Retaining entrepreneurial spirit during hypergrowth at sportswear brand On (A)

Alex Reinhardt was brought in to turn around a renewable-energy company that had been on the verge of bankruptcy until the German government bailed it out. After he fainted from overwork and burnout and had to take a medical leave, the board appoi...

In the past, many business leaders could operate much like the generic merchants in Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. They could pursue their own personal and corporate ends, while resting assured that an “invisible hand” would promote the pub...

In late 2020, as the world began to emerge from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wärtsilä, a Finnish corporation specializing in power systems, made a bold decision. Despite being a well-established company with a strong track record in...

SEPTEMBER 2023, SÃO PAULO (BRAZIL). Gustavo Buffara was painstakingly putting the finishing touches on the IG4 Private Equity Fund III presentation. Co-founded by Gustavo in 2016, IG4 Capital had grown to become a leading force in private equity in Latin America with a unique value proposition that focused on private equity special situations. With 52 professionals worldwide across seven offices (in São Paulo, London, Lima, Madrid, Bogotá, Washington, DC and Santiago), the firm was now heading to manage some $1.7 billion, with more than $1.1 billion invested in special situations over recent years. What made Gustavo particularly proud was the fact that the firm was able to operate not only under the highest sustainability standards, as an early signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), but also as a fully certified B Corp, a first in emerging market private equity. IG4’s portfolio companies now generated more than $2 billion of turnover with around 20,000 employees in different countries across Latin America, and many of them had achieved or were on their way to their own B Corp certifications. Could a Cerberus-inspired special situations strategy, often perceived as brutal, be adapted to a more culturally sensitive, developing-market equivalent, with clearer environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration? In other words, could “vulture capital” be turned into “culture capital”? The value proposition resonated with investors, and the track record of IG4 Funds I and II were now solid pillars upon which to build. But what else could the company do to ensure that its private equity investments in different segments, with a deep ESG toolbox, would help establish sustainable capitalism in the Latin American region? What else should it consider doing to reaffirm its ESG credentials even further?

The role of HR is rapidly changing. IMD’s Lars Häggström draws out the key themes from a new series of in-depth interviews

When I was eight years old, I watched the Mexico Olympics on television and thought ‘I want to do that.’ It took eight years and an incredible amount of work, including extraordinary highs and lows, to achieve that goal.

This note explores the critical skill of leading across cultures in global and diverse business environments. It addresses the challenges and opportunities presented by cross-cultural teams, providing leaders with strategies to navigate cultural differences and leverage diversity for enhanced performance and innovation. The note begins by outlining potential pitfalls in cross-cultural leadership, such as miscommunication, cultural stereotyping and varying expectations around decision-making and work styles. It then highlights the value creation opportunities, including diverse perspectives, enhanced creativity and increased organizational adaptability. A significant portion of the note is dedicated to understanding key areas of cultural difference, including communication styles, decision-making processes, attitudes toward time, relationship expectations, power dynamics and tolerance for ambiguity. It provides a comparative analysis of these dimensions across different national cultures. The note offers ten comprehensive strategies for effective cross-cultural leadership, ranging from cultivating cultural intelligence to managing virtual cross-cultural teams. It emphasizes the importance of developing cultural intelligence (CQ) and provides guidance on how leaders can enhance their CQ and foster it within their teams. Practical tools, such as a cross-cultural leadership preparation checklist, are included to help leaders apply the concepts in their work. The note concludes with a list of references for further reading on the subject.

Early in his career, Dolf van den Brink, CEO of Heineken since 2020, did everything he could to project an image of authority – including wearing spectacles he didn't need. It wasn't until he learned to be comfortable in his skin that he began to ...

Not getting enough sleep affects not only your leadership performance but that of your team. Follow these eight tips to get a good night’s sleep and become a better leader.

How quick thinking, strategic choices, and trust in the team kept one of the world’s most iconic landmarks from destruction – lessons every leader can apply in times of crisis.