Breaking Gender Barriers and Building Thriving Businesses

A case study by Rosabeth Moss Kanter, the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, examines what it takes to break gender barriers and build thriving businesses in an emerging startup hub.

About the case study and Professor Kanter

The challenges of creating an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem can be seen through the stories of four women—two of them Black, one Latinx, and one white—who launched new enterprises in Miami with an eye to diversifying tech jobs in the future. According to a recent case study by Rosabeth Moss Kanter, the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, their experiences permit an inside look at pushing past barriers.

Read the entire article here.

Book of Interest: Confidence

Throughout the year, I've tried to read at least one good business book a month and this month it is "Confidence:  How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End" (2004) by Rosabeth M. Kanter, who holds the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship at Harvard Business School.

Professor Kanter is in the upper crust of great minds such as Jim Collins, Gary Hamel, Peter Senge and Clayton Christensen.  Reading nearly every book she has ever authored, I will never understand why she is not on the best seller list more often. 

But to "Confidence."  If you want to know why some people and organizations always seem to land on their feet, while others, equally gifted, stumble again and again, then this book is for you.  I highly recommend it.  It's well-written, well-researched and will help you win in any global game you're playing.

From Amazon book review:

Rosabeth Moss Kanter will convince you that the goal of winning is not losing two times in a row. In her view, success and failure are not events, they are self-fulfilling tendencies. "Confidence is the sweet spot between arrogance and despair--consisting of positive expectations for favorable outcomes."

Meanwhile, learn what another entrepreneur thinks of the book and how it rang true to him as he rides out his own firm's recent acquisition of a troubled firm and what he did to turn things around.

Article of Interest: Values-Driven Companies

Whether you run a Fortune 500 company or a vibrant small business, the values you put forth play a vital role in managing and transforming a company.

According to Harvard Business School Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter ...

A new type of 21st century company is emerging that is transforming how business is conducted. These are values-driven companies that define a core set of values and rely on these values in making all strategic decisions. Such companies are transforming themselves, their industries, and the world.

A snapshot of the key concepts includes:

• Ability to change themselves and the world because they put values at the center of their company.
• Gain tremendous advantages.
• Hold true to core values.
• Identify, understand, and stay true to values.
• Operate a business that brings value to the world.
• Influence the behaviors of other corporations and leaders.

For more in depth knowledge, go here.

Are you willing and able to change and bounce back quickly from challenging situations? As always, we welcome your comments.