How to avoid six leadership decision traps
Explore six common leadership decision traps and proven remedies to improve outcomes, from precise problem framing to securing lasting team buy-in....
Michael D Watkins is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at IMD, and author of The First 90 Days, Master Your Next Move, Predictable Surprises, and 12 other books on leadership and negotiation. His book, The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking, explores how executives can learn to think strategically and lead their organizations into the future. A Thinkers 50-ranked management influencer and recognized expert in his field, his work features in HBR Guides and HBR’s 10 Must Reads on leadership, teams, strategic initiatives, and new managers. Over the past 20 years, he has used his First 90 Days® methodology to help leaders make successful transitions, both in his teaching at IMD, INSEAD, and Harvard Business School, where he gained his PhD in decision sciences, as well as through his private consultancy practice Genesis Advisers. At IMD, he directs the First 90 Days open program for leaders taking on challenging new roles and co-directs the Transition to Business Leadership (TBL) executive program for future enterprise leaders, as well as the Program for Executive Development.
September 23, 2026 • by Michael Watkins in 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....
September 21, 2026 • by Michael Watkins in Artificial Intelligence • 4 min read
Can a CEO's leadership be delegated to an AI avatar? Explore benefits, risks, and guardrails shaping digital leadership....
September 2, 2026 • by Julia Binder, Robert Hooijberg, Alyson Meister, Michael Watkins, John R. Weeks, Stefan Michel, Howard H. Yu in 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....
Explore first person business intelligence from top minds curated for a global executive audience