The 10 Most Popular HBR Articles of 2024

HBR published hundreds of articles this year, on every management topic you can imagine: supply chains, talent management, gen AI, and even Taylor Swift. Out of all of them, however, these 10 were the most popular: 10. How to Answer “Why Should We Hire You?” in an Interview by Joel Schwartzberg How do you tell a potential employer that you’re right for the job they are interviewing you for? If you make it all about yourself, you might come across too self-absorbed or boastful. If you make it all about the company, they don’t get a chance to learn why you might be the right fit.

Here’s advice on how to tell an interviewer why you’re the best candidate for this position and why they should hire you, along with sample language to use as a guide. . . . 9. 6 Essential Leadership Skills — and How to Develop Them by Rebecca Knight The way we work has changed — and so has leadership. Leaders are under new pressures to perform at higher levels and adapt quickly to changing demands. As such, leader today need six skills to succeed: 1) emotional aperture; 2) adaptive communication; 3) flexible thinking; 4) perspective seeking, taking, and coordinating; 5) strategic disruption skills; and 6) resilient self-awareness. . . . 8. One Company A/B Tested Hybrid Work.

Here’s What They Found by Nicholas Bloom, James Liang, and Ruobing Han Recent research conducted in a real company showed that employees who worked from home two days a week experienced higher satisfaction and lower attrition rates compared with their colleagues who worked from the office. This reduction in turnover also saved millions of dollars in recruiting and training costs. This study offers business leaders valuable lessons on how to implement a successful hybrid work model. It also models how companies should A/B test their own management practices to find what works best for them. . . . 7.

What Is Active Listening? by Amy Gallo Active listening requires mastering many skills, including reading body language and tone of voice, maintaining your attention, and being aware of and controlling your emotional response. Here’s what active listening is and how to improve this essential communication skill. . . . 6. How Starbucks Devalued Its Own Brand by B. Joseph Pine II and Louis-Étienne Dubois Starbucks struggled in 2024. It has strayed from its successful strategy of offering customers exceptional experiences and, in the process, has commoditized itself. Where did it go wrong? And how can the company can turn itself around?

The answers also hold lessons for other companies that compete by providing customers distinctive experiences. . . . 5. 9 Trends that Will Shape Work in 2024 and Beyond by Emily Rose McRae, Peter Aykens, Kaelyn Lowmaster, and Jonah Shepp In 2023, organizations faced significant challenges, from inflation to geopolitical turmoil to controversy over DEI and return-to-work policies — and 2024 promised more disruption. Gartner researchers identified nine key trends, from new and creative employee benefits to the collapse of traditional career paths, that they predicted would impact work.

Employers who successfully navigate these will retain top talent and secure a competitive advantage for themselves. . . . 4. The New Rules of Executive Presence by Sylvia Ann Hewlett Executive presence (EP) is typically perceived as consisting of three elements in descending order of importance: gravitas, skillful communication, and the “right” appearance. Research shows that while confidence and decisiveness are still paramount for gravitas, pedigree has become less central, and new weight is given to inclusiveness and respect for others.

On the communication front, superior speaking skills and the ability to command a room still lead the list of desirable attributes, but comfort on Zoom, a “listen to learn” orientation, and authenticity are on the rise. Projecting authenticity is also key to the appearance component of EP; so are dressing for the “new normal,” having an online image, and showing up in person. . . . 3. Tom Brady on the Art of Leading Teammates by Tom Brady and Nitin Nohria When our society talks about leaders, we focus on formal roles, such as the CEO.

This view undervalues the role of informal leaders — team members who influence outcomes by the tone they set, how they conduct themselves, and how they interact with their peers. Their job title doesn’t include the word “manager,” but they play an outsize role in how teams perform. In this article, NFL great Tom Brady and Nitin Nohria, of Harvard Business School, present a set of principles that people in any realm can apply to help teams successfully work together toward common goals. . . . 2.

The Art of Asking Smarter Questions by Arnaud Chevallier, Frédéric Dalsace, and Jean-Louis Barsoux With organizations of all sorts facing increased urgency and unpredictability, being able to ask smart questions has become key. But business professionals are not formally trained on what kinds of questions to ask when approaching a problem. The good news is that research has uncovered a practical framework for the five types of questions to ask during strategic decision-making: investigative, speculative, productive, interpretive, and subjective.

By attending to each, leaders and teams can become more likely to cover all the areas that need to be explored, and they’ll surface information and options they might otherwise have missed. . . . 1. 6 Common Leadership Styles — and How to Decide Which to Use When by Rebecca Knight Research suggests that the most effective leaders adapt their style to different circumstances — be it a change in setting, a shift in organizational dynamics, or a turn in the business cycle. But what if you feel like you’re not equipped to take on a new and different leadership style — let alone more than one?

Understanding the six leadership styles Daniel Goleman first introduced in his 2000 HBR article, “Leadership That Gets Results,” and when to use each, is a great first step to organize, motivate, and direct your team.