Page 16 - HBR Leader's Handbook: Make an Impact, Inspire Your Organization, and Get to the Next Level

6 HBR Leader’s Handbook

More on the cases

Each of the first five core chapters of this book begins with a true story
about how a senior leader made that practice come alive in their or-
ganization and how it made a positive difference. You’ll read about the
creation of a vision for the World Bank, the development of a strategy for
public television, the intentional transformation of people’s capabilities
at the Ford Foundation, the step-up in results at XL Insurance, and the
drive for innovation at Thomson Reuters.
We’ve chosen these cases and other shorter vignettes through- out
the book because they showcase what the practices we describe look
like at organizations that might have similar challenges to the ones that
you work at today or aspire to run tomorrow. We drew the cases from a
diverse set of organizations—for-profit, nonprofit, and public sector—
that have long-standing track records rather than the latest headline-
grabbing firms. Each one shows the power of leaders using that particular
practice to create significant impact in the face of tough busi- ness
conditions, internal resistance, and their own human limitations and
concerns. We use these cases to tease out specific lessons that you can
apply to your situation, even if your organization is in a different sec- tor
or is a different size, or you are in a less senior position.

for your whole organization, you will have to build a top-notch team for
your area.

Why “positive” impact?
Emphasizing the word “positive” in our defining phrase about leadership
impact is not accidental.
We believe the term “leadership” carries with it a responsibility to cre-
ate not just any impact, but impact that makes a positive difference to-
ward socially or economically responsible goals rather than a blueprint