HBR IdeaCast

Imagine you’re leading a small organization, but you’re struggling to recruit and afford the senior talent you need to grow. You could hire a part-time executive. So-called “fractional leadership” is common in startups and is spreading to other businesses and nonprofits. But while a fast-growing number of senior leaders seek this work arrangement, many companies are unsure of how to go about it. Tomoko Yokoi and Amy Bonsall are experts on the practice. Yokoi is a researcher at the TONOMUS Global Center for Digital and AI Transformation at IMD Business School. Bonsall is a former executive at IDEO and Old Navy who works as a part-time chief product officer with several organizations. They explain when and how fractional leadership works best—for the individual as well as the organization—and how to do it right. Yokoi and Bonsall wrote the HBR article “How Part-Time Senior Leaders Can Help Your Business.”

With more than $7 billion in annual revenue and 24,000 employees, SAIC provides engineering, digital, AI, and mission support to defense, space, intelligence, and civilian customers. CEO Toni Townes-Whitley took the helm a year ago, after stints as a senior executive at Microsoft, CGI Federal, and Unisys. She discusses her approach to strategic transformation at SAIC through fine tuning and employee upskilling, rather than wholesale change. She also shares how the company is incorporating cutting edge technologies, like generative AI, with appropriate safeguards for government clients.

Around the world, the past few years have been marked by increasing political polarization and public outrage. Like it or not, this spills over into the business world, with employees, customers, and shareholders more willing than ever to challenge companies -- and one another -- on a range of issues. It's hard to know how to lead gracefully in such turbulent times, but Karthik Ramanna, professor at the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government, has some answers. Drawing on his work with government officials and corporate executives, he walks us through the root causes of our current crisis, explains how to effectively navigate through disagreement, and offers practical takeaways for managers at every level. Ramanna is the author of the book The Age of Outrage: How to Lead in a Polarized World.

Reid Hoffman is one of the most prominent and recognizable voices in Silicon Valley, and after predicting some of the biggest trends that have shaped our world in the last 25 years, he is sharing his thoughts on the future of artificial intelligence. In this interview with HBR Editor in Chief Adi Ignatius, Hoffman shares his approach to managing technological change and innovation, explains why he thinks generative AI won't destroy jobs, and imagines how these new tools will transform our world. Spoiler: It's all about managing technological change and innovation the right way. Previously, Hoffman founded or co-founded PayPal, Inflection AI, and LinkedIn, where he served as CEO and is now its executive chairman. He’s also an active early-stage investor at Greylock Partners, host of the Masters of Scale and Possible podcasts, and author of the forthcoming book Superagency.