Issue 106, Spring 2022

In this issue
Cover story
- As environmental, financial, and societal pressures converge, PwC’s 25th Annual Global CEO Survey finds that today’s leaders must solve a new equation.
Progress and peril on the road to net zero
The path to decarbonization is uneven and daunting, but we have the capacity to spur change.Mastering the connection between strategy and culture
Business leaders often are tempted to focus on strategy over culture. But the strongest companies take four key actions that deliver the best of both.Living in a world of unicorns
Venture-backed giants are scaling up and transforming markets as varied fintech, electric vehicles, and healthcare.- GMO
Closing the agile achievement gap
Despite the wide adoption of the agile method across industries and functions, most companies are barely scratching the surface of its vast potential. Business leaders can change the game by paying careful attention to seven mission-critical factors.
Leading Ideas
- Tech & innovation
A rising tide of green capital
Our systems need to channel the rising levels of climate-tech investment into the areas with the greatest potential for decarbonization. - Tech & innovation
How to jump-start innovation and organizational change
Short-burst, virtual collaboration modules can help employees solve problems quickly and creatively. - Thought leaders
ARM-Harith builds up Africa’s sustainable infrastructure
The Nigeria-based fund’s CEO, Tariye Gbadegesin, on the convergence of economic development and climate action. How CEOs can pass the cybersecurity leadership test
Most organizations aren’t getting the support they need from their chief executives on cybersecurity matters. Our research reveals four areas of focus for CEOs looking to change the game.- Tech & innovation
That same old song is becoming a new value differentiator
With the growth of digital streaming, torrid demand for the pop catalogs of yesterday is providing a new means of value creation for the entertainment and media industry.
Essays
- Tech & innovation
What the world can learn from the India Stack
India’s identification and digital payments infrastructure can show business and government leaders worldwide how to work together to improve financial inclusion and economic growth. Sustainability in manufacturing: Delivering net-positive returns
Sustainability should not be seen as a cost that must be offset somewhere else. Manufacturers can turn sustainability into a value differentiator by focusing on three areas.- Strategy
Why regulation of tech platforms is the new game changer for strategy
Lawmakers have big tech in their sights around the globe. Businesses that rely on platform ecosystems need to beware.
Books in Brief
The little molecule that could
A new book celebrates the story of mRNA and the triumph of the COVID-19 vaccines.Better management through anthropology
Journalist Gillian Tett urges business leaders to look at their world through a different lens.Are venture capitalists misunderstood?
In his new history of the financiers who funded some of the world’s biggest companies, Sebastian Mallaby argues that VCs are a force for good.
Thought Leader
Logistical feats
Author and columnist Christopher Mims traces the limits of supply chain technology.
Endpage: Recent Research
How good is your say-to-do ratio?
The right balance is heavy on follow-through and reliability. Those who have it will go further in life.