REPORT

Philanthropy: Giving back by giving away

Making a difference and giving back to society have never been more urgent. Here’s how business leaders and companies are lending a hand – and it’s not only money that matters. Includes 5 keys for sustainable philanthropy by companies.

Josep Carreras: “Listen to that inner voice”

After a musical career spanning 50 years, the world-famous tenor’s philanthropy through his leukemia foundation remains his other life work. Here, he explains the importance of philanthropy and why the values that underpin it – rigor, professionalism, transparency and a warm, humane attitude – are even more important when your own name is attached to it.

Catalina Parra: “I want to change the world”

A trip to India changed this entrepreneur’s path, making her reflect on what she would want people to say at her funeral: that she was a fantastic consultant or that she was a person who tried to change the world? She chose the latter, as she explains in this interview.

Justice and charity at work

Achieving social cohesion requires two basic attitudes that are intertwined and mutually reinforcing: justice and charity. Joan Fontrodona, the CaixaBank Chair of Sustainability and Social Impact at IESE, explains.

THE BIG PICTURE

The Big Picture: CEOs on what they’ve learned after a year of COVID-19

How has the pandemic affected your industry? We asked business leaders in a variety of fields about how their mandate has changed after facing extraordinary challenges over the past 12 months. Each offers three hard-won pieces of advice.

HACK

The real story behind online ratings

From Amazon to Airbnb, the star-rating system has become a standard metric. But stars can be misleading, depending on the nature of the rating system and the dimensions being assessed.

Don’t  miss the mark  when predicting performance

Why might people believe they will perform better than others? Are we wrong about their abilities or our own? New research uncovers what’s behind our erroneous performance predictions relative to our peers.

How to bring a playful mindset to work

Would you like to enjoy your work more? Set goals, reframe tasks, compete with yourself, look for fun and experiment to keep improving. Those who manage to bring playfulness to work tend to be more creative and enjoy better relationships with colleagues and clients.

+IESE

Porsche CEO Oliver Blume: Half its cars all-electric or hybrid by 2025

Porsche’s strategy to become carbon neutral is challenging yet achievable. Green energy is key, using e-fuels combined with electromobility to run not just the cars but the plants. While AI is also valuable, it won’t replace the human element on which the brand depends.

Dress sense

These entrepreneurs in the fashion space want your clothes to leave a positive impression – on people and the planet.

Sabine Mueller: “Diversity and inclusion must be organizational cornerstones”

The CEO of DHL Consulting discusses digital readiness, resilience and agility, and says establishing a truly diverse and inclusive workplace will require a complete overhaul of how we currently do things.

1, 2, 3…jump! Making drastic career change

As if changing jobs wasn’t daunting enough, imagine switching function, sector and country all at once. Daniela Bocco Targa, Rahul Parikh and Lukas Mitschke explain how they took the triple jump.

SMART PICKS

8 keys to strategic and speedy leadership

Is speed the enemy of reflection? For Pedro Nueno, moving at a quick pace is a must, especially under the current conditions.

KNOW

Managing supply chains in a world that is no longer flat
By Philip Moscoso

Deglobalization and digitalization were gathering force when COVID-19 confirmed what many companies already suspected: Supply chains need to undergo a fundamental transformation. Here’s how to make supply chains more agile and resilient.

The sweeping change of net zero emissions
In conversation with Miguel Duro

Can the Big Three asset managers – BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street – influence companies to clean up their acts and lower their carbon emissions? Miguel Duro discusses his research on how they do it and why you should pay heed.

The upsides of downward deference
By B. Sebastian Reiche and Tsedal B. Neeley

Leaders who find themselves out of their element can get ahead by deferring to subordinates. Here we explain how power can come from letting it go.

FULL STOP

Your move: how chess gives strategies for life

Chess is enjoying a renaissance, as people search for new forms of escapism during lockdown. But for Robert Katende in Uganda, the game never went out of style. Indeed, it’s his strategic tool to inspire people with hope of a better life.