MIT Leadership Center

MIT's leaders aren't afraid to tackle tough problems. Read on to learn how managers can adapt to 2021's continuing issues and make positive changes to workplaces in 2022:

Six Ways Leaders Can Adapt to the Workplace of 2022 MIT SMR’s expert contributors weigh in on the skills and strategies managers should embrace in the year ahead.

"Systemic problems require systemic solutions." MIT Sloan's focus on DEI is based on this holistic approach, recognizing that real change happens not only individually, but at the team and organizational levels too. Read more:

How we’re building a more inclusive organization | MIT Sloan Use system dynamics and organizational design to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Leaders with multicultural experiences are shown to be better communicators- but COVID has made travel more difficult. Sloan's Jackson Lu has recommendations for how companies can help employees leverage these experiences internally and externally:

How multicultural experience makes more effective leaders | MIT Sloan Their ‘communication competence’ helps them influence and guide others toward shared goals. They also get better marks from the people they lead.

Leaders will often go through "invisible transitions", meaning that the scope of their role will change without any updates to their official position. These can be harder to navigate than formal transitions. Read more for how to handle them differently:

How to Manage ‘Invisible Transitions’ in Leadership Four steps to help leaders transition into a substantial new role without a change in title or authority.

New research suggests that firms with digitally-savvy leaders experience up to 48% higher growth. Leadership teams that embrace digital transformation make evidence-based decisions and promote experimentation. Read more from MIT Sloan Management Review https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/5-insights-digital-leadership-mit-sloan-management-review

5 insights on digital leadership from MIT Sloan Management Review | MIT Sloan The post-pandemic world will reward leaders who navigate a new landscape of digital services to make decisions and encourage innovation.

Partnering with the Sloan Office of the Dean, we are excited to bring Monica Lee Foley to MIT as our next iLead presenter! Ms. Foley is Chief of Staff at the NASA Johnson Space Center and holds an MBA from MIT. MIT community can read more and RSVP here: http://ow.ly/qdbF50E9MYJ

Human skills, as opposed to technical skills, are becoming the sought-after development initiative in the workplace. Peer coaching can help boost these skills, as it can promote empathy, vulnerability, and reflection between colleagues. Learn more here:

Developing Future-Ready Skills With Peer Coaching Peer coaching plays a foundational role in developing human skills that technology cannot replace.

A lot of people may assume that criticism within a group can be a negative thing. However, a September 2020 study by MIT showed that in a cooperative group, criticism could increase creativity during a brainstorm. Read the full study here:

(PDF) Cooperative Criticism: When Criticism Enhances Creativity in Brainstorming and Negotiation PDF | Long-standing wisdom holds that criticism is antithetical to effective brainstorming because it incites intragroup conflict. However, a number of... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

How can leaders ensure collaboration across a virtual team living on different schedules? MIT's Deborah Ancona and INSEAD's Henrik Bresman suggest using sensemaking to map out where your team is and how it can continue to evolve. Read more: http://ow.ly/Qpsd50DDbeT

Our spring 2021 Innovative Leadership Series (iLead) schedule is up! MIT students can keep an eye out for these upcoming virtual events on our SloanGroups page. See more information about the iLead series and our past speakers on our website: http://ow.ly/NRDw50Docka

Strong leaders recognize that giving their colleagues constructive feedback is necessary. However, many people hesitate in saying anything for fear of rocking the boat. Read on for research-backed ways to start speaking up. Via MIT Sloan Management Review https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-simple-way-to-make-giving-feedback-easier/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mitsmr+%28MIT+Sloan+Management+Review%29

The Simple Way to Make Giving Feedback Easier Voicing your good intentions can help soften how others receive negative feedback.