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Why Business Leaders Need to Read More Science Fiction

Harvard Business Review

If 19th-century urban planners had had access to big data, machine learning techniques, and modern management theory, these tools would not have helped them. Rising sea levels flood Manhattan in Kim Stanley Robinson’s New York 2140 , prompting hedge fund managers and real estate investors to create a new intertidal market index.

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Can Being Overconfident Make You a Better Leader?

Harvard Business Review

Randall Stephenson, then CEO of AT&T, famously said , “I told people you weren’t betting on a device. And for good reason — research has shown that when overconfidence permeates the upper levels of management, companies may fail to choose the best investment policies or engage in reckless and damaging acquisitions.

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People Suffer at Work When They Can’t Discuss the Racial Bias They Face Outside of It

Harvard Business Review

And in an emotional recounting of his black friend’s experience outside the office that went viral on YouTube, AT&T chairman Randall Stephenson encouraged employees to get to know each other better.

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The 3 Things CEOs Worry About the Most

Harvard Business Review

Talent Management. Randall Stephenson of AT&T explained, “We had 270,000 people we employed around the globe. ” Other talent management concerns that were mentioned once include: motivating people through hard times, retention and development, and managing diversity and cultural differences.

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