Knowledge@Wharton -- Leadership and Change

Beth Comstock and GE: Imagining the Future

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:54:10 EST

Beth Comstock, a senior vice president and chief marketing officer at General Electric, thinks everyone should embrace change, accept challenges and never fear failure. It is advice that has helped her continue to grow in her career at NBC, CBS and now GE, where, among other things, she convinced the CEO to support a new slogan for the company: "imagination at work." Comstock offered her thoughts during a Wharton Leadership Lecture.

Using Community Libraries to Create Social Change in Rural South Asia

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:54:10 EST

READ Global, an international non-profit that uses community libraries as a platform for creating social change in rural villages throughout India, Bhutan and Nepal, is the winner of the second annual Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize awarded to an organization that is creating social impact through leadership and innovation. Wharton administers the prize on behalf of the University of Pennsylvania. Michael Useem, director of Wharton's Center for Leadership and Change Management, recently interviewed Tina Sciabica, executive director of READ Global. (Video with transcript)

GE's Jeff Immelt on Leadership, Global Risk and Growth

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:49:23 EST

GE CEO Jeff Immelt runs a $240-billion company that operates in 160 countries. He recently sat down for a candid discussion about leadership with Wharton management professor Michael Useem at the Wharton Economic Summit 2013 in New York City. Their conversation covered themes such as competitive advantage, global risk management, public policy, mentorship, growth strategies and even the toughest decision of Immelt�s professional career.

The New Philanthropists: More Sophisticated, More Demanding -- and Younger

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:21:13 EST

Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie once said that he who dies leaving behind many millions will "pass away unwept, unhonored and unsung." That philosophy took root in much of the last century, with major philanthropists giving vast fortunes in their later years to institutions devoted to the public good. But donors today aren't taking any chances. They are integrating the practice of philanthropy into their education and flexing philanthropic muscle at a younger age than their predecessors.

The Cleveland Indians, Sports Agents and the Art of Negotiation

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:19:46 EST

Mark Shapiro got plenty of lessons in negotiation while growing up in Baltimore, thanks to his father, Ron, a sports agent. During a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture, the elder Shapiro and his son, now president of the Cleveland Indians, talked about the qualities important for successful negotiations -- listening, learning, loyalty, respect and the willingness to give a little to get what you want. (Article with video)

Why Mindfulness and Meditation Are Good for Business

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:31:41 EST

In a world focused on increased productivity and instant gratification, it's hard to imagine that businesspeople have much time for meditation. But huge corporations -- including Google, Monsanto, Hearst and National Grid --have discovered the benefits of meditation at work, including improved teamwork, more effective decision-making and lower levels of employee stress. In this interview with Knowledge@Wharton, Mirabai Bush, co-founder of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, spoke with Katherine Klein, vice dean of Wharton's Social Impact Initiative, about the benefits of contemplative thinking. (Podcast with transcript)

To Close the Gender Gap, What Needs to Change -- Women or the System?

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:31:41 EST

The current debate over why too few women have achieved leadership positions in business and government focuses on two alleged culprits -- women who don't try hard enough to promote themselves, and organizations that don't provide workplaces supportive enough of women's needs. But the issue, say men and women alike, is not that black and white.

Steven Ujifusa on William Francis Gibbs and His Ships

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:50:03 EST

Named one of The Wall Street Journal's top 10 nonfiction books of 2012, Steven Ujifusa's A Man and His Ship: America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build the SS United States brings William Francis Gibbs' story to life. Wharton legal studies and business ethics professor G. Richard Shell recently sat down with Ujifusa to learn more about what inspired the author to tell Gibbs' story, what led Gibbs to build ships and how the builder's firm became responsible for 70% of all ships built during World War II. (Video with transcript)

Talking It Out: The New Conversation-centered Leadership

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:49:53 EST

Every year, hundreds of thousands of new graduates enter the business world, eager to climb the corporate ladder. Their progress on the early rungs of that journey will often be determined by qualities like hard work, determination, knowledge and technical proficiency. But Alan S. Berson and Richard G. Stieglitz, authors of Leadership Conversations: Challenging High-Potential Managers to Become Great Leaders, argue that those same qualities prove less helpful at higher rungs on the ladder, and may even be one's downfall if they are not balanced by a very different set of leadership skills.

Book Report: Spring Reading for a Fresh Start

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:28:22 EST

With spring and, for some, the final quarter of the fiscal year just around the corner, many of us are looking ahead to new personal and organizational growth opportunities. This book report features a mix of author interviews and book reviews that will help to reinvigorate how you approach work. In addition, we cover a series of books that offer insight into the fascinating business of food.

