Kellogg Executive Education’s mission is lifelong learning. Our on-site programs create an immersive experience that broadens participants' perspectives and introduces new frameworks, while faculty research and writing explores ideas in greater depth. Here, we present that thinking, which spans the wealth of subjects and themes that make up the Executive Education portfolio.
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A laser focus on sales may appear to be the most effective method for growing your business. But when times get tough, and your usual way of doing things isn't possible, try solving problems for your customers instead. They'll appreciate and remember it.
When things go wrong in any business, its leaders’ initial impulse is to shift into defensive mode, cutting costs and curtailing activity in order to ride out the storm as safely as possible. However, choosing the cautious approach is often the wrong way to go.
When talented or experienced labor is scarce, even the best companies may find themselves facing two separate-but-similar types of toxic employee: the solid performer who causes problems and the former star who's no longer productive. Both need to be dealt with.
Dull meetings were already a problem in the in-person era. Now, with COVID-19 forcing a shift from room to Zoom, they’re a virtual issue, too. However, that needn't be the case, according to Sanjay Khosla, who offers some simple techniques for raising engagement.
Developing resilience can help leaders build a decision-making skill set and determine the right thing to do in a difficult situation. It's called moral toughness, and it can provide crucial guidance when navigating the kind of ethical labyrinth presented by a crisis.
How you say it is as important as what you say: Michelle Buck presents ten recommendations for effective leadership communication that help at any time — but are even more important and potent during periods of uncertainty, challenge, change and anxiety.
When periods of disruption and challenge arise, too many organizations brainstorm a plethora of ideas and divide resources chasing shiny, bright objects, says Sanjay Khosla. Instead, leaders should focus on what matters right now and plan carefully for the long term.
Data science is very advanced and good at what it does, say Florian Zettelmeyer and Eric Anderson. But in order to take advantage of its strengths and capabilities, companies must now adapt their business processes so that they can operate in this new environment.
Even with difficult decisions to be made in a crisis, people are far more likely to remember how leaders made them feel and whether their decisions reflected a strong moral compass. Here's what's important for executives to keep in mind in terms of how they'll be judged.
We don’t think of some of our significant life events as stories in the moment. It’s just life happening. But effective leaders generate resilience when they are able to extract insights, particularly from a challenge, and apply them to another situation in the future.
In the best of times, business leaders must trade off various forms of risk against one another, financial risk often being chief among them. But in a time of crisis, leaders must often make difficult trade-offs between the multitude of risks a situation presents.
Few people enjoy confrontation in their personal or professional lives. Family business is a mix of the two worlds, so the prospect is even more daunting. However, dealing with conflict constructively is a valuable skill, so tough conversations are a learning opportunity.
It may sound counterintuitive, but one of the most useful things executives can learn about their company’s competitive advantage is that they don’t have one — and there’s nothing wrong with admitting it. That’s true of many firms, including successful ones.
Business-owning families are often blindsided by the complexity created when family members are called upon to run businesses together, especially when parents, adult children or adult siblings are involved. What's the answer to the problem? Clarity.
Outdoor adventurers know the benefits of clearing your own trail, but it can also be a key part of your leadership tool kit — not the “in the woods” kind, but the kind that requires you to think on your feet, to marshal your best critical thinking skills and more.
Just when you think you've found your footing, another “new normal” avalanche buries your hard work to stabilize business practices. The bad news? It’s always going to be something. The good? You can develop your team so that it's able to roll with the changes.
When seeking opportunities for growth, many companies follow a common-sense rule that's all too common but flawed: they make the size of the market their priority when they ought to target the segment they have a claim to. Instead of going broad, they should go deep.
Companies face a dilemma when dealing with difficult employees in today's tight labor market. Those searching for the holy grail of employee commitment and performance are going to have to go beyond the basics of employee motivation and start getting personal.
If there's one mistake people make when cutting deals, it's that they don't negotiate terms around their differentiators — the things that make them a better choice than a competitor, according to Professor Victoria Medvec. And differentiating is critical.
What’s your leadership story? Though you may not realize you have one, you do, according to Kellogg Clinical Professor of Leadership Michelle Buck. And as a leader, you’re conveying it to those who work with you, even if it’s not the one you’d like to communicate.
One of the most difficult things for a board to assess is the culture of the company. Since culture is a key factor in the success or failure of any enterprise, there are two types of assessments boards need to make with respect to it. Here are the three places to get started.
Giving your people free rein — within the right framework — helps them develop their potential. Prof. Sanjay Khosla explains how he has given “blank checks” throughout his career, creating a legacy of enormous gains, and how it can drive growth in your organization.
What's your motivation? Are you in the right position for your motives to fuel your professional advancement? What drives you? If you don’t know those answers, you may well find yourself in a situation that’s a bad fit for you and your company — and your career could suffer.
If stepping into a new leadership role has you feeling a little nervous, multiply by ten to estimate the apprehension rippling through your new team. While you may be wondering whether you are up for the challenge, the people anticipating your arrival are wondering, “What’s going to happen to me?”
Every journey starts with a map. For leaders, it's a mental map — one that helps them understand where they've been, where they are, and where they want to be. However, on its own, a mental map is not enough. The true power in developing a plan is to write it down, creating a living document.
Feedback continues to be a hot topic in leadership and management circles because it's a very powerful tool for improvement. If you’re a leader, are you asking for feedback? If so, you’re leading by example and demonstrating to others that you have a growth mindset and genuinely care about getting better.
Of the many skills required to serve effectively at the highest levels, none is more important than judgment. The judgment required to lead effectively and to act thoughtfully, beyond instinctual reactions, is a uniquely human capability. Neuroscientists call this competence, “executive function.”
You’re an executive at a company that’s just been featured in a headline-level scandal. How will your brand weather the scandal with consumers? According to research by Kellogg’s Alice Tybout and Wake Forest’s Michelle Roehm, the answer depends on at least three factors.
In August 2017, Tesla Inc. issued a $1.8 billion high yield bond. The issue, which carries a 5.3 percent coupon, matures on August 15, 2025, and is callable after August 15, 2020, at 103...The interesting question is why a corporation such as Tesla would decide to issue debt and convertible debt as the optimal financial policy.
If you ask experienced directors about their biggest complaint about the changes in the boardroom over the last 20 years, I think many would grumble and then say something about Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis. To some, these entities have taken the fun out of being a director, as creativity has been replaced by an increased focus on compliance.