research on leadership and management

• Browse All Articles
• Newsletter Sign-Up

Leadership →

• 01 May 2024
• What Do You Think?

Have You Had Enough?

James Heskett has been asking readers, “What do you think?” for 24 years on a wide variety of management topics. In this farewell column, Heskett reflects on the changing leadership landscape and thanks his readers for consistently weighing in over the years. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 26 Apr 2024

Deion Sanders' Prime Lessons for Leading a Team to Victory

The former star athlete known for flash uses unglamorous command-and-control methods to get results as a college football coach. Business leaders can learn 10 key lessons from the way 'Coach Prime' builds a culture of respect and discipline without micromanaging, says Hise Gibson.

• 26 Mar 2024
• Cold Call Podcast

How Do Great Leaders Overcome Adversity?

In the spring of 2021, Raymond Jefferson (MBA 2000) applied for a job in President Joseph Biden’s administration. Ten years earlier, false allegations were used to force him to resign from his prior US government position as assistant secretary of labor for veterans’ employment and training in the Department of Labor. Two employees had accused him of ethical violations in hiring and procurement decisions, including pressuring subordinates into extending contracts to his alleged personal associates. The Deputy Secretary of Labor gave Jefferson four hours to resign or be terminated. Jefferson filed a federal lawsuit against the US government to clear his name, which he pursued for eight years at the expense of his entire life savings. Why, after such a traumatic and debilitating experience, would Jefferson want to pursue a career in government again? Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer Anthony Mayo explores Jefferson’s personal and professional journey from upstate New York to West Point to the Obama administration, how he faced adversity at several junctures in his life, and how resilience and vulnerability shaped his leadership style in the case, "Raymond Jefferson: Trial by Fire."

• 24 Jan 2024

Why Boeing’s Problems with the 737 MAX Began More Than 25 Years Ago

Aggressive cost cutting and rocky leadership changes have eroded the culture at Boeing, a company once admired for its engineering rigor, says Bill George. What will it take to repair the reputational damage wrought by years of crises involving its 737 MAX?

• 02 Jan 2024

Do Boomerang CEOs Get a Bad Rap?

Several companies have brought back formerly successful CEOs in hopes of breathing new life into their organizations—with mixed results. But are we even measuring the boomerang CEOs' performance properly? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• Research & Ideas

10 Trends to Watch in 2024

Employees may seek new approaches to balance, even as leaders consider whether to bring more teams back to offices or make hybrid work even more flexible. These are just a few trends that Harvard Business School faculty members will be following during a year when staffing, climate, and inclusion will likely remain top of mind.

• 12 Dec 2023

Can Sustainability Drive Innovation at Ferrari?

When Ferrari, the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, committed to achieving carbon neutrality and to electrifying a large part of its car fleet, investors and employees applauded the new strategy. But among the company’s suppliers, the reaction was mixed. Many were nervous about how this shift would affect their bottom lines. Professor Raffaella Sadun and Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna discuss how Ferrari collaborated with suppliers to work toward achieving the company’s goal. They also explore how sustainability can be a catalyst for innovation in the case, “Ferrari: Shifting to Carbon Neutrality.” This episode was recorded live December 4, 2023 in front of a remote studio audience in the Live Online Classroom at Harvard Business School.

• 05 Dec 2023

Lessons in Decision-Making: Confident People Aren't Always Correct (Except When They Are)

A study of 70,000 decisions by Thomas Graeber and Benjamin Enke finds that self-assurance doesn't necessarily reflect skill. Shrewd decision-making often comes down to how well a person understands the limits of their knowledge. How can managers identify and elevate their best decision-makers?

• 21 Nov 2023

The Beauty Industry: Products for a Healthy Glow or a Compact for Harm?

Many cosmetics and skincare companies present an image of social consciousness and transformative potential, while profiting from insecurity and excluding broad swaths of people. Geoffrey Jones examines the unsightly reality of the beauty industry.

• 14 Nov 2023

Do We Underestimate the Importance of Generosity in Leadership?

Management experts applaud leaders who are, among other things, determined, humble, and frugal, but rarely consider whether they are generous. However, executives who share their time, talent, and ideas often give rise to legendary organizations. Does generosity merit further consideration? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 24 Oct 2023

From P.T. Barnum to Mary Kay: Lessons From 5 Leaders Who Changed the World

What do Steve Jobs and Sarah Breedlove have in common? Through a series of case studies, Robert Simons explores the unique qualities of visionary leaders and what today's managers can learn from their journeys.

• 06 Oct 2023

Yes, You Can Radically Change Your Organization in One Week

Skip the committees and the multi-year roadmap. With the right conditions, leaders can confront even complex organizational problems in one week. Frances Frei and Anne Morriss explain how in their book Move Fast and Fix Things.

• 26 Sep 2023

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf Merger: Competition vs. Cooperation

On June 9, 2022, the first LIV Golf event teed off outside of London. The new tour offered players larger prizes, more flexibility, and ambitions to attract new fans to the sport. Immediately following the official start of that tournament, the PGA Tour announced that all 17 PGA Tour players participating in the LIV Golf event were suspended and ineligible to compete in PGA Tour events. Tensions between the two golf entities continued to rise, as more players “defected” to LIV. Eventually LIV Golf filed an antitrust lawsuit accusing the PGA Tour of anticompetitive practices, and the Department of Justice launched an investigation. Then, in a dramatic turn of events, LIV Golf and the PGA Tour announced that they were merging. Harvard Business School assistant professor Alexander MacKay discusses the competitive, antitrust, and regulatory issues at stake and whether or not the PGA Tour took the right actions in response to LIV Golf’s entry in his case, “LIV Golf.”

• 01 Aug 2023

As Leaders, Why Do We Continue to Reward A, While Hoping for B?

Companies often encourage the bad behavior that executives publicly rebuke—usually in pursuit of short-term performance. What keeps leaders from truly aligning incentives and goals? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 05 Jul 2023

What Kind of Leader Are You? How Three Action Orientations Can Help You Meet the Moment

Executives who confront new challenges with old formulas often fail. The best leaders tailor their approach, recalibrating their "action orientation" to address the problem at hand, says Ryan Raffaelli. He details three action orientations and how leaders can harness them.

How Are Middle Managers Falling Down Most Often on Employee Inclusion?

Companies are struggling to retain employees from underrepresented groups, many of whom don't feel heard in the workplace. What do managers need to do to build truly inclusive teams? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 14 Jun 2023

Every Company Should Have These Leaders—or Develop Them if They Don't

Companies need T-shaped leaders, those who can share knowledge across the organization while focusing on their business units, but they should be a mix of visionaries and tacticians. Hise Gibson breaks down the nuances of each leader and how companies can cultivate this talent among their ranks.

Four Steps to Building the Psychological Safety That High-Performing Teams Need

Struggling to spark strategic risk-taking and creative thinking? In the post-pandemic workplace, teams need psychological safety more than ever, and a new analysis by Amy Edmondson highlights the best ways to nurture it.

• 31 May 2023

From Prison Cell to Nike’s C-Suite: The Journey of Larry Miller

VIDEO: Before leading one of the world’s largest brands, Nike executive Larry Miller served time in prison for murder. In this interview, Miller shares how education helped him escape a life of crime and why employers should give the formerly incarcerated a second chance. Inspired by a Harvard Business School case study.

