HBR On Leadership

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Latest Episodes:

Asking for Help When Others Look to You for Answers Feb 04, 2026

Show notes

Wayne Baker, professor emeritus at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, has spent much of his career researching the best way to effectively ask for help at work. Whether you’re soliciting support on a tricky assignment or more resources for your team, it can feel uncomfortable to approach bosses and colleagues with hat in hand. But we rarely get what we need or want without asking for it. Baker highlights some of the most effective strategies for defining your goal, figuring out who to ask, and crafting your message so it will be positively received. He is also the author of the book All You Have to Do Is Ask: How to Master the Most Important Skill for Success.

Key episode topics include: emotional intelligence, power and influence, managing yourself

● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: The Art of Asking for (and Getting) Help
● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast
● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Where to Look for Ethical Risk Inside a Company Jan 28, 2026

Show notes

Eugene Soltes, professor at Harvard Business School, studies white-collar crime and has even interviewed convicts behind bars. While most people think of high-profile scandals like Enron, he says every sizable organization has lapses in integrity. He shares practical tools for managers to identify pockets of ethical violations to prevent them from ballooning into serious reputational and financial damage. Soltes is the author of the HBR article “Where Is Your Company Most Prone to Lapses in Integrity?”

Key episode topics include: business ethics, risk management, business management, cross-cultural management, organizational culture

● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Stopping White-Collar Crime at Your Company
● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast
● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

When Leading a Global Team, Don’t Leave Connection to Chance Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

Leading people across countries and time zones means dealing with communication gaps and friction that can easily throw a team off course. Tsedal Neeley, a professor at Harvard Business School, explains why global teams are especially vulnerable to misunderstandings and why leaders often don’t realize there’s a problem until collaboration starts to suffer. She has advice for getting everyone to understand one another so that they have enough trust and context to contribute fully.

Key episode topics include: collaboration and teams, cross-cultural management, leading teams

● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Communicate Better with Your Global Team
● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast
● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

How to Speak with Confidence When You’re Put on the Spot Jan 14, 2026

Show notes

We all know that leaders need to captivate audiences and effectively convey their ideas. But not every speaking opportunity can be prepared and practiced. That’s why it’s so important to learn the skill of speaking off-the-cuff, and Matt Abrahams, lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and host of the podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart, has advice to help. He explains how to stay calm in these situations, craft a compelling message, and ensure you’ve made a good impression. Abrahams is author of the book Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot as well as the HBR article “How to Shine When You’re Put on the Spot.”

Key episode topics include: leadership, public speaking, business communication, interpersonal communication, managing yourself

Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Improve Your Impromptu Speaking
Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast
Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at hbr.hbr.org

How to Strengthen Your Focus When Demands Never Let Up Jan 07, 2026

Show notes

If you’re feeling distracted, mentally fogged, and unable to pay attention to the task at hand, you’re not alone. The human brain is highly susceptible to often unproductive mind-wandering, and modern technology has only made the problem worse. But we all know that the best work comes when you’re able to really zero in on an idea or problem for a sustained period of time. So, we need better strategies for blocking out the external and internal noise. Dr. Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of Miami and the author of Peak Mind, offers recommendations based on studies of people in some of the most high-pressure jobs in the world.

Key episode topics include: Leadership, psychology, neuroscience, managing yourself

● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Find Focus in a Chaotic World
● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast
● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

What Actually Works to Change Someone’s Mind Dec 31, 2025

Show notes

Jonah Berger, professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, says that most of us aren’t approaching persuasion the right way. Pushing people to behave how you’d like them to or believe the same things you do just doesn’t work, no matter how much data you give or how many emotional appeals you make. Studying both psychology and business, he’s found better tactics for bringing people over to your side. One of the keys? Asking questions so people feel like they’re making the decision to change. Berger is the author of the book The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind.

Key episode topics include:

● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Mastering the Art of Persuasion
● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast
● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

How the Best Leaders Develop and Spend “Innovation Capital” Dec 24, 2025

Show notes

Nathan Furr, professor of strategy at INSEAD, researches what makes great innovative leaders, and he reveals how they develop and spend “innovation capital.” Like social or political capital, it’s a power to motivate employees, win the buy-in of stakeholders, and sell breakthrough products. Furr argues that innovation capital is something everyone can develop and grow by using something he calls “impression amplifiers.” Furr is the coauthor of the book Innovation Capital: How to Compete—and Win—Like the World’s Most Innovative Leaders.

Key episode topics include: leadership, innovation, power and influence, persuasion

● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast: Why You Need Innovation Capital — And How to Get It
● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast
● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

What Jargon Says About Your Company Culture Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

Anne Curzan, English professor at the University of Michigan, studies the evolution of language. While many of us roll our eyes at bizspeak—from synergy to value-add to operationalize—Curzan defends business jargon. She says the words we say around the office speak volumes about our organizations and our working relationships. She shares how to use jargon more deliberately, explains the origin of some annoying or amusing buzzwords, and discusses how English became the global business language and how that could change.

Key episode topics include: business communication, leadership, organizational culture

● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Why Business Jargon Isn’t All Bad
● Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast
● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Setting Goals for Your Team When the Path Isn’t Clear Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

In this Coaching Real Leaders session, a leader who has worked in the higher education sector for decades seeks guidance on how to set direction and maintain momentum for her team when so much of their long-term work depends on shifting priorities and partners outside of her control. As she steps into her first role managing managers, she’s unsure how fast to push, how to divide her time, and how to judge progress when the path ahead isn’t fully defined.

Host Muriel Wilkins helps her sort through those questions, identify what she can move forward now, and build confidence in her ability to lead with clarity even when the future is still taking shape.

Key episode topics include: career coaching, career planning, strategy execution, leading teams

● Listen to the original Coaching Real Leaders episode: How Do I Set the Right Pace To Meet Our Strategic Goals?
● Find more episodes of Coaching Real Leaders
● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Bring More Discipline to Your Decision-Making Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

Corey Phelps, the dean of Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, says great problem solvers are hard to find. Even seasoned professionals at the highest levels of organizations regularly fail to identify the real problem and instead jump to exploring solutions. Phelps identifies the common traps and outlines a research-proven method to solve problems effectively. He’s the coauthor of the book Cracked It! How to Solve Big Problems and Sell Solutions Like Top Strategy Consultants.

Key episode topics include: leadership, decision making and problem solving, strategy

● Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: The Right Way to Solve Complex Business Problems
● Find more episodes of the HBR IdeaCast
● Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

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