IESE Insight - Knowledge Exchange

A CEO's mantra: Stop customers from suffering

IESE Insight For a regulated public utility like Madrileña Red de Gas, what's the bottom-line incentive to pursue customer-service improvements? The CEO, Alejandro Lafarga, explains his business calling.

Corporate culture and values: How can the board set the tone?

Canals, Jordi There is a growing awareness about the importance of corporate culture. However, creating a positive culture cannot be addressed with a "check the box" compliance approach. This article provides some guidance on how boards can tackle this challenge.

A talent for management: tips from Carnegie Hall's Clive Gillinson

IESE Insight Clive Gillinson never set out to be a manager. But the Carnegie Hall executive has discovered in management a new way to be creative. What kind of music is coming out of your leadership?

Mariano Puig: the story of a leader who knows how to think big

IESE Insight Mariano Puig, 91, admits he's reached the stage his father called "letting others do." Time to let the next generation take over the running of the family-owned fashion and fragrance business. This is the story of a leader who knows how to think big.

Four pillars for developing a human capital strategy

Cachinero-Sanchez, Benito Developing a human capital strategy is not something to leave until the last minute. Ask yourself these key questions to help make sure that your strategic plans get executed successfully.

Brexit's impact on 4 key sectors

Ariño, Africa; Daniels, Chris; Caldart, Adrian; Orr, Edward; Rosenberg, Mike Few, if any, companies anticipated Brexit. Now we're all being rocked by the uncertainties, since no one knows quite how this messy divorce will play out. Of course, some sectors are being harder hit than others.

A book for all your New Year's resolutions

This year, hold yourself accountable to all your professional goals.

4 keys to improve Europe's security and defense

Terrorism, tensions and geopolitical shifts are renewing interest in regional security. Jorge Domecq, Chief Executive of the European Defense Agency, shares four action items to build a stronger European defense.

Harnessing the Crowd in the Age of the Machine

IESE Insight In this interview, MIT research scientist Andrew McAfee unpacks six core principles for harnessing crowd-based co-creation. Amid growing fears of machines' vastly superior computing power, it's worth bearing in mind that human abilities, excellent goods and services, and strong organizational capabilities will likely remain essential to business success.

Why Execution Is No Longer the Key to Competitive Advantage

IESE Every Wednesday, Amazon's top executives reportedly meet for hours to ponder the future. Why? Because looking to the future has become more important than execution for business success in VUCA times. Antonio Davila (briefly) explains his 70/30 recommendation.