• 23 May 2023

The Entrepreneurial Journey of China’s First Private Mental Health Hospital

The city of Wenzhou in southeastern China is home to the country’s largest privately owned mental health hospital group, the Wenzhou Kangning Hospital Co, Ltd. It’s an example of the extraordinary entrepreneurship happening in China’s healthcare space. But after its successful initial public offering (IPO), how will the hospital grow in the future? Harvard Professor of China Studies William C. Kirby highlights the challenges of China’s mental health sector and the means company founder Guan Weili employed to address them in his case, Wenzhou Kangning Hospital: Changing Mental Healthcare in China.

What is leadership?

All leaders, to a certain degree, do the same thing. Whether you’re talking about an executive, manager, sports coach, or schoolteacher, leadership is about guiding and impacting outcomes, enabling groups of people to work together to accomplish what they couldn’t do working individually. In this sense, leadership is something you do, not something you are. Some people in formal leadership positions are poor leaders, and many people exercising leadership have no formal authority. It is their actions, not their words, that inspire trust and energy.

Get to know and directly engage with senior McKinsey experts on leadership

Aaron De Smet is a senior partner in McKinsey’s New Jersey office, Carolyn Dewar is a senior partner in the Bay Area office, Scott Keller is a senior partner in the Southern California office, and Vik Malhotra and Ramesh Srinivasan are senior partners in the New York office.

What’s more, leadership is not something people are born with—it is a skill you can learn. At the core are mindsets, which are expressed through observable behaviors , which then lead to measurable outcomes. Is a leader communicating effectively or engaging others by being a good listener? Focusing on behaviors lets us be more objective when assessing leadership effectiveness. The key to unlocking shifts in behavior is focusing on mindsets, becoming more conscious about our thoughts and beliefs, and showing up with integrity as our full authentic selves.

There are many contexts and ways in which leadership is exercised. But, according to McKinsey analysis of academic literature as well as a survey of nearly 200,000 people in 81 organizations all over the world, there are four types of behavior that account for 89 percent of leadership effectiveness :

• being supportive
• operating with a strong results orientation
• seeking different perspectives
• solving problems effectively

Effective leaders know that what works in one situation will not necessarily work every time. Leadership strategies must reflect each organization’s context and stage of evolution. One important lens is organizational health, a holistic set of factors that enable organizations to grow and succeed over time. A situational approach  enables leaders to focus on the behaviors that are most relevant as an organization becomes healthier.

Senior leaders must develop a broad range of skills to guide organizations. Ten timeless topics are important for leading nearly any organization, from attracting and retaining talent  to making culture a competitive advantage. A 2017 McKinsey book, Leading Organizations: Ten Timeless Truths (Bloomsbury, 2017), goes deep on each aspect.

How is leadership evolving?

In the past, leadership was called “management,” with an emphasis on providing technical expertise and direction. The context was the traditional industrial economy command-and-control organization, where leaders focused exclusively on maximizing value for shareholders. In these organizations, leaders had three roles: planners (who develop strategy, then translate that strategy into concrete steps), directors (who assign responsibilities), or controllers (who ensure people do what they’ve been assigned and plans are adhered to).

What are the limits of traditional management styles?

Traditional management was revolutionary in its day and enormously effective in building large-scale global enterprises that have materially improved lives over the past 200 years. However, with the advent of the 21st century, this approach is reaching its limits.

For one thing, this approach doesn’t guarantee happy or loyal managers or workers. Indeed, a large portion of American workers—56 percent— claim their boss is mildly or highly toxic , while 75 percent say dealing with their manager is the most stressful part of their workday.

For 21st-century organizations operating in today’s complex business environment, a fundamentally new and more effective approach to leadership is emerging. Leaders today are beginning to focus on building agile, human-centered, and digitally enabled organizations able to thrive in today’s unprecedented environment and meet the needs of a broader range of stakeholders (customers, employees, suppliers, and communities, in addition to investors).

What is the emerging new approach to leadership?

This new approach to leadership is sometimes described as “ servant leadership .” While there has been some criticism of the nomenclature, the idea itself is simple: rather than being a manager directing and controlling people, a more effective approach is for leaders to be in service of the people they lead. The focus is on how leaders can make the lives of their team members easier—physically, cognitively, and emotionally. Research suggests this mentality can enhance both team performance and satisfaction.

In this new approach, leaders practice empathy, compassion, vulnerability, gratitude, self-awareness, and self-care. They provide appreciation and support, creating psychological safety so their employees are able to collaborate, innovate, and raise issues as appropriate. This includes celebrating achieving the small steps on the way to reaching big goals and enhancing people’s well-being through better human connections. These conditions have been shown to allow for a team’s best performance.

More broadly, developing this new approach to leadership can be expressed as making five key shifts that include, build on, and extend beyond traditional approaches:

• beyond executive to visionary, shaping a clear purpose that resonates with and generates holistic impact for all stakeholders
• beyond planner to architect, reimagining industries and innovating business systems that are able to create new levels of value
• beyond director to catalyst, engaging people to collaborate in open, empowered networks
• beyond controller to coach, enabling the organization to constantly evolve through rapid learning, and enabling colleagues to build new mindsets, knowledge, and skills
• beyond boss to human, showing up as one’s whole, authentic self

Together, these shifts can help a leader expand their repertoire and create a new level of value for an organization’s stakeholders. The last shift is the most important, as it is based on developing a new level of consciousness and awareness of our inner state. Leaders who look inward  and take a journey of genuine self-discovery make profound shifts in themselves and their lives; this means they are better able to benefit their organization. That involves developing “profile awareness” (a combination of a person’s habits of thought, emotions, hopes, and behavior in different circumstances) and “state awareness” (the recognition of what’s driving a person to take action). Combining individual, inward-looking work with outward-facing actions can help create lasting change.

Introducing McKinsey Explainers : Direct answers to complex questions

Leaders must learn to make these five shifts at three levels : transforming and evolving personal mindsets and behaviors; transforming teams to work in new ways; and transforming the broader organization by building new levels of agility, human-centeredness, and value creation into the entire enterprise’s design and culture.

An example from the COVID-19 era offers a useful illustration of this new approach to leadership. In pursuit of a vaccine breakthrough, at the start of the pandemic Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel increased the frequency of executive meetings  from once a month to twice a week. The company implemented a decentralized model enabling teams to work independently and deliver on the bold goal of providing 100 million doses of vaccines in 12 months. “The pace was unprecedented,” Bancel said.

What is the impact of this new approach to leadership?

This new approach to leadership is far more effective. While the dynamics are complex, countless studies show empirical links among effective leadership, employee satisfaction, customer loyalty, and profitability.

How can leaders empower employees?

Empowering employees , surprisingly enough, might mean taking a more hands-on leadership approach. Organizations whose leaders successfully empower others through coaching are nearly four times more likely to make swift, good decisions and outperform other companies . But this type of coaching isn’t always natural for those with a more controlling or autocratic style.

Here are five tips to get started  if you’re a leader looking to empower others:

• Provide clear rules, for example, by providing guardrails for what success looks like and communicating who makes which decisions. Clarity and boundary structures like role remits and responsibilities help to contain any anxiety associated with work and help teams stay focused on their primary tasks.
• Establish clear roles, say, by assigning one person the authority to make certain decisions.
• Avoid being a complicit manager—for instance, if you’ve delegated a decision to a team, don’t step in and solve the problem for them.
• Address culture and skills, for instance, by helping employees learn how to have difficult conversations.
• Begin soliciting personal feedback from others, at all levels of your organization, on how you are experienced as a leader.

