HBR IdeaCast

What does it take to succeed in an enterprise-level leadership role today? Michael Watkins, professor at IMD and author of the book The First 90 Days, says that the leap from functional or business line manager to a more senior position is tricker than ever owing to three factors: AI, geopolitical complexity, and compressed leadership pipelines. He explains what that means for executives aspiring to make the transition and outlines all the new skills and capabilities they need to rise to the top now. Watkins is author of the HBR article, "3 Forces Are Redefining the Transition from Manager to Leader."

How do you take a young, purpose-led company to the next level? In this special episode, as part of the recent HBR Leadership Summit 2026, The Honest Company CEO Carla Vernón shares how she leveraged the powerful reputation and loyal customers of the mission-driven consumer brand to turn the company around. Facing shrinking margins, limited cash, and growing pressure from Wall Street to consistently profit, Vernón worked to build trust, create a shared language for change, and help employees embrace new ways of working.

Many organizations are investing heavily in AI, but too few are asking the most important question: What problem are we actually trying to solve? Journalist and author Josh Tyrangiel argues that successful AI adoption has far less to do with choosing the right model and far more to do with identifying the right business challenge—and following through. He shares why executives should resist the pressure to become "AI-native" overnight and instead focus on targeted, high-impact problems where AI can create measurable value. He also offers practical advice on improving operations, communicating change across an organization, and avoiding the costly mistake of treating AI as a strategy rather than a tool, with examples from the healthcare sector and beyond. Tyrangiel is author of the book AI for Good: How Real People Are Using Artificial Intelligence to Fix Things That Matter.

How do you reinvent an 80-year-old company without losing what made it successful in the first place? In this special episode, as part of the recent HBR Leadership Summit 2026, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz explains how he transformed the iconic toy maker into an IP-driven entertainment company that creates movies, games, live experiences, and digital products alongside its toys. He shares how simplifying strategy, reshaping talent, and fostering a culture of innovation helped drive the company's turnaround, why AI is accelerating product development without replacing creativity, and what leaders can learn about managing change, protecting trusted brands, and building organizations that are ready for the future.

When the stakes are high and the clock is ticking, how do great leaders make the right call? Sports performance consultant Alan McCall and sports scientist Johann Bilsborough say that leaders can improve decision-making before, during, and after critical moments, based on lessons they've learned from elite sports coaches. They share research on why preparation matters more than instinct, how to filter signal from noise, and why trust and relationships often determine the quality of decisions long before a crisis occurs. McCall and Bilsborough are coauthors, along with Adrian Wolfberg and Ricard Pruna, of the HBR article "How Elite Sports Coaches Make High-Pressure Decisions."