Nancy Brinker's Education on the Road to Eradicating Breast Cancer

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:13:57 EST

Nancy Goodman Brinker promised her sister, who died of breast cancer in 1980 at age 36, that she would find a cure for the disease. Within two years, Brinker had launched Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a foundation which has raised nearly $2 billion primarily for breast cancer research. During a Wharton Leadership Lecture, Brinker shared the lessons she has learned since launching the foundation more than 30 years ago.

Health Care Activist Steve Davis: Avoiding the 'I'll Give Back Later' Trap

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:13:57 EST

Steve Davis is president and CEO of PATH, an international nonprofit whose goal is to help communities break longstanding cycles of poor health. The cross-sectoral skills he has accumulated during earlier work in other organizations, he says, are crucial when it comes to adapting innovations to the places that need them most. In a recent interview, he talks about his approach to leadership, the importance of strategic partnerships, the effort to eradicate malaria in northern Africa and how to avoid the 'I'm-going-to-give-back-later [to society]' trap.

Tyco's Ed Breen: During a Crisis, 'Spend a Lot of Time on the Big Swings'

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:55:45 EST

In a career spanning 34 years, Edward Breen has faced many difficult situations, perhaps none as challenging as his most recent assignment -- CEO of Tyco International -- which he took on when the company was facing bankruptcy. In an interview with Wharton management professor Michael Useem, Breen, who just stepped down from Tyco, talks about the importance of knowing when and how to make the "bold, big decisions," mentoring and always raising your hand for assignments, among other topics. (Video with transcript)

Education in Colombia: Is There a Role for the Private Sector?

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:42:59 EST

In recent years, the government of Colombia has faced several obstacles in its attempts to catalyze socioeconomic progress, not the least of which has been working to end a drug war and regain control of most of the territory that had been lost to guerrilla groups. However, as Colombia enters a phase of economic stability and growth, it faces yet another enormous challenge: offering high-quality education to its citizens.

Education in Brazil: Can the Public Sector Keep Up with the Emerging Middle Class?

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:42:24 EST

For any economist studying Brazil, a key question today is: How much can Brazil grow? Brazil has demography on its side, but how does this booming economy remain on its growth path and continue to bring more Brazilians into the nova classe media (emerging middle class)?

Consumer Credit in China

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:24:59 EST

Since being introduced in 1985, credit cards issued in China have grown at an astonishing rate, reaching 285 million in 2011, five times the number in 2006. Growth is expected to continue at 31% per year over the next five years. Yet credit cards are still used mostly for large-ticket items, while cash remains the predominant payment method for smaller purchases. In addition, China's traditional beliefs about personal finance have slowed the adoption of electronic payment methods. Recent studies, however, have also shown that these traditional value systems are changing, and that Western consumption-driven lifestyles are finding their way into China, especially among the youth.

'Needs Improvement': Despite Progress, India's Primary Education System Has a Ways to Go

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:23:35 EST

Over the last decade, while India has taken a number of steps to strengthen its primary education system, the learning outcomes of India's children still lag behind those of other countries. Indeed, one can see the link between India's anemic productivity growth and the lack of progress in countrywide, high-quality education. Why has there been such slow advancement in an area that is so vital to the country's growth and prosperity? The reasons are as diverse and nuanced as India itself.

'An Iron Hand in a Velvet Glove': Challenges Facing Chinese Female Managers

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:23:27 EST

Chinese female executives face a variety of management challenges in a traditionally patriarchal society, even though a number of influences -- such as the Communist Party's efforts to promote gender equality, China's rapid modernization and the One-child Policy -- have weakened the hold of traditional perceptions that relegated women to a subordinate position in society. Indeed, long-standing gender roles and biases in China are still very tangible, expanding Chinese women's obligations both in the workplace and at home.

Joseph Perella and Peter Weinberg: Secrets to a Successful Partnership

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:23:46 EST

Joseph Perella and Peter A. Weinberg were both enjoying successful careers at two of Wall Street's major players, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, respectively. But in 2005, they were feeling the itch to try something new. A year later, they formed a partnership. Today, Perella Weinberg manages about $9 billion in assets. At a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture, the two discussed the intricacies involved in making such a business work.

Carol Bartz on Bad Bosses, Picking Your Fights and Saying 'I Don't Know'

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:23:46 EST

Carol Bartz is widely-known in Silicon Valley for two things: being a high-profile executive at some of the best-known technology companies, and being a pull-no-punches speaker who says whatever is on her mind. Both traits were in evidence at a recent talk on Wharton's San Francisco campus during which she discussed how bad bosses can be as instructive as good ones, how important it is to pick your fights and why she is not a fan of mentoring, among other topics.