In the premiere episode of MIT SMR’s new video series, Leaders at All Levels, GE Appliances CEO Kevin Nolan discusses how a distributed leadership strategy delivered remarkable results. Seeking to boost corporate agility, Nolan made a decision that would terrify some CEOs: He gave up full control and pushed power down to all levels of…
Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Are we wisely waiting or merely drifting? That’s a question many corporate leaders will be asking themselves in the coming weeks and months. Uncertainty is not a new concept. But today’s political uncertainty — epitomized by the U.S. tariff edicts and global responses to them, ranging from threats to…
Matt Harrison Clough Have your meetings become routine? The underlying dynamics of meetings often go unnoticed and unchecked. But savvy leaders run meetings like elite sports coaches choregraph games using a series of plays. These leaders scan for potentially destructive meeting red flags and seize subtle opportunities to enhance team success and individual growth. In…
Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Respect, at its core, isn’t supposed to be partisan, political, or tribal. In societies like the U.S., basic respect and dignity should be accorded to everyone. It’s not supposed to matter whether you’re a CEO or a CEO’s assistant, religious or agnostic, Black or White. The claim is this:…
Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Companies across a wide range of industries are increasingly focused on using artificial intelligence to gain a competitive edge and unlock productivity gains. Given the transformational potential of the technology, it’s not surprising that private equity investors are also seeking to harness the power of AI in their portfolios.…
Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images The interpersonal skills that are integral to human-centered leadership are often called “soft” skills, but they’re what underpins the hard work of managing. Empathy, emotional regulation, taking time to read people: These are the skills associated with high emotional intelligence that enable leaders to build cohesive teams and successfully…
The U.S. dollar, one of the world’s most widely sought-after assets, saw its value decline by as much as 10 percent in the first half of 2025, inviting speculation about the end of its global dominance. Despite the concern, it’s actually not unusual for the dollar’s value to fluctuate. One need only look back to…
The Covid-19 pandemic was a shock to the global supply chain with little precedent. While companies eventually adapted to the new normal, some issues for manufacturers and retailers lingered for years. Now, many of those same firms are facing another seismic supply-chain test that may have profound effects on the ways they source materials and…
In the face of adversity, Craig Wortmann had long subscribed to the maxim that “time heals all wounds.” Cancer changed that. “The hardest part was the mental anguish of being a very different person. A different physical person,” said Wortmann, a professor of marketing at Kellogg. “Your identity has changed.” Wortmann experienced what some call…
For the fourth year in a row, MIT Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have assembled an international panel of AI experts that includes academics and practitioners to help us understand how responsible artificial intelligence (RAI) is being implemented across organizations worldwide. In the spring of 2025, we also fielded a global executive…