The Best-Performing CEOs in the World

Morte T. Hansen, Herminia Ibarra and Urs Peyer Leadership Harvard Business Review

A lot of people have blamed short-term thinking for causing our current economic troubles, which has set off a debate about what time window we should use to assess a CEO’s performance. Today boards of directors, senior managers, and investors intensely want to know how CEOs handle the ups and downs of running businesses over an extended period. Many executive …

Women and the “Vision Thing”

Herminia Ibarra and Otilia Obodaru Women & Work Harvard Business Review

Many believe that bias against women lingers in the business world, particularly when it comes to evaluating their leadership ability. Recently, we had a chance to see whether that assumption was true. In a study of thousands of 360-degree assessments collected by Insead’s executive education program over the past five years, we looked at whether women actually received lower ratings …

How Leaders Create and Use Networks

Herminia Ibarra and Mark Lee Hunter Leadership Harvard Business Review

When Henrik Balmer became the production manager and a board member of a newly bought-out cosmetics firm, improving his network was the last thing on his mind. The main problem he faced was time: Where would he find the hours to guide his team through a major upgrade of the production process and then think about strategic issues like expanding …

What’s Your Story?

Herminia Ibarra and Kent Lineback Career Management Harvard Business Review

At a recent networking event, senior managers who’d been downsized out of high-paying corporate jobs took turns telling what they had done before and what they were looking for next. Person after person stood up and recounted a laundry list of credentials and jobs, in chronological order. Many felt compelled to begin with their first job, some even with their …

How to Stay Stuck in the Wrong Career

Herminia Ibarra Career Management Harvard Business Review

Everyone knows a story about a smart and talented businessperson who has lost his or her passion for work, who no longer looks forward to going to the office yet remains stuck without a visible way out. Most everyone knows a story, too, about a person who ditched a 20-year career to pursue something completely different—the lawyer who gave it …

Making Partner: A Mentors Guide to the Psychological Journey

Herminia Ibarra Career Management Harvard Business Review

At some point in their careers, every management consultant, investment banker, and accountant must attempt the leap from professional to partner. For some, it’s an easy jump over the crevasse. They have learned what it takes to woo clients and keep them satisfied; they have learned to lead with confidence. But for most, it’s a frustrating and confusing experience in …