Sheryl Sandberg's life seemed ideal--she had a great job, a best-selling book, a loving family. But in the spring of 2015, her husband was felled by a cardiac condition while the couple was vacationing in Mexico. Struggling to regain her footing after his death, she reached out to her friend Adam Grant, a Wharton professor and author, to explore what research tells us about resilience. That led to their collaboration on the newly published book "Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy." In this edited interview with HBR editor in chief Adi Ignatius, Sandberg and Grant share what they learned about developing resilience in yourself, your team, and your organization. They discuss how to respond when a colleague suffers a loss ("Acknowledge that there is a ginormous elephant sitting in the room"), how to grow not just in the wake of tragedy but before it, and ways that individuals and organizations can "fail well" and adapt to changing circumstances and unforeseen crises. "The best thing you can do is build routines that might be applicable in an unexpected situation," they say.

Every day, millions of people around the world face long commutes to work. In the United States alone, approximately 25 million workers spend more than 90 minutes each day getting to and from their jobs. And yet few people enjoy their commutes. This distaste for commuting has serious implications for well-being. Studies have found that workers with lengthy commutes feel more anxious and less happy and satisfied with life than those with shorter ones and are more likely to get divorced. They also are less likely to find their daily activities worthwhile, are more exhausted and less productive at work, and have lower job satisfaction. But it doesn't have to be this way. Research, including studies that the authors conducted, suggests that small tweaks to the way you conduct your commute can improve the experience, leaving you both happier and more productive. They offer five strategies that commuters can try: Use the time to shift your mindset; prepare to be productive; find your "pocket of freedom"; share the spirit; and reduce your commute.

Wei Song oversees Greater China for Rochat & Schmid, a 100-year-old Swiss maker of luxury timepieces. China is a critical market for the firm, but sales of watches have stalled there. The firm's competitors are going after China's luxury shoppers, who are younger and flashier than the traditional customer base, with new gem-encrusted products that offer "bling." To compete with them, Pearl Zhang, Song's VP of marketing, wants to launch a campaign featuring a Chinese singer with a huge social media following among Millennials. But Simon Carbonnier, R&S's chief creative officer back in Switzerland, is dead set against celebrity endorsements and anything that deviates from the brand's long-term value of "understated elegance." Should Song fight for Pearl's new campaign--or not? Expert commentary on this case study is provided by Kent Wong and Martin Ganz.

When chef Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, California, in 1971, she didn't expect to spark a national movement toward local, organic, sustainably sourced food or to inspire a generation of chefs to follow in her footsteps. But she did. Now a committed activist, she is the founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project, which has spawned food education programs in over 5,000 schools. She still oversees her single restaurant.

Wei Song oversees Greater China for Rochat & Schmid, a 100-year-old Swiss maker of luxury timepieces. China is a critical market for the firm, but sales of watches have stalled there. The firm's competitors are going after China's luxury shoppers, who are younger and flashier than the traditional customer base, with new gem-encrusted products that offer "bling." To compete with them, Pearl Zhang, Song's VP of marketing, wants to launch a campaign featuring a Chinese singer with a huge social media following among Millennials. But Simon Carbonnier, R&S's chief creative officer back in Switzerland, is dead set against celebrity endorsements and anything that deviates from the brand's long-term value of "understated elegance." Should Song fight for Pearl's new campaign--or not? Expert commentary on this case study is provided by Kent Wong and Martin Ganz.

Wei Song oversees Greater China for Rochat & Schmid, a 100-year-old Swiss maker of luxury timepieces. China is a critical market for the firm, but sales of watches have stalled there. The firm's competitors are going after China's luxury shoppers, who are younger and flashier than the traditional customer base, with new gem-encrusted products that offer "bling." To compete with them, Pearl Zhang, Song's VP of marketing, wants to launch a campaign featuring a Chinese singer with a huge social media following among Millennials. But Simon Carbonnier, R&S's chief creative officer back in Switzerland, is dead set against celebrity endorsements and anything that deviates from the brand's long-term value of "understated elegance." Should Song fight for Pearl's new campaign--or not? Expert commentary on this case study is provided by Kent Wong and Martin Ganz.

The case discusses a non-governmental organization, Udayan Care, founded in 1994 by Dr. Kiran Modi to raise orphans in a family environment and re-integrate them into society through its Udayan Ghar program. Udayan Care diversified into providing a variety of other services over time, including education to underprivileged girls through the Udayan Shalini Fellowship (USF) program, which began in 2002, and vocational skills to disadvantaged youth through its Udayan Care IT and SD (Information Technology and Skill Development) centers in 2003. By 2015, the organization had grown to include 13 Udayan Ghars and seven IT and SD centers in and around New Delhi in North India, while the USF program had spread to 10 cities throughout India including Kolkata, West Bengal, in East India, Jaipur, Rajasthan, adjoining New Delhi and Hyderabad, Telengana, in South India. Since 2008, Udayan Care had also established affiliates in Australia, the United States and Germany. While the founder was charismatic, enthusiastic and untiring in her efforts to build resources, generate commitment from the mentor parents who provided support to the children in the orphanages, and forge relationships with the community as well as with multinational organizations, scaling up was a challenge. Key issues involved hiring and retaining top level staff and paying more attention to fund-raising to administer a larger organization and enable continued growth.

