Blogs

"A large chair doesn’t make a king"

Lessons in Destructive Leadership from Africa

Africa is a cautionary example of the need for checks and balances against the abuse of power.

INSEAD Knowledge, Oct 2016

Find out more

"For many executives walking away can be the hardest part of the job"

Prepare Your Exit From the Start

As a leader you need to focus on your successors early in the game. Doing so will not only underpin the long-term sustainability of your enterprise, it may give you a shot at immortality.

INSEAD Knowledge, Sep 2016

Find out more

"How would you like to be remembered?"

The Epitaph Question

How would you like to be remembered? What would you like to be your epitaph? Thoughts about our legacy can influence our life’s trajectory. Consciously or unconsciously, they impact our life’s choices. Thinking about how you would like to be remembered can be a catalyst for radical change.

INSEAD Knowledge, Sep 2016

Find out more

"Leadership in the age of rage"

Reflective Leaders Needed in the Age of Rage

When collective emotions gather steam, knee jerk reactions can make a bad situation worse.

INSEAD Knowledge, Aug 2016

Find out more

"How to manage brilliant but tumultuous leaders"

Managing Thrill Seekers

Thrill-seeking employees' addiction to risk can create havoc in the workplace. Managed correctly, their fearlessness can be a great advantage to any organisation.

INSEAD Knowledge, Jul 2016

Find out more

"Personailty and techno-stress"

The Human Cost of Digital Technologies

As companies race towards digitisation, the expectation that people in organisations need to be permanently on-call is creating very human challenges. This blog reports on a research study lwhich looks at how individuals cope with technostress, and the mediating role personality plays.

INSEAD Knowledge, May 2016

Find out more

"Harems and fawning power plays"

Leadership “Harem” Style

When there’s no specific goal or role for its members, and constructive discussion makes way for fawning power plays, executive teams become little more than harems for dysfunctional leaders.

INSEAD Knowledge, May 2016

Find out more

"Insatiable desire for more can be destructive"

Seven Signs of The Greed Syndrome

It is said that without greed we would still be living in caves but, left unchecked, the insatiable desire for more and better material things can be destructive.

INSEAD Knowledge, Apr 2016

Find out more

"Leaders need emotional intelligence to create meaning"

Evolving Leadership in the Digital Age

To have executives change character will always be an uphill struggle but they can learn to improve their behavioural reactions to difficult situations and develop greater emotional intelligence that will turn them into more effective leaders.

INSEAD Knowledge, Apr 2016

Find out more

"When drive and commitment are too much"

Are You an Alpha Male Leader?

This blog looks at the place for alpha-like behaviour in organisations. It argues that the need the drive, competitiveness and commitment of such leaders should be balanced with models of leadership that connect, build and nurture.

INSEAD Knowledge, Mar 2016

Find out more

"M&As: The untold story"

Making Mergers Less of a Crapshoot

This blog looks at the very human factors are at play in mergers and acquisitions. Paying attention to them can increase ones chance of success.

INSEAD Knowledge, Feb 2016

Find out more

"A holistic approach to business education"

Finding Balance in Business Education

To create responsible leaders of the future, business schools need to adopt a more holistic approach to education.

INSEAD Knowledge, Nov 2015

Find out more

"Denialism, office politics, productivity"

Blinded by Belief

This blog entry with the Harvard Business Review explores how denialists can have a devastating effect on office politics and productivity.

INSEAD Knowledge, Aug 2015

Find out more

"The uses of humour in the workplace"

The Dark Side of a Funny Situation

This blog looks at the sources of humor and to distunguish between humour that is congenial and empathetic and humour that is dysfunctional and divisive.

INSEAD Knowledge, Jun 2015

Find out more

"Fairy tales for today’s executives"

Leadership Lessons from the Brothers Grimm

This blog looks at the leadership journey as a fairy tale and cautions against the five deadly dangers of leadership.

INSEAD Knowledge, May 2015

Find out more

"Let's talk about sex in the boardroom"

The Sexual “Cloud” in the Executive Suite

Manfred Kets de Vries explores whether sex and man’s unconscious drive for survival are keeping women locked out of the C-suite.

INSEAD Knowledge, May 2015

Find out more

"Assessing psychological risk factors of leaders"

How Is Our Pilot Feeling Today?: A Courageous Conversation That Could Make a Difference

This blog presents a quick assessment of psychological risk factors for high performing individuals.

INSEAD Knowledge, Apr 2015

Find out more

"Learning to manage in the gray zone"

The Importance of Seeing the World in Shades of Grey

This blog argues that executives who see the world in stark contrasts miss the nuances of situations and are less able to compromise to meet common interests.

INSEAD Knowledge, Apr 2015

Find out more

"Managing those who won't see the middle ground"

How to Manage Someone Who Can't Handle Ambiguity

This blog entry for the Harvard Business Review explores how one can manage leaders who see things in black and white, unable to accept a middle ground.

Harvard Business Review, Mar 2015

Find out more

"Differences as assets"

Being Normal Is Not About Fitting In

This blog entry explores the idea of accepting ones leadership strenghts instead of merely fitting in.

INSEAD Knowledge, Feb 2015

Find out more

"Is it possible to know oneself?"

Turning Who You are into What you Do

This blog explores the question of whether it is possible to know oneself when so much of that knowledge is beyond conscious awareness.

INSEAD Knowledge, Jan 2015

Find out more

"Turning high potentials to star performers"

Who are the Stars?

This blog discusses the qualities that turn high potentials into top performers.

INSEAD Knowledge, Dec 2014

Find out more

"Are you suffering from the wealth fatigue syndrome?"

Pity the Super Rich

This blog entry explores the wealth fatigue syndrome. Instead, one should invest in enduring things that matter.

INSEAD Knowledge, Dec 2014

Find out more

"Exploring the european identity crisis"

European Identity: Strength or Weakness?

This blog entry explores how, Europe, which is in a state of flux, is the continent heading for a national identity crisis.

INSEAD Knowledge, Nov 2014

Find out more

"Reflective writing as carthartic process"

To Get Over Something, Write About It

This blog entry with the Harward Business Review looks at the therapeutic effect of writing.

Harvard Business Review, Nov 2014

Find out more