I by IMD

I by IMD offers first-person business intelligence from the brightest thinkers in academia, business and society. Written by experts for experts, we present a platform for debate on the latest issues in management, strategy, technology, finance, team building and innovation. Our content ecosystem is designed to spark conversation and deliver actionable insights to a broad and engaged global audience. We host conversations – via articles, comment pieces, videos and podcasts – about the latest issues in management. Whether ideas about companies or office politics, we aim to spark debate – you may not agree with everything you read here – and to deliver actionable insights to an engaged global executive audience.

Making sense of the turmoil

The permanence paradox: why shareholder value always wins (No matter who your biggest investor is) • The powerful 'Big Three' index fund managers still seem surprisingly ill-equipped to fend off attacks from hedge fund activists. This battle for the future of corporate DavisAmerica is as perplexing as it is unpredictable, writes Jerry DavisDavis

How to fight through economic temples of doom • Indiana Jones would have had no difficulty in tackling a polycrisis – but for the regular Mr or Ms Jones in the C-suite the reality is a great deal trickier. David Bach, Dean of Innovation and Programs at IMD, introduces our in-depth guide to overcoming the ’vectors of turbulence‘ that are severely disrupting the world of business.

The level of uncertainty is as great as I've seen in 50 years • Scenario planning is more valuable than ever – but what is it and how can executives implement it effectively? Peter Schwartz, author of the highly influential book 'The Art of the Long View', explains to David Bach what needs to be done – and why he remains optimistic about the future

Times change but the principles remain the same

Activists are not the enemy, so let's work together • Confrontation was always seen as an essential weapon for campaigners, but a new era of cooperation is proving equally effective. With the right approach, everyone can be a winner, argues environmental expert Etelle Higonnet

5 ways to engage with activists • When it comes to building fruitful collaborations with activists, there are five rules to follow, based on my experience at Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and Mighty Earth:

Constructive disharmony: why youth and experience can be the perfect solution • In challenging times, appointing supervisory board leaders from across the generations can lead to more creative problem solving, explains Simone Menne

BY NUMBERS

Younger people represent the future, they must have a place at the table • The new ideas and fresh perspectives of an up-and-coming generation of leaders are essential in such turbulent times, argues Sunnie J Groeneveld

Dear guests, a polite request… Let's not whine and dine • Dinner parties seem less civil affairs than they once did, with guests being fiercely intolerant of opposing viewpoints, writes Ian Charles Stewart. It’s symptomatic of a wider problem affecting discourse in all areas of society. So, what’s gone wrong – and how do we put it right?

Plagued by workers demanding more? There's no miracle cure, but here's what you can do • The sheer scale of the carnage from the bubonic plague gave the surviving workforce in the Middle Ages undreamt of bargaining power. While far less severe, the effects of COVID-19 combined with a dramatically falling birth-rate are having a similar effect. Business leaders need to adjust to the new reality, argues Michael Skapinker

It can be an uphill slog, but we're riding through the storms together • At one point early in the pandemic, Brompton CEO Will Butler-Adams thought the bicycle manufacturer might fold. But...