How can leaders communicate effectively?

Good, clear communication is a leadership hallmark. Fundamental tools of effective communication  include:

• defining and pointing to long-term goals
• listening to and understanding stakeholders
• creating openings for dialogue
• communicating proactively

And in times of uncertainty, these things are important for crisis communicators :

• give people what they need, when they need it
• communicate clearly, simply, and frequently
• choose candor over charisma
• revitalize a spirit of resilience
• distill meaning from chaos
• support people, teams, and organizations to build the capability for self-sufficiency

Learn more about our People & Organizational Performance Practice .

Is leadership different in a hybrid workplace?

A leader’s role may look slightly different in remote or hybrid workplace settings . Rather than walking around a physical site, these leaders might instead model what hybrid looks like, or orchestrate work based on tasks, interactions, or purpose. Being communicative and radiating positivity  can go a long way. Leaders need to find other ways to be present and accessible, for example, via virtual drop-in sessions, regular company podcasts, or virtual townhalls. Leaders in these settings may also need to find new ways to get authentic feedback. These tactics can include pulse surveys or learning to ask thoughtful follow-up questions that reveal useful management insights.

Additional considerations, such as making sure that in-person work and togetherness has a purpose, are important. Keeping an eye on inclusivity in hybrid work  is also crucial. Listening to what employees want, with an eye to their lived experience, will be vital to leaders in these settings. And a focus on output, outcomes, results, and impact—rather than arbitrary norms about time spent in offices— may be a necessary adaptation in the hybrid era .

How should CEOs lead in this new world?

Just as for leadership more broadly, today’s environment requires CEOs to lead very differently. Recent research indicates that one-third to one-half of new CEOs fail within 18 months.

What helps top performers thrive today? To find out, McKinsey led a research effort to identify the CEOs who achieved breakaway success. We examined 20 years’ worth of data on 7,800 CEOs—from 3,500 public companies across 70 countries and 24 industries. The result is the McKinsey book CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest (Scribner, March 2022). Watch an interview with the authors for more on what separates the best CEOs from the rest .

Getting perspective on leadership from CEOs themselves is enlightening—and illustrates the nuanced ways in which the new approach to leadership described above can be implemented in practice. Here are a few quotes drawn from McKinsey’s interviews with these top-level leaders :

• “I think the fundamental role of a leader is to look for ways to shape the decades ahead, not just react to the present, and to help others accept the discomfort of disruptions to the status quo.” — Indra Nooyi , former chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
• “The single most important thing I have to do as CEO is ensure that our brand continues to be relevant.” — Chris Kempczinski , CEO of McDonald’s
• “Leaders of other enterprises often define themselves as captains of the ship, but I think I’m more the ship’s architect or designer. That’s different from a captain’s role, in which the route is often fixed and the destination defined.” — Zhang Ruimin , CEO of Haier
• “I think my leadership style [can be called] ‘collaborative command.’ You bring different opinions into the room, you allow for a really great debate, but you understand that, at the end of the day, a decision has to be made quickly.” — Adena Friedman , CEO of Nasdaq
• “We need an urgent refoundation of business and capitalism around purpose and humanity. To find new ways for all of us to lead so that we can create a better future, a more sustainable future.” — Hubert Joly , former chairman and CEO of Best Buy

What is leadership development?

Leaders aren’t born; they learn to lead over time. Neuroplasticity refers to the power of the brain to form new pathways and connections through exposure to novel, unfamiliar experiences. This allows adults to adapt, grow, and learn new practices throughout our lifetimes.

When it comes to leadership within organizations, this is often referred to as leadership development. Programs, books, and courses on leadership development abound, but results vary.

Leadership development efforts fail for a variety of reasons. Some overlook context; in those cases, asking a simple question (something like “What, precisely, is this program for?”) can help. Others separate reflections on leadership from real work, or they shortchange the role of adjusting leaders’ mindsets, feelings, assumptions, and beliefs, or they fail to measure results.

So what’s needed for successful leadership development? Generally, developing leaders is about creating contexts where there is sufficient psychological safety in combination with enough novelty and unfamiliarity to cultivate new leadership practices in response to stimuli. Leadership programs that successfully cultivate leaders are also built around “placescapes”—these are novel experiences, like exploring wilderness trails, practicing performing arts, or writing poetry.

When crafting a leadership development program, there are six ingredients to incorporate  that lead to true organizational impact:

• Set up for success:
• Focus your leadership transformation on driving strategic objectives and initiatives.
• Commit the people and resources needed.
• Be clear about focus:
• Engage a critical mass of leaders to reach a tipping point for sustained impact.
• Zero in on the leadership shifts that drive the greatest value.
• Execute well:
• Architect experiential journeys to maximize shifts in mindsets, capabilities, and practices.
• Measure for holistic impact.

A well-designed and executed leadership development program can help organizations build leaders’ capabilities broadly, at scale. And these programs can be built around coaching, mentoring, and having people try to solve challenging problems—learning skills by applying them in real time to real work.

What are mentorship, sponsorship, and apprenticeship?

Mentorship, sponsorship, and apprenticeship can also be part of leadership development efforts. What are they? Mentorship refers to trusted counselors offering guidance and support on various professional issues, such as career progression. Sponsorship is used to describe senior leaders who create opportunities to help junior colleagues succeed. These roles are typically held by more senior colleagues, whereas apprenticeship could be more distributed. Apprenticeship  describes the way any colleague with domain expertise might teach others, model behaviors, or transfer skills. These approaches can be useful not only for developing leaders but also for helping your company upskill or reskill employees quickly and at scale.

For more in-depth exploration of these topics, see McKinsey’s insights on People & Organizational Performance . Learn more about McKinsey’s Leadership & Management  work—and check out job opportunities if you’re interested in working at McKinsey.

Articles referenced include:

• “ Author Talks: What separates the best CEOs from the rest? ,” December 15, 2021, Carolyn Dewar , Scott Keller , and Vik Malhotra
• “ From the great attrition to the great adaptation ,” November 3, 2021, Aaron De Smet  and Bill Schaninger
• “ The boss factor: Making the world a better place through workplace relationships ,” September 22, 2020, Tera Allas  and Bill Schaninger
• " Leading agile transformation: The new capabilities leaders need to build 21st century organizations ," October 1, 2018, Aaron De Smet , Michael Lurie , and Andrew St. George
• " Leading Organizations: Ten Timeless Truths ," 2017, Scott Keller  and Mary Meaney
• “ Leadership in context ,” January 1, 2016, Michael Bazigos, Chris Gagnon, and Bill Schaninger
• “ Decoding leadership: What really matters ,” January 1, 2015, Claudio Feser, Fernanda Mayol, and Ramesh Srinivasan

Want to know more about leadership?

Related articles.

Reimagining HR: Insights from people leaders

What is leadership: Moving beyond the C-Suite

CEO Excellence

EDITORIAL article

Editorial: leadership and management in organizations: perspectives from smes and mncs.

