There’s no disputing the role of talent in business. With increasing global competition comes an even greater need for effective leadership. In such a scenario, what should be an organization’s approach to its overall talent strategy? Read on to find out…

Why is it that many companies have initiated balanced scorecard programs only to stop short after the very first scorecard? Here is a low down on the essentials of sustaining a balanced scorecard program.

“Reputation is only a candle, of wavering and uncertain flame, and easily blown out, but it is the light by which the world looks for and finds merit” – James Russell Lowe.

Generating creative ideas is critical for organizations given the challenging business and economic climate. A different approach to generating novel ideas may bring employees, managers and the customers they serve out of the doldrums. Featured below is the technique of brainwriting which may prove useful to organizations searching for breakthrough ideas or simply a better way forward.

In future, companies will have to scale up their learning skills just to be able to survive. Morgen Witzel explains the concept of ‘knowledge management’

“Our data reveals that most Indian managers, both in leadership and thinking style, are more action oriented. Whereas American leadership style, is more participative, flexible and socially oriented,” says Gary Burnison, Chief Executive Officer, Korn/Ferry International.

When the company of which he was the CEO was sold from under his feet, Ashwini Kakkar decided to start his own travel business. The experience turned out to be quite different from what he expected, but nonetheless rich and exciting.

With giants like Wal-Mart and Reliance about to enter the Indian retail market, all eyes are on Pantaloon’s Kishore Biyani on how he will stay ahead of the competition. A sneak preview of the mind behind the strategy.

“The success of IKEA stands on radical innovation in two dimensions: a discontinuous leap in the value proposition and the rapid configuration of a unique value network,” says the leading professor of marketing from London Business School.

"The key to defending your leadership position is to continuously innovate with the proposition," says Urvi Piramal, Vice Chairperson, Piramal Enterprises. Any business for that matter whether traditional or contemporary, has to earn the right to exist.

Are you starting you own professional services firm? Do not deviate from your core expertise, be merciless on quality and build a reputation. That is how you get clients who love and refer you. That is how you grow.

As distribution channels continue to consolidate on a worldwide basis, the pressure on suppliers will only increase. How well suppliers are able to work with the powerful global members of distribution channel will determine the viability of their firms opines London Business School's Professor Nirmalya Kumar

There is a great deal of value in the concept of core competencies, but it is a mistake to see it as the end goal. They are instead a means by which the company seeks to reach its own goals. Morgen Witzel explains the concept of core competencies, its implications and drawbacks.

Why are some companies more resilient than others? How do they win the fight against corporate turbulence? In the exclusive with The Smart Manager Gary Hamel reveals the secret…

The first generation starts a business, the second generation builds, the third generation destroys. Why does this happen in every country, every culture? Peter A White has the answer.

Over the past nine years, the world’s leading management consultancy has morphed into a larger, more global, more networked, more complex organization. How did that happen? Rajat Gupta explains.

One of the world’s greatest thought leaders of the decade, CK Prahalad has impacted managers across the world. But what influences have shaped the man? Kamini Banga explores

The crux of their argument is unusual. Even as the majority of India’s corporate intelligentsia mourns the death of Indian manufacturing, Sampathkumar raises a banner of hope. The market for labor intensive products is $1.5 trillion. Why can’t India grab a chunk of it?

Should family businesses ‘professionalize’? And how does one go about doing that? Read about the experience of one family run business – through the eyes of a professional. By Melvin P Tellis