Welcome to the HBR Executive Agenda for February 26, 2026.
In this issue:
Have CEOs lost the plot? Friday: HBR Executive Live with LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky New Benefit: Introducing HBR Interactive Issues
Bill George has spent decades counseling business leaders on how to be authentic. And I worry that many people are lost.
George fostered a mission-driven culture during his 10 years as CEO of Medtronic from 1991 to 2001. He later became a professor and fellow at Harvard Business School, where he focused on ethical and purpose-driven leadership.
George says CEOs are struggling to find their footing these days. Their role seemed clearer during the coronavirus crisis, when many executives rose to the challenge of becoming inspirational figures. They led the business while coaching employees through rewarding shared experiences. So did many American CEOs in 2020, when the killing of George Floyd shocked the nation and employees looked to their leaders for guidance and assurance.
What is your leadership superpower?
Take this quiz to discover your superpowers and unlock your leader profile.
Start here!
Times have changed. This past year has seen a backlash against this kind of empathetic leadership. This is especially true in the field of DEI, where even many diversity advocates acknowledge implementation flaws. The Trump administration’s tendency to go after its critics has led many leaders to avoid getting involved in social and political issues.
But George says CEOs are being overly cautious. Many people retreat to the narrowest definition of their role. They attend meetings, handle emails, and continue to perform their duties. But they’re no longer visible to employees and customers, and as a result, they’re less effective.
“You have to act with your team and you have to act with your customers,” says George. “If you want to inspire people, they need to understand your humanity.”
George urges CEOs to break free from the tyranny of the workday. Michael Porter and Nitin Nohria of HBS conducted a study nearly a decade ago that found that CEOs spend 72% of their time in meetings. Perhaps the data needs an update, but George worries that CEOs are once again falling into the meeting trap.
“Many CEOs are more comfortable in a meeting than when they’re out with someone,” he says. “As a result, they don’t know much about what’s happening on the front lines, which means they can’t make smart business adjustments.”
Who’s doing it right? George cites Christophe Beck, who has been CEO of US water treatment company Ecolab for the past five years. George said Beck has always been at the forefront of his team, which clearly helps his business. Ecolab stock recently hit an all-time high.
By contrast, Target’s management team is struggling, George said. The national backlash against DEI caused Target to overreact and abandon its commitment to diversity, which was core to its brand. New CEO Michael Fidelke is now trying to develop a plan to get Target back on track.
“In the age of AI, we need authentic leaders now more than ever,” says George. “We need leaders with empathy, compassion, and courage, all of which AI cannot do.”
My exclusive HBR Executive Live conversation with LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky will be held this Friday, February 27th at 1:30pm EST.
From his vantage point at the heart of one of the world’s most data-rich platforms, Roslansky discusses:
How AI is redefining skills and changing career trajectories, how executives can build AI fluency across their teams, how to design organizations that learn faster than the market changes, and more.
Roslansky will also share lessons learned from LinkedIn’s own transformation, including how the company is leveraging AI to drive growth while maintaining trust.
register