• School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China

Editorial on the Research Topic Leadership and management in organizations: Perspectives from SMEs and MNCs

Introduction

Leadership and management are fundamental aspects for the smooth performance, progress, and growth of any organization with respect to its nature and the way it operates ( Siyal et al., 2021a ). Every multinational, national, SME, and corporate sector needs effective management and leadership. This allows them to perform smoothly and produce significant output, which leads to growth and development. It is believed that the best leadership and management make remarkable contributions to the growth of institutions and yield remarkable outcomes ( Siyal and Peng, 2018 ; Kouzes and Posner, 2023 ). This is due to the increasing recognition of and demand for effective leaders and managers by the corporate sectors, MNCs, and SMEs that are aiming to lead the global market. For this, they need qualified, trained, and committed leaders and managers who can efficiently and effectively lead the team, resources, and market. It is evident that several organizations acknowledge the need for effective leadership and efficient management, but they are still uncertain about the proper management, leadership style, and behaviors that are most effective for the growth and development of the corporate sector, MNCs, and SMEs, along with the development of their human resources ( Kelly and Hearld, 2020 ; Siyal et al., 2021b ). Considering all these aspects and conflicting results from the past, the role of leadership and management in the smooth operationalization, growth, and development of the corporate sector, MNC, and SMEs remains unresolved.

This Research Topic focuses on leadership and management in organizations in diverse workplace settings including MNCs and SMEs. The call for papers was published between February 2022 and August 2022, during which the COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact some regions but not others. Scholars and practitioners were invited to submit research articles and brief reports pertaining to leadership and management in organizations, including corporations and SMEs, in the field of organizational psychology to the Frontiers in Psychology journal. In response to this call for papers, a huge number of academicians and practitioners submitted their research. Out of a total of 81 submissions, 18 were accepted and published under this theme. The Research Topic includes studies from diverse cultural and industrial settings, such as academia and industries including MNCs and SMEs, from across the globe. The businesses covered in this Research Topic are enterprises, manufacturers, SMEs, MNCs, educational institutes, logistics SMEs, and government sectors. The submitting authors were from different countries, including the Republic of Korea, China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi), Oman, Qatar, Serbia, and Poland. The authors came up with new research approaches and methodologies, contributing to the theory and practice in this important emerging research domain of leadership and management.

Xu et al. investigated whether and how differential leadership in SMEs influences subordinate knowledge hiding. They analyzed the underlying mechanisms of chain-mediator–job insecurity and territorial consciousness and the boundary condition–leadership performance expectation. The results indicated that differential leadership plays a potential role in promoting subordinate knowledge hiding through the serial intervening mechanism of job insecurity and territorial consciousness in SMEs. This study contributes to the existing academic literature by empirically analyzing the under-investigated correlation between differential leadership and subordinate knowledge hiding in SMEs and by exploring the underlying mechanisms and boundary condition.

Ding et al. examined the link between an employee's professional identity and their success via the mediating role of critical thinking. They also examined the interaction of an employee's professional commitment and a leader's motivational language by critically analyzing employee success. This study was conducted on Chinese MNCs by use of a time-lagged study design. The results show a positive relation between an employee's professional identity and their success. Furthermore, the critical analysis mediated the link between professional identity and employee success.

Jun et al. examined the impact of supervisors' authentic leadership styles on the turnover of their subordinates in multiple organizations in the Republic of Korea. Their findings generalized the effects of leadership on turnover across different research contexts. Furthermore, they proposed a new mechanism and tested the mediation and moderation of the supervisor-perceived support and organizational identification, which reduces the turnover rate and help organizations to retain their best talents.

Leadership and management in organizations are crucial elements in ensuring the success of both MNCs and SMEs. While MNCs may have more resources and a more formal structure, SMEs often have a more flexible and agile approach to leadership and management. Both MNCs and SMEs can benefit from effective leadership and management practices such as clear communication, setting achievable goals, fostering a positive work culture, and continuously adapting to changing market conditions. Ultimately, the key to success in both types of organizations is having leaders and managers who are able to inspire and motivate their teams to achieve their goals.

In this regard, this Research Topic has introduced this novel research work by scholars and researchers from around the globe, with a focus on leadership and management perspectives and their role in organizations. Thus, the selected Research Topic is very important for the business, industry, management, academic, and economic value of practitioners and academic institutions at all levels, as well as those with country-wide and international offices. This Research Topic has contributed through novel approaches and provide suggestions for the managers and leaders of corporate sectors, MNCs and SMEs, academicians, academic institutions, social scientists, students, policymakers, government and non-government agencies, and other related stakeholders. Similarly, the findings in this Research Topic have suggested that investigating the impact of leadership and management in organizations could influence future research, and further studies could compare the effectiveness of leadership and management in MNCs and SMEs.

Author contributions

The author confirms being the sole contributor of this work and has approved it for publication.

Conflict of interest

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Kelly, R. J., and Hearld, L. R. (2020). Burnout and leadership style in behavioral health care: A literature review. J. Behav. Health Serv. Res. 47, 581–600. doi: 10.1007/s11414-019-09679-z

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Kouzes, J. M., and Posner, B. Z. (2023). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations . New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Google Scholar

Siyal, S., and Peng, X. (2018). Does leadership lessen turnover? The moderated mediation effect of leader–member exchange and perspective taking on public servants. J. Public Affairs 18, e1830. doi: 10.1002/pa.1830

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Siyal, S., Saeed, M., Pahi, M. H., Solangi, R., and Xin, C. (2021a). They can't treat you well under abusive supervision: investigating the impact of job satisfaction and extrinsic motivation on healthcare employees. Ration. Soc . 33, 401–423. doi: 10.1177/10434631211033660

Siyal, S., Xin, C., Umrani, W. A., Fatima, S., and Pal, D. (2021b). How do leaders influence innovation and creativity in employees? The mediating role of intrinsic motivation. Adm. Soc. 53, 1337–1361. doi: 10.1177/0095399721997427

Keywords: leadership, management, training and development, MNCs, SMEs, ethical and social perspectives, moral dimensions, contemporary issues

Citation: Siyal S (2023) Editorial: Leadership and management in organizations: Perspectives from SMEs and MNCs. Front. Psychol. 14:1156727. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1156727

Received: 01 February 2023; Accepted: 27 February 2023; Published: 14 March 2023.

Edited and reviewed by: Katarzyna Piwowar-Sulej , Wroclaw University of Economics, Poland

Copyright © 2023 Siyal. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Saeed Siyal, saeed@mail.ustc.edu.cn

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences
• Leadership and managing people
• Managing people

Why Chief Human Resources Officers Make Great CEOs

• Harvard Business Review
• From the December 2014 Issue

Is it Time for Mutiny?

• Patrick J. Murphy
• April 09, 2013

Power Failure in Management Circuits

• Rosabeth Moss Kanter
• From the July 1979 Issue

The Problem with Saying “My Door Is Always Open”

• Megan Reitz
• John Higgins
• March 09, 2017

When Every Leader Promises to Change the World, How Can We Tell Who Will Leave Us Better Off?

• Gianpiero Petriglieri
• December 04, 2017

The Surprising Power of Peer Coaching

• Brenda Steinberg
• Michael D. Watkins
• April 14, 2021

Ask JPMorgan’s Dimon: Not Everyone Follows the Leader

• Barbara Kellerman
• March 25, 2008

You Are Not a Failure

• Dorie Clark
• June 26, 2012

The Successor’s Dilemma

• From the November–December 1999 Issue

Uber’s New CEO Will Have to Win on Two Fronts Simultaneously

• August 30, 2017

Put Empathy into Action

• Bryan E. Simmons
• February 22, 2021

Four Tools For Defeating Denial

• December 07, 2009

Forgive and Remember: How a Good Boss Responds to Mistakes

• Robert I. Sutton
• August 19, 2010

Life's Work: Kevin Spacey

• Kevin Spacey
• Alison Beard
• From the March 2016 Issue

Establish Credibility in a New Job

• May 15, 2013

Building Resilience

• Martin E.P. Seligman
• From the April 2011 Issue

Life's Work: David McCullough

• David McCullough
• Scott Berinato
• From the January–February 2013 Issue

In a Real Emergency, Should Your Company or Your Community Come First?

