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Large-scale IT projects are highly uncertain and vulnerable to the laws of unintended consequences. But the risks can be contained and the opportunities still realized, as long as uncertainty is respected and taken into account. As this author writes, there are practical, proven approaches that allow you to accept uncertainty but maintain good project discipline.

Not all that long ago, the acronym KISS was so popular that many executives displayed it on their desks, either embedded in Lucite or sculpted in bronze. Keep It Simple Stupid was the preferred strategy of the time. That strategy - and the acronym -- is enjoying a limited revival in these difficult times, especially in the research-obsessed, insight-seeking marketing domain. These days, the tome-like marketing plan is out and the pithy pocket version is in. Or, it better be.

The "vision thing" is still with us, but while leaders insist in having a compelling vision, the fact is that many - both the leaders and the visions - leave people standing still, unmoved. A leader who engages stakeholders when developing a vision will, in the end, articulate one that resonates strongly and impels people to act.

Though more women are being invited to become directors, they are still under-represented on boards. This leading governance author and academic discusses why this is so and suggests a series of steps that would-be women directors can take to enhance their chances of being asked to sit on boards.

Managers want to have their instincts validated before they act, such as waiting until all the data have been gathered before they launch a product. But relying on the tried and true doesn't always serve managers well, especially when it comes to organic growth. The question of "Will it fly?" can be answered only by letting it fly - by launching the particular product and listening to the market respond. Growth leaders don't do traditional research. As these authors explain, growth leaders win by placing small bets fast.

The efficacy - and appropriateness - of monetizing the poor may be questionable for some. Reality and research, however, suggest that enabling the poor to make the economic and psychic step up from merely subsisting has transformative benefits. These authors have conducted extensive research on how helping the poor make the move up ought to be done and how the benefits of such a move underpin change that lasts.

"Going into business for yourself, becoming an entrepreneur, is the modern-day equivalent of pioneering on the old frontier," according to entrepreneur and author Paula Nelson. I agree. It takes courage, know-how and perseverance to launch a business and make it succeed. Fortunately for our economy, Canada is home to more than 850,000 women entrepreneurs. Their numbers have increased more than 200 percent over the past 20 years. Today, they annually contribute more than $18 billion to our economy, employ more than 570,000 people, and continue to represent one of the fastest growing sectors. And even in these difficult economic times, they are discovering new markets, charting new territory and building new companies.

A recent Ivey study confirms the commonly held view that General Electric is an excellent breeding ground for future business leaders. This article summarizes the study and its three conclusions: Firms led by CEOs who were trained at GE will outperform firms led by CEOs who were not; GE's reputation for developing CEO talent is, in fact, well deserved and not mere hype; and GE appears to develop more CEO talent than other noted CEO talent-generating firms.

One-time Ford CEO and U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara was the archetypal numbers man. No human failing such as emotions could influence a decision. Like McNamara, today's CEOs who think they're basing their decisions only on reason are deceiving themselves - and jeopardizing the company's viability. These authors have written a forthcoming book on the subject, and in this article they describe how leaders can understand the powerful pull that emotions have on their decisions.

Can a leader who lacks the innate skills and knowledge to manage his or her emotions and connect with people be effective? Yes, says this author, even if such a leader is the brash and at-times out-of-control opposite of the archetypal emotionally mature leader. In fact, such a leader or potential leader can even be found where an organization would least expect, near the bottom of the organizational chart.

This note introduces the process of preparing a budget and using the budget as a management tool to non-business students.

This note introduces the process of making capital investment decisions to non-business students.

This case chronicles a change process to counteract the epidemic of HIV/AIDS on a coalmine in South Africa that impacts the sustainability of the organization. The case describes the business case for dealing with the problem and the sequence of events that were instituted. It illustrates the type of leadership activities needed to deal with a compelling environmental force impacting business. It shows how a wide range of stakeholders needs to be involved and systems and practices instituted for sustainable change to be implemented. It raises the question of the role of business in society. The case also provides insights into doing business in emerging economies. The challenge at the end of the case is how to roll out (replicate) the intervention into other divisions of a large multinational.

The general manager of the Guam Visitors' Bureau, a destination marketing organization, faces the challenge of running the island's tourism industry. There are strong interest groups, who have structured the competitive field in Guam, and the island's mature industry faces ever-increasing competition from rival destinations. The general manager must formulate a realistic strategy that acknowledges the internal and external constraints his organization faces and safeguards the competitive position of Guam.

The owner of a carpet cleaning operation in Tennessee is urgently looking for solutions, after his business expansion project has failed. The owner has emulated the business model of a well-established competitor, hoping that what has worked for his competitor would also work for him. The business is churning cash fast as a result of the additional cost of personnel and equipment and could face bankruptcy in the near future.

In September 2003, British Petroleum (BP) formed a 50/50 international joint venture (JV) company, TNK-BP, with a group of Russian investors: Alfa Group, Access Industries and Renova (AAR). This JV was established as a result of the merger of Russian oil companies TNK and Sidanko, owned by AAR, with the majority of BP's Russian oil assets. On May 26, 2008, TNK-BP's chief executive officer, Robert Dudley, told Vedomosti, Russia's leading business daily, about a conflict between British and Russian shareholders. During this dispute, AAR declared that BP treated TNK-BP as its subsidiary and not as a JV. Also, the Russian shareholders criticized the JV's leadership of the company's expansion strategy and climate. As the conflict escalated, BP's leadership needed to decide whether to walk away or continue its participation in the JV.

Callmate Telips Telecom Limited (Callmate) was in the telecommunications business, an industry in which the regulatory controls were gradually being undone by the government of Pakistan as part of an economic deregulation program. Callmate was the pioneer in the payphones and prepaid calling card industries in Pakistan. The events in the case demonstrate that the company strategy, as well as aggressive share price management, could be dangerous if there were no checks on the directors. All the directors of Callmate were close family members and the audit committee consisted of three of the directors. The external audit firm that audited Callmate was A.F. Ferguson & Co. (Ferguson), an affiliate of Price Waterhouse Coopers International. As Callmate was listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange, it was required to publish its financials quarterly after these had been reviewed by Ferguson. The company had received permission during early 1995 to enter into the long distance international market. A disagreement arose between the auditors and the company on the accounting policy related to revenue recognition. This dispute, along with the company trying to manage its share price, led to a number of problems that became public knowledge as the company tried to malign the auditors. The case examines corporate governance by examining the role of the external auditor, the conduct of the board of directors and the regulator of publicly listed companies.

The chief security officer of TJX Companies Inc. (TJX) faces a dilemma on his first day on the job. The company has discovered in December 2006, a computer intrusion dating back to 2005. There is an ongoing investigation, involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into the attacks. The company is also in the middle of several class action law suits over losses suffered by financial institutions due to breaches of customer privacy. The chief security officer has to focus on plugging the loopholes in the company's information technology (IT)security, in the short term, and taking steps to ensure in the long term that the attack does not recur. He also had to get the management of TJX to start looking at IT security not as a technology issue but as a business issue.

After 20 years of rapid expansion, the last six months of 2007 saw Starbucks jolted by a decline in share price of 50 per cent and a decrease in customer visits. Its share price was hovering around $19 to $20. By mid-2008, it had declined to $18. Its fiscal first-quarter profit in 2007 rose by less than two per cent, and in January 2008, it announced the closing of 100 U.S. stores. In July, the number was increased to 600. The case was written to encourage classroom discussion and research into the company policy and marketing practices in order to discover the means for a possible turnaround of the company.

Calculations Excel spreadsheet to accompany 8B05M71.