On Wednesday 15 September 2021, about 100 On team members were going to jog to the NYSE to mark the running shoe brand's first day as a publicly traded company. One of few unicorns in Switzerland, On had been founded in January 2010 by running enthusiasts David Allemann and Caspar Coppetti, together with former professional athlete Olivier Bernhard. It was one of the fastest-growing global sports brands. In a decade, On had grown from a small start-up, operating out of an old church, to a multinational company employing almost 900 people. It was known across the world, not least thanks to tennis star Roger Federer, who had joined On as an investor and partner. Culture, or "spirit" as it was called at On, was particularly important for the running shoe company. The origin story of On defined the company and was still deeply reflected in present and future aspirations. It had all started with a crazy idea to glue pieces of garden hose to an old sneaker. The highly entrepreneurial mindset - referred to as "explorer spirit" - permeated the company's DNA and was one of the key reasons for its success. The five partners believed it was crucial to maintain that spirit as the organization grew. By going public, the company aimed to secure funding for further global expansion. The funds raised would give the company the resources it needed to fulfil its dreams and help it reach the size required to play in the big league and compete with global players like Nike or Asics. The IPO was a major milestone for On but being a public company would also come with new obligations and increased expectations, from both the public and shareholders. The five partners were aware of the potential risk this represented to the company's culture.

When one of On's co-founders stepped into the elevator at the brand new On Labs headquarters in Zurich, a fellow co-worker asked whether it was also his first day at On. He was speechless. Less than a decade earlier, the 5 partners regularly went for lunch runs with some of the other 30 team members. And now in April 2023, On was a publicly listed multinational company with more than 1,800 employees, some of whom did not know or recognize the founders. This was disconcerting and the five partners reflected on the recent developments. The IPO in 2021 had been a great success and the company had been able to raise $746 million. The funds raised allowed On to further accelerate its growth, and the company had recently passed the CHF 1 billion revenue mark. During the pandemic, 500 new employees had joined the company. To accommodate the growing workforce, a new campus for product development, design and innovation - On Labs, with office space for 1,000 employees - was created in Zurich. After a period of exponential growth, and a number of employees being hired annually - some of them from On's close competitors - the company was facing new pressures and felt at a crossroads. Although the IPO had had a limited impact on the company culture so far, the partners wondered whether the continued dramatic growth would affect the company culture. Were they going to be able to retain their unique culture and keep it from being diluted, while continuing to grow to achieve their mission? The three founders had a unique opportunity to rethink their role and how they could best contribute to On's future success.

Psychedelic drugs have a history clouded by stigma, but a new wave of clinical research could change how they're perceived and used. Today, a psychedelic renaissance points to potential uses of such drugs in the fields of psychiatry, mental health, and well-being. Some companies have seized upon psychedelics' potential to treat psychological conditions and spur creativity and are making business investments that they hope will pay off in breakthroughs that improve people's lives.

LOGSTOR is a Danish company that is a global supplier of pre-insulated pipe systems. This case focuses on the leadership of Kim Christensen, a former board member who became CEO in 2017. The company was in the throes of a major crisis: it had shifted its focus away from its core business, and bankruptcy loomed. Kim's mandate was to turn LOGSTOR around, bring it back from the brink and restore performance and growth. As an "inside-outsider" CEO, Kim had to focus on the financial, strategic and operational aspects of the turnaround, implementing an initiative known as "back to black." The case describes some of the key actions that Kim took during this period and the drivers of the changes he made, particularly with respect to company culture and getting employees and managers involved in the turnaround process. After two years, the company was solvent. Kim was gearing up to move LOGSTOR into a phase of profitable growth when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The case explores some of Kim's initial actions. The pandemic-related crisis was very different from the company's previous crisis. The case closes in June 2020 and asks what type of leadership Kim will need to bring to address this crisis. During the case discussion, students will examine leadership, change management and organizational design issues.