Mylan and it's CEO, Heather Bresch, were under attack for a multitude of large price increases in their life saving pharmaceutical, the EpiPen. The U.S. Congress, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), and millions of people considered at risk and in need of access to EpiPen injectors, wanted to know why and how those price increases had happened.

In 2014, the general manager and a director of an Australian building company were seeking an outside investor to provide the company with the needed resources to recover from a disastrous takeover. The two found such an investor in a Chinese entrepreneur and Sun Tzu master based in Hong Kong. To the shock of those involved with the Australian company, the Chinese investor used Sun Tzu war strategies to take over and destroy the smaller Australian company, while flouting ethical business practices and Australia's standards of corporate governance. The Australians' naivete and their desperate need for capital made the investor's tactics possible. With the benefit of hindsight and omniscient narration revealing the thoughts and actions of both parties, students can evaluate how the events in the case led to the shocking conclusion in 2015, leaving a shell of a company worth penny stock.

My Kind of Cakes (MKOC), a cake boutique in Ghaziabad, India, had carved a niche for itself with its unique bakery products, quality food, and excellent service, all offered at a reasonable price. Within five years of opening, the business had flourished, growing in worth from 7.2 million in 2012 to 19.5 million in 2016. In January 2017, the owner of the cake shop pondered his strategies for achieving his target revenue of 50 million by 2020. He wondered if he should expand geographically and open franchises in nearby towns or if he should increase his product range. Should he build a digital platform to increase awareness of his brand or launch a loyalty program to strengthen MKOC's customer relationships? If so, how should he build such a program? Since he had also been asked to photograph special occasions such as baby showers, he wondered whether he should add theme photography to MKOC's offerings.

In June 2016, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the United Kingdom-based Time Out Group PLC (Time Out), had just taken the company through an initial public offering, raising much-needed capital for investment and growth. Time Out, which provided consumers with information, tickets, and access to theatre, concerts, and events, as well as food, drink, and cultural experiences in its Time Out Market, had reported significant losses in 2014 and 2015. However, there was momentum in new market areas, and the recently launched Time Out Market in Lisbon, Portugal, had seen revenue growth of 67 per cent between 2014 and 2015. Now, with £59 million to invest, the CEO had to lead the company back to profitability. He needed to balance foreign direct investment in physical Time Out Markets with digital transformation of the company's offerings. At the same time, he had to find ways to reinforce the new organizational culture he was building at Time Out as a way to help fulfil his corporate vision of Time Out as a disruptive force.

The Awethu Project (Awethu) was a South African-based social enterprise that operated as a venture capital and investment firm for small, medium, and micro-sized enterprises. The company was widely acknowledged for its social mission of creating jobs and benefiting society while maximizing profit. In March 2016, Awethu's leaders signed an agreement with a prominent South African corporation, which could allow Awethu to operate within a higher segment, bringing the company closer to fulfilling its strategy. But Awethu continued to wrestle with a number of challenges, such as its socioeconomic environment and strategic focus decisions, and the question of how to continually attract capital and deliver on the company's vision. Finding themselves at an important moment in their company's history, Awethu's leaders considered how the new partnership could help Awethu address these looming challenges, while creating sustainable profit and value.

Ratan Tata began his journey with the Tata group on the shop floor of the Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited and eventually rose to become chairman of the Tata group-a conglomerate with operations in more than 80 countries across six continents. Known as a value-based, principled, and visionary leader, Ratan Tata helped the Tata group grow immensely over two decades of leadership. When he retired in 2012, he passed the leadership to a new chairman. However, four years later, on October 24, 2016, the Tata Sons board, which controlled the Tata group, decided to replace the chairman. His ousting led to a public clash over ethics and corporate governance at the top of the Tata empire. Ratan Tata was asked to return as interim chairman and help find a new successor. How could he succeed in this task and help the Tata group retain its glory, without compromising its values and beliefs?

