Cold Call

Though not everyone may know her name, Madam C.J. Walker helped invent what have become staples of our modern country and economy: national sales forces, corporate social responsibility, and, yes, even basic haircare. Orphaned at age 8, married at 14, and widowed at 20 with a daughter to raise, Walker went on to become a millionaire entrepreneur in the Deep South at the turn of the century, against all odds. Harvard Business School professor Nancy Koehn describes Walker’s inspiring real life story of making good on her own unique American dream. Koehn is the author of the case study, “Madam C.J. Walker: Entrepreneur, Leader, and Philanthropist.”

No organization wants to fail. But even for the best and the brightest, failure is inevitable, and occasionally that failure can be catastrophic. Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson describes her experience writing and teaching a case on the Columbia space shuttle’s final mission, including the organizational challenges within NASA that contributed to it, and the lessons that can be taken from the tragedy. Edmondson is the author of the case study, “Columbia’s Final Mission.”

Running for office requires a lot of public speaking. But often, it’s what candidates aren’t saying that can make or break their campaigns. Take the case of Dan Silver, an experienced congressional candidate who leaves voters cold despite his eminent qualifications. With the help of KNP Communications, Silver is forced to watch himself at the podium and makes some profound discoveries. Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy delves into this fascinating case — entitled “Congressional Candidate Dan Silver and KNP Communications” — and the importance of body language, believing in your own story, and how to put your best self forward.

Digitally-enabled prescription medication may sound futuristic. Thanks to Proteus, the future is now. The company has developed the technology to place microchips inside prescription pills, allowing doctors to retrieve real-time updates on everything from dosing, to vital signs, to the efficacy of different medications. However, regulating and marketing such ground-breaking technology is almost as complicated as the medical conditions it can help cure. Harvard Business School professor Richard Hamermesh unpacks his case study, “Proteus Biomedical: Making Pigs Fly” — the challenges of changing the world of medicine.

How do you manage a community, grow it, and sustain it? Threadless has done it since 2007 by crowdsourcing its T-shirt designs and selling the best ones. Harvard Business School professor <strong>Karim Lakhani</strong> talks about the challenges, exciting moments, and ultimate dilemma in the case: When do you grow the community vs. when do you go national and make the big money? Many companies consider how to bring elements of community into their companies. Learn more about this fascinating journey from Lakhani’s case, “Threadless: The Business of Community.”

Ron Johnson’s career path has featured stops at some of the world’s largest and most innovative retailers, including Target, Apple, and J.C. Penney. At each stop, Johnson learned invaluable lessons, like how to build on success, how to keep growing as an individual, and how to embrace missteps. Harvard Business School professor Das Narayandas examines Johnson’s career trajectory and discusses the importance of personal accountability and creative planning in the rapidly-changing world of retail. Narayandas is the author of the case entitled “Ron Johnson: Retail at Target, Apple, and J.C. Penney.”

Harvard Business School professor Rohit Deshpande discusses lessons for leaders from the heroic and selfless acts of the Taj Palace staff during the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. Deshpande is the author of the case study entitled “Terror at the Taj Bombay: Customer-Centric Leadership.”

In the hundred-plus years since journalist Upton Sinclair shined a light on the deplorable conditions in the U.S. meat packing industry in his groundbreaking exposé, The Jungle, per capita meat consumption for Americans has increased 63%. Can the world continue to feed its growing meat-eating population? New technologies have the potential to revolutionize the meat industry by growing tissue culture beef… but, how do you market against the “yuck” factor? Harvard Business School professor Jose Alvarez discusses his case study, “Disrupting the Meat Industry: Tissue Culture Beef.”

Today’s NFL is fast-paced and hard-hitting. Though players are well-compensated, many wonder about the long-term cost of those violent collisions on the athletes, the league, and culture at large. Harvard Business School professor Richard Hamermesh discusses those implications and his case “The National Football League and Brain Injuries.”

Are people better off as a result of your presence? Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei discusses her case “Discovering Hidden Gems: The Story of Daryl Morey, Shane Battier, and the Houston Rockets” — leadership lessons from basketball, the ultimate team sport.