• Eric J. McNulty
• December 09, 2009

Does Better Judgment Come With Age?

• Brook Manville
• August 24, 2010

How to Create an Open Organization

• Jim Whitehurst
• November 24, 2015

The Art of Asking Smarter Questions

• Arnaud Chevallier
• Frédéric Dalsace
• Jean-Louis Barsoux
• From the May–June 2024 Issue

Transformations That Work

• Michael Mankins
• Patrick Litre

For Success with AI, Bring Everyone On Board

• David De Cremer

Your Teams Should Drive AI Adoption — Not Senior Leadership

• Sowmyanarayan Sampath
• April 30, 2024

5 Ways Executives Can Manage Conflict with the Board

• Sabina Nawaz
• April 15, 2024

What to Do When Your Team Blames You

• Dina Denham Smith
• Ron Carucci
• April 12, 2024

6 Mistakes Leaders Make When Announcing Layoffs

• Amii Barnard-Bahn
• April 09, 2024

6 Common Leadership Styles — and How to Decide Which to Use When

• Rebecca Knight

5 Well-Intentioned Behaviors That Can Hurt Your Team

• Nihar Chhaya
• April 08, 2024

To Succeed with AI, Adopt a Beginner’s Mindset

• Jacqueline Carter
• Marissa Afton
• Paula Kelley

How to Become a More Empathetic Listener

How to Discuss the Undiscussables on Your Team

• April 04, 2024

Leading a Company That Can Thrive in a Chaotic World

• Thomas Buberl
• Bill George
• Hubert Joly
• Nitin Nohria
• April 01, 2024

How Pixar Fosters a Culture of Vulnerability at Work

• Jamie Woolf
• March 25, 2024

When You Know You Weren’t the First Choice for Your New Role

• March 21, 2024

Research Roundup: How the Pandemic Changed Management

• Mark C. Bolino
• Jacob M. Whitney
• Sarah E. Henry
• March 13, 2024

INFL01: Overcoming Resistance: Jose

• Harvard Business Publishing
• March 05, 2024

INFL01: Overcoming Resistance: Jose WGLL

Infl01: overcoming resistance: meet your team, infl01: overcoming resistance: mila.

• Mukti Khaire
• Akiko Kanno
• January 11, 2011

Publicis Groupe 2021: Changing Nearly Everything

• Tonia Labruyere
• Vincent Dessain
• September 21, 2021

iQmetrix-Humanity: Negotiating a Partner Agreement-David Charron's Perspective

• Chris Street
• Ann C. Frost
• Maurice Thibodeau
• August 11, 2016

PLAYING TO WIN: LEADERSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY AT ESB ELECTRIC UTILITY

• George Kohlrieser
• Francisco Szekely
• Sophie Coughlan
• July 05, 2010

What It Really Means to Manage: Exercising Power and Influence

• Linda A. Hill
• August 11, 1999

New Leadership at the Portland Public Schools

• James E. Austin
• Robert B. Schwartz
• Jennifer M. Suesse
• December 05, 2005

The Global Leadership of Carlos Ghosn at Nissan

• John P. Millikin
• July 25, 2003

Junko Yoda and Her Collaboration to Address Sex Trafficking in Asia

• Juliane Calingo Schwetz
• Patricia Bissett Higgins
• September 23, 2013

Sustainable Development at Shell (A)

• Jane Wei-Skillern
• March 03, 2003

Digital Transformation at L&T (A)

• S. Ramnarayan
• Sunita Mehta
• July 22, 2021

Evaluating an Action Plan

• January 31, 1994

L.L. Bean: A Search for Growth

• Walter J. Salmon
• James Weber
• March 31, 2004

Prudential UK: Rebuilding a Mighty Business

• Jean-Francois Manzoni
• October 02, 2006

India Bundle: Strategy #14

• November 11, 2011

Memphis City Schools: The Next Generation of Principals

• Stacey Childress
• Robert Peterkin
• Tonika Cheek Clayton
• October 15, 2005

Leading Organisational Change: Improving Hospital Performance

• Mattia J Gilmartin
• D'Aunno Thomas
• February 01, 2007

Jane Joins the Club: Diversity & Inclusion in Corporate Governance

• Roy Richards Jr
• May 12, 2019

Brief Note on Social Motives

• John J. Gabarro
• Wallace Wormley
• November 01, 1976

Equitas Microfinance: The Fastest-Growing MFI on the Planet

• V.G. Narayanan
• V. Kasturi Rangan
• March 30, 2010

The Battle over the Initiative and Referendum in Massachusetts (1918)

• David A. Moss
• Dean Grodzins
• February 10, 2016

Swire Beverages: Implementing CSR in China, Teaching Note

• Christopher Marquis
• Alison Comings
• Bobbi Thomason
• April 14, 2010

Co-Creating the Future: The Dawn of System Leadership

• Peter M. Senge
• Hal Hamilton
• September 01, 2015

Popular Topics

Partner center.

• Youth Program
• Wharton Online

Current Research

With backing from a variety of outside sources, the center supports research projects on issues and practices in leadership..

The Center’s research ranges from leadership in alliance formation and national variations in governing board structures to the performance consequences of executive succession and the leadership required in outsourcing relationships.

Leading Leadership Research

The Center distributes an electronic bulletin – the Wharton Leadership Digest  – to a growing roster of more than 15,000 subscribers.  The Center also maintains several websites as sources of research and academic information on leadership and change for students, faculty, and managers.

Related Links

• Faculty, Staff and Research Committee
• Executive Education
• Conferences

Read more about Wharton’s Contributions to the World Economic Forum in Davos. Click here to see articles and watch video.

• Business Essentials
• Leadership & Management
• Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB)
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• Digital Transformation
• Finance & Accounting
• Business in Society
• For Organizations
• Support Portal
• Media Coverage
• Founding Donors
• Leadership Team

• Harvard Business School →
• HBS Online →
• Business Insights →

Business Insights

Harvard Business School Online's Business Insights Blog provides the career insights you need to achieve your goals and gain confidence in your business skills.

• Career Development
• Communication
• Decision-Making
• Earning Your MBA
• Negotiation
• News & Events
• Productivity
• Staff Spotlight
• Student Profiles
• Work-Life Balance
• AI Essentials for Business
• Alternative Investments
• Business Analytics
• Business Strategy
• Business and Climate Change
• Design Thinking and Innovation
• Digital Marketing Strategy
• Disruptive Strategy
• Economics for Managers
• Entrepreneurship Essentials
• Financial Accounting
• Global Business
• Launching Tech Ventures
• Leadership Principles
• Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
• Leading with Finance
• Management Essentials
• Negotiation Mastery
• Organizational Leadership
• Power and Influence for Positive Impact
• Strategy Execution
• Sustainable Business Strategy
• Sustainable Investing
• Winning with Digital Platforms

Leadership vs. Management: What’s the Difference?

