I by IMD - First-person Business Intelligence from the Brightest Thinkers

Latest insights

Walk, don’t talk: How to survive culture wars

4 hours ago • by Philip Thomas in Brain Circuits • 3 min read

Global brands expert Philip Thomas suggests simple ways for businesses to walk the tightrope between buzz and backlash in today’s divisive cultural and political landscape. ...

Why human-machine teams need deliberate design to be creative

February 3, 2026 • by Yeun Joon Kim, Yingyue Luna Luan in Artificial Intelligence • 9 min read

Teams using AI are often perceived as less creative—regardless of their actual output. New research from Cambridge reveals the solution isn't less AI, but better collaboration design. ...

Are you stuck in a leadership comfort zone? 

February 3, 2026 • by Brenda Steinberg in Brain Circuits • 3 min read

If you’re known as a solid executor and a safe pair of hands but can’t see an exciting  future for yourself in the organization, you may be overly risk-averse. Answer the questions below to see if this applies to you and check out...

Longevity in Family Business: Lessons from Japan

February 3, 2026 • by Peter Vogel, Toshio Goto in Family business • 6 min read

Drawing on lessons from family businesses, Toshio Goto and Peter Vogel explore the drivers of family enterprise longevity. Rather than prescribing longevity as a universal goal, they highlight the strengths of the...

Optimism as strategy

February 2, 2026 • by David Bach, Huda Al Hashimi in Geopolitics • 11 min read

Countries building ecosystems where government vision, business innovation, and investor confidence reinforce each other to gain competitive advantage through strategic optimism. ...

Play

When is the right time to say goodbye? It’s the age-old question

February 2, 2026 • by Michael Skapinker in Leadership • 10 min read

Performance, not age, should influence when older leaders step aside, argues Michael Skapinker ...

Audio available

Embracing conflict, the catalyst for renewal

January 30, 2026 • by Qi Zhang in Coaching Corner • 5 min read

David learns to see conflict not as an end, but as a cycle of renewal - embracing tension, repair, and trust to transform his work relationships...

Play

Slow down! Why doing too much is not helping you or your team

January 30, 2026 • by Qi Zhang in Coaching Corner • 7 min read

Striving to be a superhero has backfired professionally and personally for ambitious Frances. It’s time to ease her foot off the gas, says Qi Zhang...

Audio available

At the centre of everything: how CFOs lead through connection, curiosity and data

January 29, 2026 in CFO Horizons • 4 min read

Finance cannot be perceived as a back-office function, says Swissport’s Nordics & Baltics CFO Sasa Tulikoura. CFOs must strengthen three priorities: inspiring curiosity in teams, connecting across the business, and building momentum...

From blind spots to business value: How executives can build AI initiatives that succeed

January 29, 2026 • by José Parra Moyano in Artificial Intelligence • 6 min read

Amid widespread predictions of the bursting of the AI bubble, José Parra Moyano demonstrates how leaders can focus on optimizing initiatives with strong value, data readiness, and employee endorsement. ...

Good gut: Why intuition is still essential in a world of AI

January 29, 2026 • by Heather Cairns-Lee, Eugene Sadler-Smith in AI • 3 min read

Being able to use your gut instinct remains vital for effective decision-making in a data-driven world. Here’s how to use and develop your “sixth sense”....

cubes showing a brainstorming session on concrete background

From control to co-creation: Reframing the psychology of organizational change

January 28, 2026 • by Susan Goldsworthy, Carly Jenner in Leadership • 11 min read

Organizations must shift from a ‘power-over’ model to a ‘power-with’ model to lead effectively though complexity. ...

Looking to accelerate your leadership career? Start here

January 28, 2026 • by Alyson Meister in Brain Circuits • 2 min read

Progressing to senior leadership begins by upgrading your mindset. Here’s how to get started. ...

Play

Holcim’s Ram Muthu: Can circular construction scale?

January 27, 2026 • by Julia Binder, Knut Haanaes in I by IMD Podcasts • 2 min read • Podcast available

Holcim’s Ram Muthu on circularity, EU regulation, and what it really takes to decarbonize cement at industrial scale....

120 years of building careers: What ABB Sweden's graduate program reveals about long-term talent investment

January 27, 2026 • by Ulrika Karnland, Katarina Norén in Talent • 13 min read

ABB Sweden’s 120-year-old graduate trainee program has survived wars, crises, and industry upheaval. What does its endurance reveal about building talent for the long term?...

How to create a skills-powered organization 

January 27, 2026 in Brain Circuits • 3 min read

As Standard Chartered’s Chief Strategy and Talent Officer, Tanuj Kapilashrami, oversaw a fundamental workforce transformation from a jobs-based to a skills-powered model. Here she shares five key steps to make the transition....

Play

The AI productivity illusion

January 26, 2026 • by Hamilton Mann in Artificial Intelligence • 12 min read

Confusing efficiency with productivity is to mistake speed for direction, and execution for value. Hamilton Mann explains how to avoid the pitfalls in your AI transformation...

Audio available

Play

WEF Unplugged: Geopolitics, sustainability, and a look behind the scenes

January 23, 2026 • by David Bach, Julia Binder in Leaders Unplugged • 2 min read • Podcast available

Live from Davos: IMD’s Julia Binder and David Bach cut through the headlines on geopolitics, AI, energy – and competing visions for the international order....