Michael D. Watkins

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.

Latest publications

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Five ways to help leaders who struggle to connect with their teams

4 October 2021 • by Michael D. Watkins in Audio articles • 6 min read

Coaches working with leaders who lack emotional intelligence have a tough job on their hands, but here experts share the strategies that can lead to success. ...

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Return to the office or stay at home? There is a third way

17 September 2021 • by Robert Hooijberg, Michael D. Watkins in Human Resources • 2 min read

Much of the conversation about hybrid work focuses on striking the right balance between the in-person and virtual modes. And we, too, have begun to explore the differences in how leaders need...

Harnessing and sustaining energy: the science of good leadership

15 September 2021 • by Michael D. Watkins in Audio articles • 7 min read