HBR On Strategy

Harvard Business Review
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HBR On Strategy

Hand-curated insights and inspiration to unlock new ways of doing business.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    To Grow Profitably, Take It Slow

    Many companies, especially in the tech world, have come to embrace the idea of growth at all costs. But according to research from Gary Pisano, professor at Harvard Business School, most firms fail to consistently increase revenues and profits over the long term, adjusting for inflation. In this episode, Pisano explains why it’s important for leaders to think more strategically about not just the rate of growth they want to achieve but the direction they want to grow in and their method for doing so. Trying to grow too fast can be the downfall of many organizations. He shares examples of companies that have fallen into this trap, as well as those getting the balance right. Pisano wrote the HBR article “How Fast Should Your Company Really Grow?“ Key episode topics include: Growth strategy, strategy, competitive advantage, profitability, sustainable business practices HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week. · Listen to the full HBR IdeaCast episode: Rethinking Growth at All Costs · Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org ]]>

    30 min

  2. 19 FEB

    Turn Your Supply Chain into an Innovation Engine

    Imagine a company that, in a matter of weeks, can develop, prototype, build, and deliver innovative products. That’s exactly what Haier, one of the world’s largest home appliance manufacturers, achieved in 2019. When the city of Wuhan urgently needed mobile isolation wards to curb the spread of Covid-19, Haier leveraged their open digital supply chain platform to deliver in record time. In this episode, Kasra Ferdows, an operations management professor at Georgetown University, explains how open digital platforms facilitate innovation and problem solving by making the entire supply chain more transparent to suppliers. Key episode topics include: Supply chain management, strategy, innovation, competitive advantage, operations HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week. · Listen to the full HBR IdeaCast episode: Open Digital Platforms to Spur Innovation · Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org ]]>

    25 min

  3. 12 FEB

    Using New Tech to Compete in an Old Industry

    The insurance industry is centuries old and has historically been dominated by a few large incumbents. But the industry is experiencing disruption from smaller tech-driven companies—known as insurtechs—that are changing how insurance is bought and sold. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Lauren Cohen explores how insurtech firm Hippo is challenging traditional insurance models. He explains how Hippo is eliminating the need for insurance agents and using AI to lower prices. And he breaks down Hippo’s unique approach to targeting customers who live in riskier markets and are comfortable with digital platforms. Key episode topics include: insurance, disruptive innovation, artificial intelligence, growth strategy, long-term growth, competitive advantage, climate change, case studies HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week. · Listen to the full Cold Call episode: How One Insurtech Firm Formulated a Strategy for Climate Change · Find more episodes of Cold Call · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org ]]>

    27 min

  4. 5 FEB

    The Key to Sustaining an Enduring Competitive Advantage

    It’s a holy grail for many businesses—the search for sustainable competitive advantage. But Chris Zook points out that it’s elusive for most companies. He notes that less than one in 10 companies even achieve a modest level of sustained and profitable growth over a 10-year period on average. Zook is the former head of Bain’s global strategy practice and coauthor of the book Repeatability: Build Enduring Businesses for a World of Constant Change. In this episode, he shares three key principles that can help your organization find and maintain an enduring competitive advantage, with real-world examples drawn from IKEA, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Nike. Key episode topics include: strategy, leadership, growth strategy, long-term growth, competitive advantage, case studies. HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week. · Listen to the full HBR IdeaCast episode: Good Strategy’s Non-Negotiables (2021) · Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org ]]>

    19 min

  5. 29 JAN

    A Restaurant Innovator’s Recipe for Strategic Growth

    For a long time in the restaurant industry, there were two types of dining experiences: fast food or table service. But Ron Shaich, founder and former chairman and CEO of Panera Bread, managed to create an entirely new category in between the two: fast casual. That innovative idea laid the groundwork for companies like Chipotle, Sweetgreen, and beyond. In this episode, Shaich breaks down his core strategies for successful innovation in the restaurant industry: pinpoint what your customers truly want, differentiate your offering, execute with excellence, and focus on growth. He argues that these strategies aren’t only relevant for the food industry — they can be used to scale any type of organization. Key episode topics include: strategy, customer service, entrepreneurship, going public, growth strategy, scaling entrepreneurial ventures, strategy execution, restaurants, fast casual, panera, chipotle, sweetgreen, innovation, disruption. HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week. · Listen to the full HBR IdeaCast episode: Fast Casual Food Pioneer Ron Shaich Explains How to Find a Niche — and then Scale (2023) · Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org ]]>

    32 min

  6. 22 JAN

    A Middle Manager’s Guide to Executing Strategy

    Imagine this scenario: Your company’s executive team has just announced their new master plan for growing the business. Now it’s your job, as a mid-level manager, to put it into practice. So where do you start? In this episode, strategy consultant Andrea Belk Olson explains how to make the most of a plan that you may or may not agree with and that you may or may not have had any input into. She also has advice about the questions you should ask yourself before taking action, how to handle resistance from people you manage, and what to do if the new strategy isn’t working well. Key episode topics include: strategy, strategy execution, growth strategy, managing people, managing up. HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week. · Listen to the full Women at Work episode: How to Manage: Executing Strategy (2024) · Find more episodes of Women at Work · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org ]]>

    47 min

  7. 15 JAN

    Competitive Strategy Lessons from the LIV Golf and PGA Tour Merger

    In June 2022, the first ever LIV Golf event teed off outside of London. Offering players larger prizes and more flexibility, LIV Golf aimed to disrupt the sport. In response, the PGA Tour suspended all players who participated in the LIV Golf event, escalating tensions between the two entities. This conflict culminated in LIV Golf filing an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour. Then, in a surprising turn of events, the two tours announced their merger in June 2023. University of Virginia associate professor Alexander MacKay discusses the competitive and regulatory issues at stake and whether or not the PGA Tour took the right actions in response to LIV Golf’s entry in his case, “LIV Golf.” In this episode, He explores how a dominant organization like the PGA Tour can respond to challenges from innovative competitors. He also shares lessons from the PGA Tour’s response to LIV Golf’s market entrance and explains when it makes more sense to treat a competitor as a partner rather than an adversary. Key episode topics include: strategy, business management, antitrust laws, disruptive innovation, professional sports industry, media, entertainment, and professional sports, golf, merger. HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week. · Listen to the original HBR Cold Call episode: The PGA Tour and LIV Golf Merger: Competition Vs. Cooperation (2023) · Find more episodes of Cold Call · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org ]]>

    28 min

  8. 8 JAN

    Strategies for Managing Talent Amid Uncertainty and Competition

    In the last half century, relationships between employers and their employees have evolved away from being rooted in long-term loyalty to a new paradigm of short-term alliances driven by uncertainty and competition. Entrepreneurs and coauthors Ben Casnocha and Chris Yeh argue that the new world of work isn’t so different from the typical conditions that many entrepreneurs operate in. And if you’re a manager, you may need a new strategy to hire and retain top talent. Casnocha and Yeh, coauthors of the book The Startup of You, explain why it’s important for your organization to build internal and external employee networks—and how to get started if you don’t already have those groups in place informally. Key episode topics include: strategy, entrepreneurship, talent management. HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week. · Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Talent Strategies for the Post-Loyalty World (2013) · Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast · Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org ]]>

    21 min
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About

Hand-curated insights and inspiration to unlock new ways of doing business.

Information

  • Channel
    Harvard Business Review
  • Creator
    Harvard Business Review
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    99
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.

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