• 31 Oct 2019

The terms “leadership” and “management” are often used interchangeably. While there is some overlap between the work that leaders and managers do, there are also significant differences.

In a keynote discussion at Harvard Business School Online’s annual conference, Connext , HBS Professors Nancy Koehn and Joe Fuller explored the interplay between leadership and management and shared how they define the two disciplines.

Koehn referenced the work of HBS Professor John Kotter, who she said aptly defined the “activity of leadership.”

Leadership vs Management: What's the difference?

“ Leadership , he wrote, is the creation of positive, non-incremental change, including the creation of a vision to guide that change—a strategy—the empowerment of people to make the vision happen despite obstacles, and the creation of a coalition of energy and momentum that can move that change forward,” Koehn said.

Fuller, who teaches the online course Management Essentials , relayed his thoughts on how management compares.

“ Management is getting the confused, misguided, unmotivated, and misdirected to accomplish a common purpose on a regular, recurring basis,” Fuller said. “I think the ultimate intersection between leadership and management is an appreciation for what motivates and causes individuals to behave the way they do, and the ability to draw out the best of them with a purpose in mind.”

Watch the full keynote discussion between Nancy Koehn and Joe Fuller below:

While these definitions draw parallels between the roles of leaders and managers, they also allude to some key contrasts. Here are three differences between leadership and management.

Access your free e-book today.

How Is Leadership Different from Management?

1. process vs. vision.

Effective leadership is centered on a vision to guide change.

Whereas managers set out to achieve organizational goals through implementing processes, such as budgeting, organizational structuring, and staffing, leaders are more intent on thinking ahead and capitalizing on opportunities.

“I think of management as working with other people to make sure the goals an organization has articulated are executed,” says HBS Dean Nitin Nohria in an interview for the online course Management Essentials . “It’s the process of working with others to ensure the effective execution of a chosen set of goals. Leadership is about developing what the goals should be. It’s more about driving change.”

2. Organizing vs. Aligning

In the book, On Becoming a Leader , scholar Warren Bennis presents a list of key differences between managers and leaders , including:

• The manager administers; the leader innovates
• The manager maintains; the leader develops
• The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people

Managers pursue goals through coordinated actions and tactical processes, or tasks and activities that unfold over stages to reach a certain outcome. For example, they may implement a decision-making process when leading a critical meeting , or when devising a plan for communicating organizational change .

Leaders, on the other hand, are less focused on how to organize people to get work done and more on finding ways to align and influence them.

“Your central function in a position of leadership is to mobilize others so they can execute a set of individual and collective tasks,” says HBS Professor Anthony Mayo in the online course Leadership Principles .

By developing a personal leadership style through self-reflection and honest feedback , leaders can learn how to empower their employees and inspire them to both believe in and pursue important organizational initiatives.

3. Position vs. Quality

The title “manager” often denotes a specific role within an organization’s hierarchy, while referring to someone as a “leader” has a more fluid meaning.

“Manager is a title. It’s a role and set of responsibilities,” says leadership coach Doc Norton in Forbes . “Having the position of manager does not make you a leader. The best managers are leaders, but the two are not synonymous. Leadership is the result of action. If you act in a way that inspires, encourages, or engages others, you are a leader. It doesn't matter your title or position.”

Leadership is a quality that needs to be shaped. Through developing emotional intelligence and learning how to influence others , professionals of all levels can build greater self-awareness and understand how to bring out the best in themselves and others.

For seasoned and aspiring managers alike, possessing strong leadership skills can not only lead to better job performance , but an improved knowledge of how to influence the context and environment in which decisions get made.

Related: How to Be an Effective Leader at Any Stage of Your Career

Unleashing Your Leadership Potential

Leadership skills can be developed at any stage of your career. By understanding the characteristics of effective leaders and how leadership differs from management, you can develop techniques for coaching colleagues, delivering feedback, and overcoming specific organizational challenges.

Do you want to become a more effective leader and manager? Download our free leadership and management e-book to find out how. Also, explore our online leadership and management courses to learn how you can take charge of your professional development and accelerate your career. To find the right course for you, download the free flowchart .

About the Author

Admissions Visit Opportunities

The Charger Blog

Grad Students’ Research Examines Importance of Inclusive Leadership

With the support of their faculty mentor, Indra Ponnuswamy ’24 M.S. and Amina Almoustafa ’24 M.S. have conducted important research exploring the impact that inclusive leadership can have on the ability of employees to cultivate sustainable careers. Their work has already captured the attention of the Charger community – and beyond.

May 2, 2024

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communication

For Indra Ponnuswamy ’24 M.S., taking a "Multicultural Issues in the Workplace" class at the University of New Haven was a pivotal experience in her education. It inspired her while opening her eyes to the complexities of diverse workplaces and the challenges that employees face. It was also the beginning of her exciting research journey.

Ponnuswamy and her classmate Amina Almoustafa ’24 M.S. were inspired by today’s ever-evolving global landscape, and they recognize how important it is for employees to have the opportunity to cultivate sustainable careers. Intrigued by the importance of inclusive leadership and its potential to foster psychological capital, they believed it could contribute to sustainable career development.

The student-researchers began by conducting an extensive literature review. While exploring theories and empirical studies, they analyzed academic papers and identified areas where more research was needed. They collaborated to develop a conceptual model that explained the relationship between inclusive leadership and sustainable careers, proposing that behaviors of inclusive leaders – including respecting diversity and valuing uniqueness – could enhance employees’ psychological resources.

“We engaged in thought-provoking discussions, challenged each other's assumptions, and constantly refined our ideas,” recalls Ponnuswamy, a candidate in the University’s graduate program in human resources . “The teamwork aspect not only strengthened our research, but it also fostered personal growth and a deeper appreciation for diverse perspectives.”

‘Incredibly rewarding’

Ponnuswamy and Almoustafa recently presented their research paper, titled “How Inclusive Leadership Fosters Sustainable Careers: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital," to their fellow Chargers as part of a graduate student research showcase at the University. The Office of Graduate & International Student Life recognized their work, awarding them a best research project award.

“Earning the award for our research project was incredibly rewarding after dedicating considerable time and effort to it,” said Almoustafa, a candidate in the University’s M.S. Human Resources program. “Being recognized among 60 projects reflects the value and impact of our topic, reinforcing our commitment to advancing knowledge in this area. It serves as validation of our hard work and underscores the significance of investigating the relationship between inclusive leadership, psychological capital, and sustainable career development.”

‘Responsible management education isn’t confined to textbooks’

Khadija Al Arkoubi, Ph.D. , the students’ professor, served as their co-author and faculty mentor. Writing a paper that explored inclusive leadership was one of the students’ options for their final project in the "Multicultural Issues in the Workplace" class. Dr. Al Arkoubi says Ponnuswamy and Almoustafa eagerly accepted the challenge, calling them “exceptional students” who became “true research partners.

“Our collaborative effort yielded more than a research paper,” said Dr. Al Arkoubi. “It forged lasting connections, ignited intellectual curiosity, and instilled hope. Amina and Indra, now ambassadors of inclusive leadership, continue to inspire others.

“To me, mentoring them remains a source of profound fulfillment,” she continued. “It’s an affirmation that responsible management education isn’t confined to textbooks. It thrives in shared experiences and in making an impact on our communities and workplaces."

