Fundamental Tensions Every Leader Must Equilibrate

Harvard Business Review · Oct 19, 2026 · 12m

7 Key Tensions Every Leader Must Balance

14 Jun 2024

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In decades past, executives were usually taught to practice command-and-control leadership. Today they’re often advised to be more nimble, more adaptive, and less controlling. The truth is that most executives need to be able to move back and forth between those two leadership styles. IMD leadership professor and social psychologist Jennifer Jordan offers tactics for navigating these tensions. More on this topic from HBR: https://hbr.org/2020/02/every-leader-needs-to-navigate-these-7-tensions…