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HBR IdeaCast

HBR IdeaCast

By: Harvard Business Review
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A weekly podcast featuring the leading thinkers in business and management.Copyright 2026 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved. Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • The Right Way to Manage Rule Breakers

    The Right Way to Manage Rule Breakers
    Jun 16 2026
    Most leaders assume that when employees break rules, punishment is the answer. But according to researcher Michael Gill, associate professor at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School, that mindset overlooks a crucial reality: not all rule breaking is self-serving, and some of it may actually help organizations perform better. He explains his research synthesizing more than 250 studies and details the four main motivations behind why people break rules, why repeated violations may signal deeper organizational problems, and how leaders can distinguish harmful misconduct from employees trying to help customers, colleagues, or the business itself. Learn more in the HBR article How the Best Leaders Respond to Rule Breaking.
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    21 mins
  • We All Hate Meetings—Here’s How to Make Them Work

    We All Hate Meetings—Here’s How to Make Them Work
    Jun 9 2026
    Meetings are one of the biggest drains on time, energy, and morale at work, yet most managers are never actually taught how to run them well. Paul English, cofounder of Kayak, argues that organizations underestimate just how costly bad meetings can be. He says meeting culture is one of the most overlooked drivers of productivity, morale, and organizational effectiveness. Drawing on lessons from companies like Amazon, LinkedIn, Airbnb, and Shopify, as well as his own experience building high-performing teams, he explains how leaders can run meetings that create clarity, energy, and better decisions instead of frustration and fatigue. English is the author of the book The Meeting Book: How the Best Companies Meet Better.
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    26 mins
  • Reinventing an Organization to Do More with Less

    Reinventing an Organization to Do More with Less
    Jun 2 2026
    What does it take to manage a complex global institution when change is constant and resources are scarce? For Kelly T. Clements, Deputy High Commissioner at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), it's about building resilient teams, partnering across sectors, and balancing operational efficiency with humanity. In her more than a decade with the agency, Clements has helped steer key reforms in challenging circumstances, and she shares lessons for both public and private sector leaders about how to modernize systems, decentralize decision-making, and embrace innovation.
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    28 mins
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This is such a great episode.I will sure listen to this again and share it with my team.

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