‘Unlock the full potential of their workforce’

The project was an incredible opportunity for Ponnuswamy and Almoustafa to build far more than their research skills. Almoustafa says that while researching inclusive leadership, she too grew as a leader. She also developed her teamwork and communication skills while learning how to navigate the challenges that can arise while conducting research.

The student-researchers say the course helped prepare them for their project, as the lectures and discussions offered a robust foundation of workplace knowledge. The class also ensured they understood research methodologies and had the analytical skills necessary to begin the intensive research project.

For Almoustafa, the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from said Dr. Al Arkoubi helped her develop her confidence while strengthening her research skills.

“Working with Dr. Al Arkoubi was an enriching experience,” she said. “She provided unwavering support, guidance, and encouragement at every step of the research process. Her expertise and dedication helped us refine our ideas and communicate our findings coherently.”

The project hasn’t just been recognized by the Charger community – it is gaining attention in the field as well. The students will soon be presenting their work at the Eastern Academy of Management Conference in Providence, RI.

“We hope that our research will contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying sustainable career development and encourage organizations to adopt inclusive leadership practices,” said Ponnuswamy. “By nurturing psychological capital, organizations can unlock the full potential of their workforce, enabling employees to thrive and adapt in an ever-changing career landscape.”

Recent News

University’s JEDI Ambassadors Excel as Dedicated Leaders and Changemakers

Members of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) student ambassadors program are enhancing the University’s diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging initiatives and creating opportunities for their fellow Chargers to get involved in this important work

University Receives Grant to Expand Game Design and Development Education

A new grant and a proposed project endeavor to create exciting new opportunities for current and future students while helping to fuel Connecticut’s innovation and tech-talent pipeline.

Leadership in Healthcare: Essential Values and Skills, Fourth Edition

Carson f. dye, fache.

• Member Price: $58.80
• Non Member Price: $84.00
• Leadership Development

Book Description

• Using inclusive leadership to create a culture that attracts and retains diverse talent
• Facilitating the transformation from clinician to physician leader
• Striking the right balance between organizational efficiency and employee engagement
• Understanding the empirical evidence supporting the value of healthcare leadership
• Using values-based leadership to address COVID issues and other crises
• Table of Contents (PDF)
• Preface (PDF)
• Book Excerpt (PDF)
• Transition Guide
• Instructor Resource Sample

Futurescan 2017: Healthcare Trends and Implications 2017-2022

Futurescan 2018: Healthcare Trends and Implications 2018-2023

Looking Back to Look Forward: AUPHA at 70

Futurescan 2016: Healthcare Trends and Implications 2016-2021

Management of Healthcare Organizations: An Introduction, Third Edition

Evidence-Based Management in Healthcare: Principles, Cases, and Perspectives, Second Edition

Strategic Healthcare Management: Planning and Execution, Second Edition

Essentials of Strategic Planning in Healthcare, Third Edition

Futurescan 2019–2024: Healthcare Trends and Implications

Exceptional Leadership: 16 Critical Competencies for Healthcare Executives, Second Edition

Futurescan 2022–2027: Health Care Trends and Implications

Getting It Done: Experienced Healthcare Leaders Reveal Field-Tested Strategies for Clinical and Financial Success

Why Hospitals Should Fly: The Ultimate Flight Plan to Patient Safety and Quality Care

Transformative Planning: How Your Healthcare Organization Can Strategize for an Uncertain Future

Leadership for Public Health: Theory and Practice

An Insider’s Guide to Working with Healthcare Consultants

Healthcare Strategic Planning, Fourth Edition

Make It Happen: Effective Execution in Healthcare Leadership

The Future of Healthcare: Global Trends Worth Watching

Essentials of Healthcare Management: Cases, Concepts, and Skills, Second Edition

Our Leadership

Chief Information Officer

Application & Service Administration

Irene Good, Managing Director 

Financial Management & Business Operations

Carolyn Pyburn, Senior Director

Enterprise Engineering & Architecture

Jon Strong, Senior Managing Director 

Information Security

Chris Pringle, HBS Campus Information Security Officer   

IT Talent Management & Support Services

Heath Racine, Managing Director  

Learning Experience Design & Interactive Spaces

Jeanne Po, Managing Director   

Organizational Effectiveness

Shannon Breen, Managing Director   

Research Technologies

Chris Lavallee, Managing Director    

Strategy, Planning, & Governance

Rachel Noiseux, Senior Managing Director  

Featured Topics

Featured series.

A series of random questions answered by Harvard experts.

Explore the Gazette

Read the latest.

Turning ideas into impact

Did student or ChatGPT write that paper? Does it matter?

Colleagues, students remember Helen Vendler, a ‘titan’ of poetry criticism

Photo by Christine Baker

Jeremy M. Weinstein named dean of Harvard Kennedy School

Political scientist, who also served as academic leader and in various roles in Obama administration, to assume post July 1

Jeremy M. Weinstein, an accomplished scholar of political science, experienced academic leader, and dedicated public servant, will become dean of Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government on July 1, interim President Alan M. Garber announced Monday.

Weinstein, M.A. ’01, Ph.D. ’03, is currently the Kleinheinz Professor of International Studies at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. A Stanford faculty member since 2004, he has served that institution by developing and establishing cross-university initiatives and leading efforts to advance the social sciences, global and area studies, and issues of ethics, technology, and public policy.

“Widely respected for his energetic and empowering leadership style, [Weinstein] is responsible for the conception, establishment, and development of major initiatives,” wrote Garber in his message to the HKS community. “Jeremy is an exceptional scholar and leader with significant high-level policy experience who will bring to the deanship a rare combination of talents at a pivotal moment for HKS.”

“Jeremy is an exceptional scholar and leader with significant high-level policy experience who will bring to the deanship a rare combination of talents at a pivotal moment for HKS.” Alan M. Garber, interim Harvard President

A tenured professor at Stanford since 2009, Weinstein has worked broadly on issues of comparative politics and public policy, with expertise on civil wars and political violence, ethnic politics, the political economy of development, democracy and governance, policing, and migration.

His scholarship has been published widely in leading journals, including American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Science, and more. His first book, “Inside Rebellion: The Politics of Insurgent Violence” won the William H. Riker Book Award from the American Political Science Association for best book on political economy. He is also co-author of “Coethnicity: Diversity and the Dilemmas of Collective Action,” which received the Gregory Luebbert Book Award for best book in comparative politics.

Weinstein is co-director of the Immigration Policy Lab, a research team that aims to improve the lives of refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants through partnerships with governments, nonprofits, and others to design and evaluate innovative policies and programs.

More recently, Weinstein has been teaching and writing on issues at the intersection of technology and democracy. His recent, co-authored book, “System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot,” was excerpted in The Atlantic, Time, and Fast Company, and reviewed widely.

“The Harvard Kennedy School is a singular institution in the landscape of American higher education known for its unique combination of cutting-edge social science, breadth in public policy, and abiding commitment to public engagement. I am thrilled to return to Harvard to become dean and simply can’t imagine a better platform for working with extraordinary scholars, students, and practitioners to understand and address the most important policy challenges of the next decade.”

In addition to his wide-ranging scholarship, Weinstein is an innovative and experienced academic leader. Working with a team of faculty, he designed and launched Stanford Impact Labs (SIL), a university-wide initiative that trains and invests in teams of researchers working with leaders in government, business, and communities to design, test, and scale interventions to address persistent social problems. As faculty director of SIL, Weinstein is responsible for the leadership, management, and fundraising for Stanford’s key initiative to accelerate the public impact of the social sciences.

