IMD business school for management and leadership courses

In September 2024, Starbucks’ then-CEO was abruptly fired after 17 months in the role; the decision followed three quarterly drops in consumer traffic and declining operating revenues. The board then turned to Brian Niccol, a veteran fast-food company executive. Niccol was deemed highly qualified due to his turnaround of two fast-food chains, Ch…

Promotion decisions are among the most powerful cultural signals that leaders send. They reveal what an organization truly values, in terms of results but also in how those results are achieved. The Promotion Dilemma explores the tension that managers face when a high-performing employee delivers exceptional commercial outcomes while simultaneou…

Founded in 1996, Rustomjee Group real estate developers has developed into a notable player and a well-known brand in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The case examines two flagship concepts – “Childhoods Available” and “My Spaces” – and sheds light on how Rustomjee Group has managed to achieve differentiation while catering to two distinct…

Founded in 1996, Rustomjee Group real estate developers has developed into a notable player and a well-known brand in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The case examines two flagship concepts – “Childhoods Available” and “My Spaces” – and sheds light on how Rustomjee Group has managed to achieve differentiation while catering to two distinct…

This technical note introduces a framework for understanding why effective leaders sometimes act in ways that undermine their own goals. Moving beyond traditional style models that treat leaders as relatively consistent, the note presents ‘leadership modes’ – coherent states defined by configurations of Affects, Behaviors, Cognitions and Desires…

Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN) charted a success story starting out as the smallest new entrant in Hong Kong’s highly competitive telecom industry in 1999 and went on to become the second largest provider of residential broadband within 10 years. State-of-the-art fiber network infrastructure allowed HKBN to offer high-quality high-speed tele…

The Qualios case tracks the search, negotiations and ultimate acquisition of an industrial, family-owned SME in Southern Germany. Using a variety of materials, including sophisticated composites, the company produces customized, high-quality braided sleeves primarily for technical applications. The fourth-generation owners were led to sell due t…

This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through mu…

The case places students in the role of LanzaTech’s founder, Dr Sean Simpson, in April 2012. The company was built on the radical idea of using proprietary microbes to capture and convert carbon-rich waste gases from heavy industry (like steel mills) into fuel-grade ethanol. LanzaTech has just achieved a massive technological breakthrough: provi…

The Advanced Academic Leadership Framework provides a comprehensive competency model designed specifically for senior academic leaders operating at institutional levels, including deans, provosts, institute directors and university presidents. Recognizing that academic leadership operates within unique constraints –shared governance, faculty aut…

ZURICH (SWITZERLAND), 14 JUNE 2024. The sustainability team at On had been on high alert as TV journalists were once again investigating some of its sustainability claims. Founded in 2010 by former Swiss Ironman champion Olivier Bernhard, the company rapidly gained a reputation among professional athletes, in particular triathletes, for its prop…

The case describes Hilti’s transformation from a premium tool maker to a solution provider in commercial construction, while keeping its innovation leadership. Confronting industry pain points such as lost tools, downtime, safety risks and thin margins, Hilti created Fleet Management FM. This subscription bundles NURON tools, repairs, loaners, t…

For the team at Oculis, the announcement of the new USD 100 million fundraising could not have come at a more opportune moment. The biopharmaceutical startup was founded in 2017 to transform ophthalmology by developing not only original delivery mechanisms but also groundbreaking treatments for eye diseases like Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). Est…

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) had long recognized that the game of basketball was evolving beyond physical participation. That shift became impossible to ignore in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic shut down live events and left fans stuck at home. With no traditional products to deliver, FIBA saw esports as a timely strategic ex…

Academic institutions face unprecedented complexity from technological change, evolving funding models, diverse stakeholder demands and pressure to demonstrate societal impact. Traditional strategic planning – periodic exercises that typically yield lengthy reports but little change – no longer suffices. This technical note introduces the Seven …