Leading through a pandemic

By creating spikes and troughs in consumer demand and disrupting networks, the coronavirus crisis is a severe challenge to supply chains worldwide. How best should business respond? Which short-term and medium-term supply-chain strategies have proven most effective to date? What are the paths for converting this unprecedented threat into opportunities for supply chains going forward? In this webinar, Jérémie Gallien, Professor of Management Science and Operations, gives his key insights, and outlines how organisations might further develop resiliency through the pandemic and beyond. Discover more webinars from LBS here:

When it comes to team productivity, good relationships are essential. And when it comes to enjoying life, studies show good social relations are necessary for happiness and for living a long healthy life. That’s right: not having good relationships creates a greater risk of early death than alcohol consumption, obesity, and air pollution. So what can you do to improve your social relationships, now that you are under lockdown? Well, the science shows that the best way to improve our social relationships is to share our appreciation for others – to let them know what we appreciate the most about them, and why. And yet, most of us don’t do this. We tend to focus on improving other’s weaknesses, not celebrating their strengths. We let other people know when they’ve made us angry, or fallen short, but we rarely tell them about the times they make us bigger, better, happier. This session will take a look at the power of gratitude, and give you a specific, science-backed way to reach out to

The world of virtual working has led to a plethora of new challenges for leaders. How can you ensure technology becomes an enabler rather than a hindrance? How can you avoid so-called ‘social loafing’ in team meetings? In this short video, Randall S Peterson, Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Academic Director of the Leadership Institute, explores the most common pitfalls – and how to avoid them. For more information on Professor Peterson - For further information on the Leadership Institute:

Do you want to be remembered for getting through this crisis, reaching more stable times, ‘winning’ or for doing the right thing? This is among the questions London Business School’s Dominic Houlder and Jules Goddard put to business leaders in the latest ‘Leading through a pandemic’ webinar. They apply the legacy of Kant and Aristotle to imagine what a post-pandemic leader would do and what their organisations might look like. Building on their new book, co-authored with Alison Reynolds and David Lewis, What Philosophy Can Teach You About Being a Better Leader, they predict that the crisis will accelerate the need for more humane, purposeful leadership that encourages us all to flourish at work. Watch more webinars in the series:

Big problems hide big opportunities. How well you can see those opportunities is a measure of how equipped your business is to emerge from lockdown. In his pandemic webinar Rajesh Chandy, the Tony and Maureen Wheeler Chair in Entrepreneurship; Professor of Marketing and Academic Director, Wheeler Institute for Business and Development, urges us to imagine the seemingly distant future. His talk offered a bridge between crisis management and long-term strategic thinking. It offers guidance on how to breakdown barriers to invention and methods for developing the breadth of vision to see beyond our immediate problems. Watch more webinars in the series:

How will remote working shift the way we do business and the way we communicate? Learn more about our Leading through a Pandemic series: In our 'Leading Through a Pandemic' series, Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice, advises on the actions you need to take to ensure you’re not just surviving but thriving in the world of virtual working. From optimising our use of technology to minimising our sense of social isolation, Lynda tackles the issues being faced by business leaders around the world today. 00:00 Introduction 03:51 A story of social and technological ingenuity 07:00 What can we learn from the three waves of virtual working? 18:27 6 actions we should take when working virtually 26:14 Summary and questions 29:20 What is the minimum physical engagement you should have? 33:30 Decision Making processes 38:30 Working at home with dependents and children 45:53 Closing comments Find out more about Prof. Lynda Gratton: About us: London Business School's vision is to have a p

We look to our leaders to make the right call – to take the right actions, not get mired in inaction. But how can you do that when you don’t have all the facts, and when you’re faced with a situation unlike anything you’ve seen before? Sir Andrew Likierman, Professor of Management Practice at London Business School, explores decision-making in the context of the pandemic. He offers a framework to help leaders exercise good judgement in this unprecedented crisis. From considering who to trust to exploring the choices you have – in the midst of disruption and uncertainty it is possible to make good decisions. For more information: *The polls discussed in this webinar are only available to the live audience.

In times of crisis, difficult conversations must be had – many of which will involve negotiating losses and navigating our way through conflict. In this webinar, Niro Sivanathan, Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School, explores the science of negotiation and the role that emotions play when we take our place at the bargaining table. How can we negotiate effectively when working remotely? And why is the medium through which we negotiate so crucial? In examining the theory around negotiation, Niro offers timely advice for those preparing for their own difficult conversations.

As much as you need to manage your business at this challenging time, remember also to lead your people, says Kathleen O’Connor, Clinical Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School. Ultimately, it’s your employees’ efforts that will see your business through the crisis. So how can you motivate and support them? Try asking them what they might need and think about how to give that to them. In times of uncertainty and stress, your instinct might be to tighten control. Instead, try to pull back and let go. Find ways to meet your employees’ needs for autonomy, belonging and competence, and trust them to use their skills as best they can. Above all, communicate consistently, credibly and compassionately. Your employees will be looking to you to be trustworthy, compassionate, stable and hopeful. For more information:

How do different organisations respond to shock? While a resilient one continues to function (and may even thrive), its fragile counterpart often comes unstuck. So what’s the difference between operational resilience, strategic resilience and personal resilience? And why is each so important? Julian Birkinshaw, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, offers examples of companies like Fujifilm that have survived a crisis through a resilient approach to business planning. He also looks at the four principles of resilience – and suggests how shifts in operational, personal and strategic behaviour can make all the difference in testing times. For more information: