article thumbnail

Outsider CEOs Are on the Rise at the World’s Biggest Companies

Harvard Business

Outsiders, in effect, have become more of an intentional leadership choice than a stereotypical hire in a turnaround or crisis situation. According to PwC’s DeAnne Aguirre, one reason for this may be that when companies fail to groom women for top leadership positions, those women are more likely to be recruited away.

Company 28
article thumbnail

Private Equity’s New Phase

Harvard Business

From 1996 to 2015, the number of publicly traded companies in the United States alone dropped nearly 50%. These buy outs shifted agency from owners to managers; “corporate raiders” worked with high-yield debt to fund these turnarounds. Leaders were driven by short-term profits and rapid action to flip the organization.

Talent 28
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

The Connection Between Employee Trust and Financial Performance

Harvard Business

Doug identified “Inspiring Trust” as his number one mission in his 10-year turnaround of Campbell Soup Company, where his efforts resulted in cumulative shareholder returns in the top tier of the global food industry, and among the highest measured employee engagement levels in the Fortune 500, particularly with his leadership team.

article thumbnail

What to Do When You’re Returning to a Company You Used to Work For

Harvard Business

“If you’re entering a turnaround situation,” you need to be prepared to “inject new ideas” and make some tough decisions right away, Watkins says. She returned in 2015. ” She negotiated with the leadership team to come back in a more senior position. ” Pace yourself.

Company 45
article thumbnail

The Mistakes PE Firms Make When They Pick CEOs for Portfolio Companies

Harvard Business

From 2008 to 2015 SCA’s revenue rose 88% (from $690 million to $1.3 Hall and OSI’s leadership team have coinvested with Jordan and will continue with the company. Leaders who were internally driven to improve themselves stayed with the organization while others opted out. And it has continued to this day.

Company 28
article thumbnail

A Transformation Is Underway at U.S. Veterans Affairs. We Got an Inside Look.

Harvard Business

Obama nominated Robert McDonald , an Army veteran and experienced executive who had honed his leadership skills during a 33-year career at Proctor and Gamble, to attempt the difficult turnaround. billion, its budget in 2015 was slightly higher than the total gross sales of General Motors.

Culture 28
article thumbnail

Reflecting on David Garvin’s Imprint on Management

Harvard Business

A follow-up article, coauthored with Amy Edmondson and Francesca Gino, delved more deeply into such issues as psychological safety, openness to new ideas, and leadership attention. Great leadership is extraordinarily difficult. But the main contribution of “Is Yours a Learning Organization?”