October 2005

In companies where leadership development really works, it is not a stand-alone activity. It is a core process of the business, dyed into its very fabric.

Strategy at many companies is almost completely disconnected from execution. Establishing a dedicated unit to orchestrate both will help to bridge the divide.

It’s a place where more energy is put into thwarting things than starting them, but in the nicest way. A startling percentage of companies, especially large, established ones, display the symptoms.

Board practices for monitoring technology investments vary widely and often wildly. As technology’s cost, complexity, and consequences grow, directors need a framework to develop IT policies that fit the companies they oversee.

Companies must pay as much attention to the hard side of change management as they do to the soft aspects. By rigorously focusing on four critical elements, they can stack the odds in favor of success.

The HR manager at Medignostics sees a disaster on the horizon: The company’s workforce is aging, and it can’t attract young talent. But his bosses are more concerned with cutting costs here and now. How can he persuade them to take the long view?

The best leaders have an almost uncanny ability to understand the context they live in—and to seize the opportunities their times present. A look at U.S. business history shows how they do it.

The New York Times expects real business benefits from its new headquarters building because the company is taking an aggressively active role at every stage of its design and construction.

If you’re like many product-centric companies, you’re scrambling to grow your revenues from services. The best ways begin with making the products themselves smarter.