Leadership (Brain Circuits) - IMD Business School

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A leader navigates a maze, representing the decision traps that can prevent effective leadership decisions

How to avoid six leadership decision traps

September 23, 2026 • by Michael Watkins in Leadership (Brain Circuits) • 3 min read

Explore six common leadership decision traps and proven remedies to improve outcomes, from precise problem framing to securing lasting team buy-in....

Three things sport can teach leaders

September 17, 2026 • by Matthijs Büchli, Susan Goldsworthy in Leadership (Brain Circuits) • 2 min read

Olympians Matthijs Büchli and Susan Goldsworthy show how to apply principles from elite sport to achieve your leadership goals with less stress....

High-angle aerial view of a person walking along a curved pathway split by lush greenery, symbolizing conscious leadership choices and navigating organizational change

Is your leadership energizing or enervating?

September 16, 2026 • by Shelley Zalis in Leadership (Brain Circuits) • 2 min read

Is your leadership empowering or draining? A concise guide to humane, effective transformation that sustains performance....

Woman leader navigating translucent barriers representing systemic obstacles to women’s advancement in leadership

Is your leadership machinery impeding progress for women?

September 9, 2026 • by Ginka Toegel in Leadership (Brain Circuits) • 3 min read

Uncover how redesigning leadership machinery removes systemic barriers to women in leadership with measurable governance and sponsorship....

mannequin figures standing on a dark wooden table in front of bookshelves, engaged in a tug-of-war with a red rope tied in a knot, symbolizing tension and the rift between leadership and employees in a toxic workplace

Reconciling the rift: A playbook for toxic workplaces

September 8, 2026 • by Robert Vilkelis in Leadership (Brain Circuits) • 3 min read

Learn how to disrupt executive echo chambers, align KPIs, and restore trust with a systemic approach to toxic workplaces....

A person walks alone through intersecting stone paths and stairways, symbolizing the different directions a career can take

When in Rome, be yourself: Career advice from the experts

September 2, 2026 • by Julia Binder, Robert Hooijberg, Alyson Meister, Michael Watkins, John R. Weeks, Stefan Michel, Howard H. Yu in Leadership (Brain Circuits) • 3 min read

Explore career advice from IMD experts: align strengths with your purpose, play the long game, and make authentic, impactful choices....

yellow canary in a dark coal mine illustrates how employee dissent and behavioral friction can reveal deeper organizational problems

Is your employee really difficult – or the canary in the coal mine?

August 27, 2026 • by Robert Vilkelis in Leadership (Brain Circuits) • 3 min read

Dissent signals are data. Shift from blaming individuals to diagnosing the system, using friction to reveal operational bottlenecks....

Professional woman in a dark blazer holding a notebook, standing beside a modern building with mountains in the background.

How to think like an optimist (and why you should)

August 18, 2026 • by Dorotea Brandin in Leadership (Brain Circuits) • 3 min read

Discover how to think like an optimist and empower your team with proactive and constructive responses to uncertainty....

woven rope lattice with one subtle raised crossing that no longer interlocks, illustrating how a team can appear connected and healthy while an important relationship or collaboration quietly stops functioning

How to spot – and fix – pseudo-engagement in your team

August 13, 2026 • by Amy Bradley in Leadership (Brain Circuits) • 3 min read

Identify signs of pseudo-engagement and apply leadership-focused actions to turn surface satisfaction into real team results....

Wooden peg figures connected by strings and pins, forming a network on a desk to symbolize collaboration or social connections.

How to lead when you’re not the expert: Part 2 – Team doubts

August 4, 2026 • by Francesca-Giulia Mereu in Leadership (Brain Circuits) • 3 min read

Diagnose team doubts and turn uncertainty into trust. A practical guide for new leaders to identify causes and win buy-in with calm, strategic steps....

Tricky decision? Time to get out the scales