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Companies that cannot innovate cannot succeed, and helping their companies to innovate is one of leaders’ most important, and least understood, responsibilities.
Through a series of studies of figures in politics, business, and science, Gautam Mukunda’s research shows what separates the extraordinary leaders who produce company and industry-changing innovations from ordinary ones, how some organizations are able to choose highly innovative leaders in surprising ways, and how different types of innovative challenges are likely to require very different types of leaders.
Changing an organization is leaders’ quintessential, and most challenging, task. Change efforts, however, are highly likely to fail, and too often leaders are far too resistant to changing the systems that brought them to power.
In this presentation, Gautam Mukunda explains which leaders are likely to attempt to make substantial changes to the organizations they lead, when they are likely to succeed and fail, and how organizations can pick the leaders most likely to dramatically improve their performance.
The importance of leadership and the impact of individual leaders has long been the subject of debate. Are they made by history, or do they make it?
Gautam Mukunda offers a fresh look at how and when individual leaders can really make a difference.
Drawing from his book, “Indispensable” (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012), he profiles a mix of historic and modern figures, and through the stories of how they came to power and made their most important decisions, he reveals how, when and where a single individual in the right place at the right time can save or destroy the organization they lead – or even change the course of history.
Mukunda also helps you understand how you can use this model in your life – whether as a citizen casting a ballot, an executive choosing your next CEO or a leader trying to make your mark.
As Wall Street’s size and profit continues to swell, so does its pressure and influence on public companies.
The problem is power, says Gautam Mukunda. And Wall Street has amassed an enormous and disproportionate share of it, forcing corporate executives to make risky decisions in the best interest of shareholder returns, not business value.
Pointing to compelling examples – from Boeing to Sara Lee to Dell – he discusses why so many leaders continue to succumb to the financial sector’s demands.
Based on his Harvard Business Review “Spotlight” article, he also offers ideas for reform that will rebalance the American economy, which he says is vital to the competitiveness and health of the country.
American business needs to get involved, Mukunda urges. And for that, leadership is critical.
Gautam Mukunda is an internationally recognized expert in leadership and innovation. He often jokes that his life’s ambition is to have the world’s most confusing resume and that he’s most of the way there. He is a Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. He is also the host of Nasdaq’s […]
Gautam Mukunda is an internationally recognized expert in leadership and innovation. He often jokes that his life’s ambition is to have the world’s most confusing resume and that he’s most of the way there.
He is a Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. He is also the host of Nasdaq’s podcast “World Reimagined” and a columnist at Nasdaq’s World Reimagined. Previously he was a professor at Harvard Business School and a Distinguished Visiting Professor for the Schwarzman Scholarship.
Gautam Mukunda is the author of two books: Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012) and Picking Presidents (University of California Press, forthcoming in 2022).
He has published articles in Harvard Business Review, Foreign Policy, Security Studies, Slate, Fast Company, Parameters, Politics and the Life Sciences, and Systems and Synthetic Biology on leadership, reforming the financial sector, military innovation, network-centric warfare, and the security and economic implications of synthetic biology.
His work has been profiled in the New York Times, Atlantic, New Yorker, Economist, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and on All Things Considered. He advises a variety of companies and organizations on leadership and strategy.
Gautam Mukunda was a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Security Studies Program and Program on Emerging Technologies.
He was a Paul & Daisy Soros New American Fellow, an NSF IGERT Fellow, a Next Generation Fellow of The American Assembly, and a Principal Investigator on the National Science Foundation’s Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center grant.
He served on The Chief of Naval Operation’s Executive Advisory Panel and as a member of the New England Regional Selection Committee for the White House Fellowship and was a Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on New Models of Leadership. He was also a Jeopardy Champion.
At MIT, Gautam was the National Science Foundation Synthetic Biology ERC Postdoctoral Fellow resident at MIT’s Center for International Studies. He received his PhD from MIT in political science focusing in International Relations and Security Studies and an AB in Government from Harvard, magna cum laude.
Before his academic career he was a consultant with McKinsey & Company, where Gautam Mukunda focused on the pharmaceutical sector.
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With his unique approach to leadership and an unwavering commitment to helping people find their purpose, Brant Menswar has left an indelible mark on the world of business and personal development. In this profile, we will delve into the life and work of Brant Menswar, exploring his journey, his philosophy, and the impact he has […]
Seth Mattison is a renowned business strategist and keynote speaker who has dedicated nearly two decades to studying business performance, transformation, and leadership within some of the world’s most renowned brands. With a profound understanding of the evolving landscape of work, Seth is on a mission to shape the future of work, making it more […]
Nidhi Tewari is a dynamic and influential figure in the realm of workplace culture and wellbeing. With a unique blend of clinical expertise and a decade-long immersion in therapy, she stands at the intersection of mental health advocacy and organizational development. Nidhi brings a wealth of experience garnered from her specialized work with high-performing leaders, […]
Daymond John has come a long way from turning a $40 budget into FUBU, a $6 billion fashion game-changer. Throughout his career, Daymond has continued to be an entrepreneur in every sense of the word. He is not only a pioneer in the fashion industry but a Shark on the 4-time Emmy Award winning Shark […]
Laura Schwartz Speaker is an internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, author, and television commentator with a background that spans politics, media, and leadership. Her dynamic presentations blend her real-world experiences in the White House with practical strategies that inspire organizations and individuals to succeed. As a former Director of Events for the Clinton Administration, she leveraged […]
Dominic Thurbon has cracked the code for making change happen, with the ultimate formula to drive innovation, future-proof your workforce and design brands that really matter. Dom is an internationally engaged speaker and facilitator who helps individuals and organisations drive behaviour change in the face of external disruption. He is a Partner in the Climate […]
Dr. Thom Mayer is an internationally recognized expert in leadership, crisis management, and emergency medicine. As the Medical Director for the NFL Players Association, he has played a pivotal role in managing some of the most high-profile challenges in professional sports, including the NFL’s response to concussions and the COVID-19 pandemic. His ability to lead […]
Ginger Hardage is a distinguished thought leader in workplace culture, leadership, and corporate communications. As the former Senior Vice President of Culture and Communications at Southwest Airlines, she played a pivotal role in shaping one of the most admired corporate cultures in the world. With over 25 years of experience as a key member of […]
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