The Fast Company Executive Board is a private, fee-based network of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. BY Magdalena Nowicka Mook I ...

In today’s world of constant disruption, traditional leadership models are crumbling. The old playbook of command-and-control leadership, built on rigid hierarchies and efficiency through repetition, ...

The promised power of command and control remains a deeply rooted myth that many leaders succumb to. On April 12, 1912, the Titanic set sail for its first full day at sea. Shortly after its departure, ...

Garry Ridge had already spent two years as CEO when he realised his biggest challenge was not the business, but himself. In 1999, while leading WD-40, Ridge enrolled in a master’s programme in ...

I was just at the close of a meeting with one of my employees when she looked me in the eyes and said, “I used to feel so scared and discouraged during these meetings, but now I love them.” As a new ...

An HBR Executive Masterclass with Jennifer Jordan. Historically, executives adapted a command-and-control leadership style. Today, they’re often advised to be more nimble, more adaptive, and less ...

In a world where command-and-control leadership is fast becoming obsolete, a quiet revolution is stirring—powered not by charisma or clout, but by coaching. At the 2025 International Coaching Week in ...