Why do the biggest headlines go to the worst leaders? - I by IMD

Historian-turned-business-professor Martin Gutmann talks to IMD’s Howard Yu about busting the “hero” myth.

Also, how Churchill really won WWII, and the silent strategist who conquered both poles while the flashy explorers froze.

Along the way, Gutmann reveals humility as the ultimate power-skill – and hands leaders a playbook for quietly, predictably winning.

Authors

Howard H. Yu

LEGO® Professor of Management and Innovation

Howard Yu, hailing from Hong Kong, holds the title of LEGO® Professor of Management and Innovation at IMD. He leads the Center for Future Readiness, founded in 2020 with support from the LEGO Brand Group, to guide companies through strategic transformation. Recognized globally for his expertise, he was honored in 2023 with the Thinkers50 Strategy Award, recognizing his substantial contributions to management strategy and future readiness. At IMD, Howard Yu co-directs the Strategy for Future Readiness program and the Future-Ready Enterprise program, which is jointly offered with MIT.

Expert

Martin Gutmann

Professor of Management, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

Martin Gutmann was born in Sweden and has since lived and worked in Japan, the US, Canada, Mauritius, Germany, and Switzerland. From 2016 to 2020, he was the founding Managing Director of the Swiss School of Public Governance at ETH Zurich and is now a Professor of Management at the Lucerne School of Business, Switzerland. He holds a Ph.D. in history and an Executive MBA.

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