In 2014, a Hong Kong-based chartered accountant inadvertently started a social enterprise called Ana by Karma. The initial intent of helping an illiterate Bhutanese woman soon evolved into a journey to empower women in Bhutan to use their creative talents to become financially independent. As a result of her own charming personality and communication skills, the chartered accountant mobilized a team of volunteers to promote scarves that were handwoven by Bhutanese women and thereby bring hope to an increasing number of Bhutanese families who were living in poverty. In early 2016, while relishing her experiences over the previous 18 months, the chartered accountant mulled over the future development of Ana by Karma. How could the venture evolve sustainably? Was it realistic for her to operate Ana by Karma on a full-time basis?

In February 2013, the vice-president of human resources at PowerTech India Private Limited (PowerTech India), was in his office at the company's Gurgaon headquarters studying the organizational chart of his firm with interest. In his seven-year tenure with the company, he had watched the organization grow considerably. What he loved most about his job was the company's commitment to follow best practices in human resources management and the people-oriented approach that made the work a creative, feel-good, and dynamic process. In this highly competitive power sector, expansion had been the catchphrase of the organization as it strove to carve a niche for itself; now retention of talent was more crucial than ever. But after meeting with PowerTech India's managing director, the vice-president wondered if the expected turbulent times required a reconsideration of the company's key human resource policies, which had become a hallmark of the organization. Redesigning the workforce at PowerTech India would be a delicate balancing act.

DJI, founded by 24-year old Frank Wang Tao in 2006, grew rapidly from an unknown startup in China to a leading global player in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) market for hobbyists within seven years. DJI saw its revenue soar 79 times in three years (2010-2013) and its staff grow 50 to 1,500 across Asia, Europe and the USA. The case describes how a tech entrepreneur started serving a niche segment moved towards a broader consumer market, by opening up new horizons for aerial photography and videos enabled by its innovative products. The case outlines DJI's product development strategy to establish its competitive advantage and the entrepreneurial process for taking a technology concept from initial idea to developing the prototype, and subsequently launching the new product in the market. The post-startup issues encountered by a growing technology venture and the challenges faced in an evolving marketplace.

In 2008, a team of students from Harvard, MIT, and Wellesley College in the US and Qinghai Normal University in China worked together as One Earth Designs ("OED") to create technologies to help off-grid communities in western China. These communities often have no access to readily available energy sources, nor clean air and safe water. The initial success of OED's first product in China - SolSource, a solar concentrator for clean cooking -encouraged the organization to build a global business to bring efficient and affordable solar energy to the world. OED has a unique business model for a social business: while many businesses with social goals cooperate with charitable foundations at arm's length and through partnerships, few have set up a non-profit and for-profit integrated group structure with technology licensing business relationships between the two distinct arms. Scot Frank and Catlin Powers, the co-founders of OED wondered how they could scale their business model and keep their vision.

In 2014, the general manager and a director of an Australian building company were seeking an outside investor to provide the company with the needed resources to recover from a disastrous takeover. The two found such an investor in a Chinese entrepreneur and Sun Tzu master based in Hong Kong. To the shock of those involved with the Australian company, the Chinese investor used Sun Tzu war strategies to take over and destroy the smaller Australian company, while flouting ethical business practices and Australia's standards of corporate governance.<br><br>The Australians' naïveté and their desperate need for capital made the investor's tactics possible. With the benefit of hindsight and omniscient narration revealing the thoughts and actions of both parties, students can evaluate how the events in the case led to the shocking conclusion in 2015, leaving a shell of a company worth penny stock.

In 2014, a Hong Kong-based chartered accountant inadvertently started a social enterprise called Ana by Karma. The initial intent of helping an illiterate Bhutanese woman soon evolved into a journey to empower women in Bhutan to use their creative talents to become financially independent. As a result of her own charming personality and communication skills, the chartered accountant mobilized a team of volunteers to promote scarves that were handwoven by Bhutanese women and thereby bring hope to an increasing number of Bhutanese families who were living in poverty. In early 2016, while relishing her experiences over the previous 18 months, the chartered accountant mulled over the future development of Ana by Karma. How could the venture evolve sustainably? Was it realistic for her to operate Ana by Karma on a full-time basis?

In June 2016, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the United Kingdom-based Time Out Group PLC (Time Out), had just taken the company through an initial public offering, raising much-needed capital for investment and growth. Time Out, which provided consumers with information, tickets, and access to theatre, concerts, and events, as well as food, drink, and cultural experiences in its Time Out Market, had reported significant losses in 2014 and 2015. However, there was momentum in new market areas, and the recently launched Time Out Market in Lisbon, Portugal, had seen revenue growth of 67 per cent between 2014 and 2015. Now, with £59 million to invest, the CEO had to lead the company back to profitability. He needed to balance foreign direct investment in physical Time Out Markets with digital transformation of the company’s offerings. At the same time, he had to find ways to reinforce the new organizational culture he was building at Time Out as a way to help fulfil his corporate vision of Time Out as a disruptive force.