Smart City

Despite massive investments, sustainable business still isn't very profitable for most companies. Here's a fresh approach for resetting sustainability for customer value—and profitability. Store aisles packed with products labelled "environmentall...

Luxury and China enter a new era as local brands use technology and fresh value models to challenge Western dominance in a shifting market.

How City Cement is leading Saudi Arabia’s low-carbon cement transition, scaling green solutions and supporting Vision 2030’s economic transformation.

Beige gets a bad rap from brand consultants, but when you’re stressed, it’s hard to think clearly: you need to return to neutral first.

Drawing on his recent IMD podcast with Amar Bhidé, IMD Professor of Management Stefan Michel debunks longstanding misconceptions about entrepreneurship.

The Advanced Academic Leadership Framework provides a comprehensive competency model designed specifically for senior academic leaders operating at institutional levels, including deans, provosts, institute directors and university presidents. Recognizing that academic leadership operates within unique constraints –shared governance, faculty autonomy, distributed expertise, and the dual mission of advancing knowledge while educating future generations – this framework addresses the distinct blend of skills required beyond traditional business executive development. The framework comprises seven interconnected competency areas organized around internal and external leadership dimensions. Its foundation centers on 'Develop Your Inner Leader,' emphasizing self-awareness, emotional intelligence, energy management, and the navigation of tensions between scholarly identity and administrative responsibilities. Six external-facing domains surround this core: developing and implementing strategy within collaborative governance structures; designing effective organizations that balance centralization with academic autonomy; framing and solving complex problems unique to academic contexts; building high-performing teams while managing peer-to-supervisor transitions; influencing within institutions through relationship-building and negotiation; and engaging external stakeholders with cultural intelligence across global contexts. The note addresses the contemporary challenges of higher education, including digital transformation, AI integration, funding constraints and evolving accountability demands. Each competency area provides practical guidance on navigating tensions inherent to academia, such as balancing research excellence with teaching quality, managing long time horizons while remaining adaptable, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across disciplinary silos. A companion self-assessment tool enables leaders to evaluate current capabilities and prioritize development areas. This framework serves academic leaders seeking to drive institutional impact while preserving scholarly values and collaborative culture essential to academic excellence.

Why execution over expenditure defines 2026 readiness, as future-ready companies design adaptable supply chains and operating models for rapid regulation shifts.

Why the way you leave a company can shape your legacy as much as your tenure. Explore how to successfully exit a business.

ZURICH (SWITZERLAND), 14 JUNE 2024. The sustainability team at On had been on high alert as TV journalists were once again investigating some of its sustainability claims. Founded in 2010 by former Swiss Ironman champion Olivier Bernhard, the company rapidly gained a reputation among professional athletes, in particular triathletes, for its proprietary cushioning technology. On’s sales grew exponentially, as did its reputation, particularly when Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer became a significant shareholder and company advocate in 2019. Listed on the NYSE, the company reported CHF 1.79 billion in revenues in 2023. Its impact reports vaunted its ambition to “be the thought and action leader on sustainability in the sportswear industry.” The TV program tore apart the sustainability claims of the Cloudneo Cyclon, On’s first running shoe with a circular claim and 100% recyclability. Having investigated the firm’s supply chain, the journalists identified high risk manufacturing practices in the heart of Marseille (France), underpaid Vietnamese workers and recyclability that was still a distant dream. The sustainability team now has to enter crisis management mode and craft a proper response to journalists’ serious allegations.

Global brands expert Philip Thomas suggests simple ways for businesses to walk the tightrope between buzz and backlash in today’s divisive cultural and political landscape.