Weinstein has also played a critical role in curricular innovations at the intersection of ethics, policy, and technology. He co-teaches a popular undergraduate course in computer science — “Ethics, Public Policy, and Technological Change.”

He also launched and directs a new undergraduate major in data science and social systems, which enables undergraduates to develop expertise in computer science, statistics, and the social sciences, and to apply these skills to address important social problems.

Weinstein’s previous institutional leadership roles include serving as the Fisher Family Director of the Stanford Global Studies Division, a role in which he managed 15 centers and programs with a network of more than 400 affiliated faculty members. Earlier in his career, he served twice as the Ford-Dorsey Director for the Center for African Studies from 2007 to 2008 and again from 2011 to 2013.

“We are delighted to welcome Jeremy back to Harvard,” interim Provost John Manning said. “He is a proven institution-builder who has helped bring about innovation across disciplines and impactfully connected his teaching and research to real-world questions that shape the global landscape. He will be a superb and collegial leader for the HKS community in the years ahead.”

A dedicated public servant, Weinstein has also worked at the highest level of government on major foreign policy and national security challenges. Between 2013 and 2015, Weinstein served as deputy to the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and before that as chief of staff at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. In these roles, he was Ambassador Samantha Power’s principal policy adviser and chief strategist, and led a team of professional diplomats, political appointees, and civil servants.

He also served as a standing member of the National Security Council Deputies Committee, which advises the cabinet and the president on foreign policy issues. Before joining the State Department, Weinstein served at the White House as the director for development and democracy in the National Security Council from 2009–2011. He played a critical role in the design and launch of President Barack Obama’s Open Government Partnership, a global coalition of more than 75 governments working to transform how government serves its citizens.

Weinstein earned his B.A. in political science, economics, and public policy with high honors from Swarthmore College in 1997 and received his graduate degrees in political economy and government from Harvard.

Among his many awards, Weinstein received the Karl Deutsch Award for his significant contributions to the study of international relations, the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching at Stanford, and the Joseph Levenson Memorial Teaching Prize, given to the outstanding teaching fellow at Harvard when he was a Ph.D. student.

At Harvard, Weinstein will be joined by his wife, Rachel Gibson, a 2000 M.P.P. graduate of HKS, and two children.

Weinstein will succeed Douglas W. Elmendorf, A.M. ’85, Ph.D. ’89, who has served as dean since January 2016.

Share this article

You might like.

Startup founders inspire global audience at 2024 Harvard President’s Innovation Challenge Awards ceremony

Sam Altman, CEO of firm that developed app, says ethics do matter, but they need to be rethought (and AI isn’t going away)

Beyond her passion for her work, they say, she was creative and engaged teacher, thoughtful adviser and mentor, trusted friend

When math is the dream

Dora Woodruff was drawn to beauty of numbers as child. Next up: Ph.D. at MIT.

Alcohol is dangerous. So is ‘alcoholic.’

Researcher explains the human toll of language that makes addiction feel worse

How old is too old to run?

No such thing, specialist says — but when your body is trying to tell you something, listen

• Staff Management

How we give teachers time and space to innovate

Using research to improve outcomes is something all schools want to achieve.

Yet it can be hard for teachers to do this because of the busy day-to-day requirements of the job. What’s more, if there is no structure to do this and implement new ideas, it could feel like a futile endeavour.

This is why at Windsor Academy Trust (WAT) we developed our WAT Practitioner Researcher programme, giving staff the opportunity to take part in research-grounded and practice-informed professional learning - by engaging with existing research but also by creating their own, practice-informed evidence that can be shared across the trust.

It’s been running for nearly 10 years now and has had a notable impact in areas such as reading for pleasure, retrieval practice and assessment for learning using digital technology. Here’s how it works.

Research-informed teaching: our trust strategy

Selecting staff

At the start of each academic year, staff can self-nominate to join the programme or line managers may encourage them to take part. Around 30 to 50 staff join each year and we aim for each faculty to be represented within each secondary school, and each phase across our primary schools.

The programmes last an entire academic year and require each teacher to attend six continuing professional learning (CPL) sessions designed to develop skills as a practitioner-researcher. From here the programme unfolds in four distinct stages:

1. Identifying an area of research

We first work with each participant to identify their area of research, based on a challenge they are trying to solve. For example, this could be developing subject-specific vocabulary in history to improve key stage 4 writing or how to maximise student competency with equations in science .

More on staff management:

• Five ways to support “professional wellbeing” in your school
• How our trust is upskilling all teachers on SEND support
• Why we use a TEACHER model for staff appraisals

The key is that research practitioners are aiming to solve a common challenge within the trust to benefit as many staff and students as possible. This means we help the researchers refine their initial ideas so the final scope is broadly applicable across schools.

2. Engaging with literature

The research practitioner then undertakes a literature review to identify the best bets for what could work to tackle this challenge and the methods best suited to the contexts and conditions of different classrooms.

This context-specific research is vital for taking the learning and adapting it across the trust and beyond.

We also use Google Classroom to provide themed research areas for the team, including links to seminal research pieces and texts, so they can view and comment on articles related to their research.

3. Research intervention

Once the project plan, including methodology and ethical considerations, is approved by myself, classroom research intervention takes place, usually over 10 to 12 weeks from February to April.

Within this stage is a session around “critical evaluation”, during which robust conversations between the team are encouraged to share findings to date and probe research methodology: what have you discovered so far? Do you need additional measures? How might further qualitative measurements help you to understand the reasons why particular changes have been identified?

Similar collaborative opportunities take place throughout the process with trust subject leaders and leaders of teaching and learning so researchers have opportunities to share the findings and test and challenge ideas in a supportive environment.

4. Celebration and sharing

Findings are then shared across the trust and with external partners via a Research Celebration Event utilising a bespoke site on Google for each practitioner’s research.

The research reports are compiled into an online journal, including supporting resources and video clips of strategies in action.

Event attendees also join individual practitioners for 15-minute blocks of time to discuss their research and consider how their findings apply to their own classrooms.

Putting it all into action

An example of the impact of this work can be seen with one of our research practitioners, Kerrie Tinson, who looked at whether a focus on reading for pleasure could improve engagement and attainment for Year 8 boys.

During the intervention period, students in her sample cohort made six months’ progress in just six weeks.

As a result, we implemented similar strategies across the trust, including weekly shared read-in English lessons, reciprocal reading strategies such as choral and echo reading, and a subscription to an online library to increase access and choice of texts.

Similarly, successful research interventions around dual coding in the history classroom have led to the development of a revision programme focused on dual coding to prompt retrieval and make links between core knowledge at KS4.

Career impact

In the long term, practitioner-led research plays a significant role in the career development of staff, allowing them to lead change and inspire innovation within their departments and across WAT.

The programme also includes an optional pathway to gain a recognised Chartered College of Teaching (CCT) Education Research and Inquiry Certificate , and some go on to pursue a Master’s qualification in educational leadership through our links with the University of Birmingham.

Even more importantly, of course, the work helps to directly shape continuously improving outcomes for the children and young people in our classrooms.

Kirsty Tinsley is head of research at Windsor Academy Trust

Want to keep reading for free?

Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Keep reading for just £1 per month

You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £1 per month for three months and get:

• Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
• Exclusive subscriber-only stories
• Award-winning email newsletters

topics in this article