The importance of urgency

Google’s view on the future of business: An interview with CEO Eric Schmidt

Few would dispute that Google sits at the center of the Internet. As the leader in search, Google is now the Internet’s premier brand and the planet’s most potent free service. Managing that commanding position falls largely to seasoned technology executive Eric Schmidt, who in 2001 was tapped for the CEO post by Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page.

In his years at the company, Schmidt has delivered steady growth while expanding Google’s reach. By anticipating the ways in which people would expand their use of Internet applications, Schmidt has introduced new products from the popular Web-based e-mail service Gmail (Google Mail in Germany and the UK) to the recently unveiled G1 mobile phone. And as Google’s audience and influence have increased, so too has its appeal among advertisers worldwide.

Click this picture to interact with Eric Schmidt

Act global, think local

When companies globalize, executives must anticipate the reaction at home. Norsk Hydro President and CEO Eivind Reiten explains why.

Betting on prediction markets

How companies such as Google and Best Buy gather the collected wisdom of customers and employees to better predict future events.

How to fix the innovation gap: A conversation with Judy Estrin

The author and tech executive says we are living off the fruits of previous research and need to seed new ideas. Click the picture to interact with the author

What are the design flaws in your organization?

Gary Hamel and The Management Lab explore improving performance by rethinking organizational structure.

What are the entrenched design flaws within organizations, and what are the solutions to overcome these problems? This was the question posed at a conference on management innovation, hosted by The Management Lab. In this video interactive, you can navigate through the insights of speakers such as Julian Birkinshaw, of the London Business School; John Mackey, of Whole Foods; and Gary Hamel, founder of The Management Lab.

What society expects from business

Ian Davis, McKinsey’s managing director, explains why building social issues into corporate strategy is a key challenge for business leaders.

The new rules of corporate credibility

Dr. Hans-Joachim Körber, former CEO of METRO Group, discusses the importance of gaining public trust at a time when big businesses are under increased scrutiny.

Market rebels and radical innovation

In this adaptation from Hayagreeva Rao’s book, he explains the role of activists in making or breaking new markets, products, and services. Activists who challenge the status quo play a critical but often overlooked role in both promoting and impeding radical business innovation. Their importance stems from the very nature of innovation, which frequently challenges existing interests, norms, values, social practices, and relationships. As a result, the joined hands of market rebels-activists and their recruits-have with surprising frequency exerted significant influence on market acceptance of breakthrough products and services.

Five trends that will shape business technology in 2009

The year 2009 will be challenging for CIOs. Here’s how to play your hand.

When downturns hit, there is a certain inevitability to their impact on IT. Declining profits will place tremendous pressure on IT budgets in most sectors and regions. CIOs will be called on to rationalize projects, downsize organizations, renegotiate contracts, and seek out other cost-reduction opportunities.