logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2024
11m 11s

How to Navigate a Leadership Transition

Harvard Business Review
About this episode

Leadership transitions are challenging for both organizations and the leaders who must directly navigate them. But Michael Watkins says they’re also a time of incredible opportunity — especially for those leaders who understand how to handle this crucial period.

Watkins is a professor of leadership and organizational change at IMD Business School. He shares a framework for selecting a transition strategy that best matches the situation you’re facing — whether you’re building a new operation from scratch or trying to turnaround a business in crisis. Watkins also explains why it’s so important to effectively assess your new leadership context and not to rely only on transition strategies that have worked for you in the past.

Key episode topics include: strategy, strategic planning, leadership transitions.

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

· Listen to the original HBR IdeaCast episode: Picking the Right Transition Strategy (2008)

· Find more episodes of HBR IdeaCast

· Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Up next
Jun 2025
An Announcement from HBR On Strategy
For the last two years, HBR On Strategy has been a collection of the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. But the time has come for HBR On Strategy to hit pause on new episodes. We ... Show More
1m 5s
Jun 2025
The Strategic Advantage of Tapping Freelancers
The rapid pace of technological change is making a big impact on hiring. Some organizations are dynamically securing freelance workers through platform apps like Upwork and Freelancer. Other companies are investing heavily in work enabled by artificial intelligence. John Winsor a ... Show More
30m 26s
Jun 2025
The Promises, Pitfalls, and Trade-offs of the Circular Economy
Most businesses are built on a linear model: take, make, and discard. But that norm is reaching its limits, and leaders are under pressure to find smarter, more sustainable ways to operate. Weslynne Ashton is a systems scientist and professor at the Illinois Institute of Technolo ... Show More
20m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
How to Get Leadership Succession Right
When Jason Buechel became CEO of Whole Foods in 2022, he faced the challenge of succeeding co-founder John Mackey, who led the company for over 40 years. This leadership transition was not only a personal challenge for Buechel but also a significant shift for the entire organizat ... Show More
31m 59s
Jun 2025
Navigating Turbulence: The Evolution of Leadership with Blair LaCorte
Anthony Taylor interviews Blair LaCorte, a seasoned CEO with extensive experience in private equity and aviation. They discuss Blair's journey, particularly his time at XOJet, where he transformed a struggling airline into a successful business through innovative strategies and a ... Show More
20m 35s
Jan 2025
Crafting a Perfect Exit Strategy: A Guide to Selling Your Business Internally
Selling a construction company is one of the most significant decisions a business owner will face. In this episode of Construction Genius, Eric Anderton sits down with Tony Moayed, founder of TriCorp Group and President at TMCS, Inc., to uncover the strategic and emotional journ ... Show More
50m 41s
Nov 2024
How Large Firms Can Get Innovation Right
Think of a large company you admire. What kind of leadership culture do they have — and how does that affect their ability to innovate? If you went right to command-and-control leadership, you’re not alone. It’s a common approach to leading large organizations. But MIT Sloan Scho ... Show More
27m 35s
Jan 2025
How to Make Better Decisions Under Pressure
Many people believe that leaders instinctively make the best decisions based on past experience, almost like muscle memory. But Carol Kauffman, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and the founder of the Institute of Coaching, challenges this view. She explains why falli ... Show More
28m 14s
Jun 2025
Becoming Better: Transformational Leadership with Ryan Gottfredson
In this episode of Talent Development Leader podcast, Ryan Gottfredson—bestselling author, professor, and expert in leadership development—describes what it truly means to become better. Drawing from his latest book, Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transfo ... Show More
43m 16s
Aug 2024
Are You Ready to Be a Leader?
What distinguishes a leader? How do you know if you’re ready to lead? And how do you make the transition into a leadership role? The shift from being part of a team to leading one isn’t like flipping a switch. It’s a process, and it can be awkward. It can be especially difficult ... Show More
59m 7s
Jul 2
The Right Way to Step Down as CEO
When news breaks of a CEO succession, much of the attention is given to the new leader and how they will change the company. But new research shows that the leave-taking process of the outgoing chief executive is often mishandled, with negative impacts on succession and the organ ... Show More
28m 43s
Jul 1
Leading Change with Confidence: HR’s Role in Organizational Transformation
Andy Biladeau, SHRM’s chief transformation officer, sits down with guest host Marjorie Morrison, SHRM’s executive in residence for mental health, to explore HR’s evolving role in organizational transformation. With change management being one of the top CHRO priorities for 2025, ... Show More
32m 26s
Sep 9
Dr. Colin M. Fisher: The Hidden Science of Group Dynamics | Strategy and Leadership Podcast
How do you build teams that truly work together instead of falling into dysfunction? In this Strategy and Leadership podcast, Dr. Colin M. Fisher—Associate Professor of Organizations and Innovation at UCL School of Management and author of The Collective Edge—shares two decades o ... Show More
25m 15s