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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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Mark Divine stands as a beacon of resilience, leadership, and mental toughness in the realm of personal development and leadership training. As the founder and CEO of SEALFIT, a renowned leadership and peak performance academy, Mark has dedicated his life to empowering individuals to unleash their full potential. With his multifaceted background as a former […]
If you’re searching for a speaker who inspires resilience, ignites authentic self-leadership, and empowers audiences to break through impossible challenges, Jason Tharp is your go-to. A powerhouse storyteller and founder of the Beyond Hope Project, Jason brings a fresh perspective on overcoming life’s toughest roadblocks. Imagine the authenticity of Brené Brown, the self-leadership insights of […]
Lisa Bodell is a globally recognized leader in organizational transformation, known for her groundbreaking work in simplification, collaboration, and innovation. As the founder and CEO of FutureThink, a leading innovation training firm, Lisa has empowered top organizations worldwide to rethink the way they work, replacing complexity with clarity and fostering a culture of innovation. Her […]
Dale Wilsher is a seasoned professional development expert, executive leadership coach, Certified Professional Life Coach (CPLC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Certified Clinical Substance Abuse Professional (CCSP), motivational speaker, and DISC personality trainer. With a profound belief in the transformative power of mastering one’s meaning, Dale advocates for the pivotal role of authentic self-discovery and purpose […]
Whitney Johnson is the CEO and co-founder of Disruption Advisors, a tech-enabled talent development company. Whitney is a globally recognized thought leader (named by Thinkers50 as a top #10 management thinker), author, keynote speaker, executive coach, and consultant; Whitney is the WSJ, USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company (Harvard Business Press, […]
Linda Edgecombe is a change and leadership expert, Hall of Fame speaker, award-winning celebrity humorist, award-winning philanthropist, and bestselling author. With 30+ years of experience, Linda’s mission is to get people fired up and ready to shift! She passionately promises to deliver programs that create powerful shifts for inspired, energized and accountable professionals who show up everyday […]
Electrifying speaker Jess Todtfeld has an incredible talent for inspiring audiences: his magnetic speeches are entertaining and teach audiences how to gain more results in various fields. With more than 20 years of experience in the media industry, Todtfeld helps CEOs, spokespeople, authors, experts and public relations representatives with achieving real results. From the beginning of his career, […]
Lt. Col Jason O Harris is a highly decorated officer and seasoned pilot in the United States Air Force, recognized for his leadership, strategic vision, and commitment to excellence. With over two decades of military service, Lt. Col Harris has accumulated a wealth of experience that transcends the boundaries of conventional leadership. His dynamic approach […]
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