thomas Malone on Building Smarter Teams.”
MIT professor Thomas Malone discusses what makes a group smart, why women can increase a group’s collective intelligence, and more in this exclusive interview with strategy+business.
Rita Gunther McGrath says digitization is affecting strategy in new ways—for instance, by removing entry barriers and requiring greater flexibility. For more related insights, read “The Thought Leader Interview: Rita Gunther McGrath.”
Rita Gunther McGrath uncovers how companies can tap into more dynamic tools to develop better strategies for how and where they’re competing. For more related insights, read “The Thought Leader Interview: Rita Gunther McGrath.”
Rita Gunther McGrath explains why organizations need to shed their old-fashioned mentality about how they recruit people in order to fill the talent gap. For more related insights, read “The Thought Leader Interview: Rita Gunther McGrath.”
Rita Gunther McGrath reveals why innovation and strategy have converged—and what that means for how companies do business. For more related insights, read “The Thought Leader Interview: Rita Gunther McGrath.”
Eric Ries talks about how the “build, measure, learn” principle can help companies innovate and get ahead. For more related insights, read "Why Eric Ries Likes Management."
The associate professor of finance at the Kellogg School of Management discusses the life cycle of a financial crisis. For more related insights, read “Efraim Benmelech on Financial Contagion."
Slideshow
America’s Manufacturing Advantage
A new wave of software innovation is about to transform industry — and give the United States the chance for a lasting edge.
In the fourth video interview of this five-part series, Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, describes his system of innovation accounting—and how it can convert learning into dollars. For more related insights, read “Why Eric Ries Likes Management."
In the third video interview of this five-part series, Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, discusses why it's important to attach metrics to the process of learning, using an idea he calls "validated learning."
In the first video interview of this five-part series, Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, tells Paul Michelman, executive editor at strategy+business, that entrepreneurs exist everywhere—and discusses what that means for innovation at big companies.
Slideshow
Best Business Books 2013
Our review of the year's best business books, in pictures.
Former Strategy& senior partner Ken Favaro explains to former s+b executive editor Paul Michelman that when leaders substitute visions, missions, purposes, plans, or goals for the real work of strategy, they send their firms adrift.
Former Strategy& senior partner Ken Favaro speaks with former s+b executive editor Paul Michelman about understanding the real value of corporate strategy and the head office.
In the third part of our In Conversation video series, Kellogg's Loran Nordgren argues that while conscious thought helps you identify available options, unconscious thought helps you figure out which choice is best.
In the second part of this "In Conversation" video series, Kellogg's Loran Nordgren talks about how tapping into the unconscious can spark creativity and innovation in the corporate world.
In the first part of this four-part video series, Loran Nordgren, an associate professor at Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, tells Amy D'Onofrio, enterprise practice coordinator at Booz & Company, that taking a break and distracting the mind can lead to higher-quality decision making.
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The Story of UTCʼs Success–In Pictures
How United Technologies Corporation; — owner of Pratt & Whitney, Otis Elevator, and a wide range of other businesses; — became one of the major corporate success stories of the past two decades.
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Business Opportunities in the Arctic
The earth’s northernmost regions are rich in resources. The challenge will be accessing them sustainably. This slideshow is part of the article “Is the Arctic the Next Emerging Market?
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The Drone Maker's Story - in Pictures
A visual history of AeroVironment’s seemingly impossible innovations since it was founded in 1971.
Harvard Business School professor Cynthia Montgomery speaks with Booz & Company partner Ken Favaro about why strategy needs to be reimagined, and how a leader can help define what a business is and why it matters.
Systems therapist David Kantor speaks with Booz & Company partner Rutger von Post about how leaders can tap into "structural dynamics" to create better-performing teams.