I by IMD - First-person Business Intelligence from the Brightest Thinkers - Page 3

Latest insights

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 Brain Circuits • 3 min read

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

A healthy debate: CHROs can use geopolitical opinion to unite, rather than divide the workforce

August 26, 2026 • by Katharina Lange in Human Resources • 4 min read

IMD’s Katharina Lange explains how CHROs can strike a balance between respecting employee opinions and preserving organizational performance and integrity....

Man stands on a rocky cliff at the edge, looking out over a calm blue sea on a sunny day.

Starting to lose focus? Take a well-earned (micro) break

August 25, 2026 • by Alyson Meister in Wellness • 7 min read

Leaders can sustain performance and make better decisions by managing their cognitive energy as deliberately as they manage their time, writes Alyson Meister....

Three glass panels reveal a landscape with increasing clarity, representing how businesses identify signals, interpret information and turn insight into action for successful growth

Are you practicing the three key steps to scaling up?

August 25, 2026 • by Alfredo De Massis, Silvia Sanasi in Brain Circuits • 3 min read

Learn how fintech scale-ups turned insights into action via scoping, sensemaking, and enabling, plus a structured checklist for growth....

Container ship sailing through a narrow coastal passage lined with rugged beige cliffs, stacked colorful cargo containers on deck.

What the Strait of Hormuz crisis shows executives about supply chains

August 24, 2026 • by I by IMD in Supply chain • 5 min read

The crisis has exposed weaknesses that many companies still share. From chokepoints to sourcing strategies, here are takeaways for executives.   ...

Singaporean security giant Certis believes CHROs must focus on transformation and trust

August 24, 2026 • by I by IMD in Artificial Intelligence • 5 min read

The CHRO should be at the heart of modern business strategy says Jaclyn Lee of Singapore’s security service provider, Certis....

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Become a conscious disruptor to avoid exhausting your people

August 21, 2026 • by Shelley Zalis in Leadership • 4 min read

Employees are suffering from change fatigue. Leaders need to balance stability with reinvention to combat resistance, says Shelley Zalis....

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IEA chief Fatih Birol on how to navigate the age of electricity

August 20, 2026 • by David Bach in Geopolitics • 2 min read • Podcast available

IEA chief Fatih Birol on the age of electricity, Europe’s strategic energy mistakes, the Hormuz shock – and why trust is now an energy asset....

next-generation professional stands at a forked path between a modern glass building and a historic stone building, symbolizing the choice between entrepreneurial independence and eventually returning to lead the family business

Should your kids leave the family business before they lead?

August 20, 2026 • by Alfredo De Massis, Philipp Sieger, Jasper Brinkerink, Massimo Baù, Johan Karlsson in Family business • 8 min read

Should kids leave the family business to lead later? Learn how outside-entrepreneurship strengthens leadership, ownership, and long-term renewal....

Compass resting on a circuit-board surface with a winding road and distant mountains, symbolizing navigation in technology.

Why career relevance matters much more than career progression

August 20, 2026 • by Arturo Pasquel in Talent • 7 min read

The real measure of a successful career is no longer how consistently we progress, but how consistently we remain relevant. The leaders who endure are those who continue creating value, regardless of...

building with visible underground foundations extending deep below the surface, symbolizing the resilience, strategic foresight, and long-term value creation that support organizational longevity

Does your board meet these seven sustainability tests?

August 20, 2026 • by Matthias Altendorf in Brain Circuits • 2 min read

Explore seven sustainability tests that help boards align initiatives with value creation, resilience, and long-term corporate longevity...

Appreciating what you have during uncertainty

Why uncertainty can increase job satisfaction

August 19, 2026 • by Emily Bianchi in Leadership • 7 min read

Conventional wisdom suggests uncertainty undermines morale. Research shows it can have the opposite effect. Here are five actions leaders can take to build engagement and resilience when times are tough....

From setback to system change: How leaders can learn from transformational resilience

August 19, 2026 • by Luca Condosta in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion • 8 min read

A new framework maps out how to move from surviving setbacks to reshaping systems, illustrated by Martine Roy's journey from forced military discharge to sustained institutional reform. ...

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The $2 hot dog strategy: Why AI can’t replace five-star service

August 18, 2026 • by Howard H. Yu in Artificial Intelligence • 7 min read

AI is taking the effort out of professional services, and customers know it. Businesses must stop selling billable hours and start delivering unreasonable hospitality, writes Howard Yu....

Audio available

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 Brain Circuits • 3 min read

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

Group of four people in ancient robes on a wooden sailing ship at sunset, gazing toward the horizon.

What the Odyssey teaches us about generational succession

August 17, 2026 • by Alfredo De Massis in Family business • 7 min read

The real hero of The Odyssey isn't Odysseus; it’s Telemachus, and every family business should know why....

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How the Mulliez family built a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem

August 14, 2026 • by Peter Vogel, Anouk Lavoie Orlick in Family business • 7 min read

Antoine Mayaud, a shareholder and member of the Association Familiale Mulliez (AFM) behind Decathlon and Auchan, explains how the family embedded entrepreneurship into its culture and processes, creating a system that repeatedly...

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Building trust in a complex global business

August 14, 2026 • by Mark J. Greeven in Leadership • 7 min read

How COFCO International rebuilt trust under Chi Jingtao (Johnny) with alignment, values, and visible leadership....

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 Brain Circuits • 3 min read

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

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Honestly speaking? Your board is probably too vanilla

August 13, 2026 • by Parminder Kohli in Governance • 7 min read

Modern corporate governance is built for a stable world that no longer exists. If your board members look diverse on paper but always agree in practice, then it’s time for a rethink,...