Usted es me todos: Best of the March-April Issue: The Importance of Challenging Your Assumptions

February 23, 2017

Read online

The Importance of Challenging Your Assumptions

From Amy Bernstein,
Editor, Harvard Business Review

Leadership is one of our perennial topics, and rising uncertainty across the globe is giving it new urgency. To lead through tumult, CEOs have to make sure they're getting critical information, even when it's unpleasant. But often, they are insulated from the difficult feedback they need most—they're caught in what one CEO calls the "good news cocoon." In "Bursting the CEO Bubble," MIT's Hal Gregersen explains that, to help their organizations thrive, leaders have to venture outside their comfort zones, question their own thinking, and seek new ideas from others.

Hal's piece reminds us that a measure of humility will help you keep an open mind. This is why Walmart CEO Doug McMillon advises leaders to "act like a student." As he tells editor-in-chief Adi Ignatius, adopting an outside-in perspective—to understand what people outside Walmart think of the company—is the only way to stay ahead of constant change and disruption.

Our Spotlight in this issue looks at why teams fail to deliver on their potential. According to Deloitte's Suzanne Vickberg and Kim Christfort, it comes down to differences in work styles. Their research shows that we are composites of at least two of four styles—pioneer, driver, integrator, and guardian—with one or two predominating. Each style has its own enthusiasms and sensitivities. Pioneers, for example, love spontaneity and hate process; guardians love predictability and hate disorder. You can see how the two styles might alienate each other, but they don't have to. The key to productive teams is managing the four styles with greater awareness.

This issue also looks at the latest thinking on using social media to build your brand. If you're trying to grow your following on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, you'll want to read "What's the Value of a Like?" In it, professors Leslie John, Daniel Mochon, Oliver Emrich, and Janet Schwartz explore whether social media campaigns actually increase revenue. The short answer: Online endorsements don't work the way you think.

In case you're more interested in search ads—the ones that appear when consumers search for specific terms—we cover the work of Mike Luca, of Harvard Business School, and Daisy Dai, of Lehigh University. Most advertisers believe search ads are more effective than static banners. Not so fast, say the researchers, who find that search ads can be a waste of money if they tell consumers what they already know. But they're very effective for creating awareness around little-known brands.

Mike and Daisy's research is yet more evidence that we must always be ready to challenge our own assumptions.

Until the next issue,
Amy Bernstein

In the Issue:

Bursting the CEO Bubble

by Hal Gregersen

No one wants to tell the CEO that there are problems in the company—or that he or she is wrong. That’s why chief executives should talk less and ask more questions. Innovative leaders like Walt Bettinger of Charles Schwab and Marc Benioff of Salesforce have found a way to get honest feedback from their constituents.

"We Need People to Lean into the Future"

by Adi Ignatius

In an interview, Walmart CEO Doug Macmillan describes the ups and downs of transforming America's largest company. Going digital is a top priority, but the company is also focused on strengthening the store experience.

Pioneers, Drivers, Integrators, and Guardians

by Suzanne Vickberg and Kim Christfort

When teams fall short of their potential, it’s often because leaders don’t know how to spot and manage the differences in how people approach their work. Every team is a mix of four personality types that leaders need to be able to identify.

What's the Value of a Like?

by Leslie John, Daniel Mochon, Oliver Emrich, and Janet Schwartz

Brands spend billions of dollars a year on their social media. But do those campaigns actually increase revenue? New research shows that "likes" from customers do not increase their—or their friends'—purchasing. However, seeing more branded content may change that.

Do Search Ads Really Work?

They can be surprisingly effective, but most companies use them incorrectly. eBay, the world's best-known auction site, got no lift from advertising on a popular search engine. But a new restaurant could attract substantially more business from search advertising on Yelp, where people usually search on cuisine rather than on an establishment's name.