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HBR's 10 Must Reads 2025: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review
A year's worth of management wisdom, all in one place. We've reviewed the ideas, insights, and best practices from the past year of Harvard Business Review to keep you up to date on the most cutting-edge, influential thinking driving business today. With authors from Ginni Rometty to Robert I. Sutton and company examples from Maersk to Nvidia, this volume brings the most current and important management conversations right to your fingertips. This book will inspire you
- Reskill your organization in the age of AI
- Rid your company of the obstacles that infuriate everyone
- Understand what today's rainmakers do differently
- Market sustainable products effectively
- Choose the right sources of demand to grow your company at the right speed
- Use strategic thinking to create the life you want
PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
- Reskill your organization in the age of AI
- Rid your company of the obstacles that infuriate everyone
- Understand what today's rainmakers do differently
- Market sustainable products effectively
- Choose the right sources of demand to grow your company at the right speed
- Use strategic thinking to create the life you want
PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
- GenresBusiness
192 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2024
111 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 5, 2025
First few articles were interesting but then it loses steam by the end. What in the McKinsey is that last article about too (added McKinsey marks for somehow fitting a bubble chart in there too)
May 13, 2025
This year’s HBR 10 Must Reads kicks off strong. The early chapters are sharp, engaging, and packed with fresh insights on leadership, strategy, and managing in today’s evolving workplace. It’s an easy read overall, and some of the ideas feel immediately applicable—definitely a few “aha” moments in there.
But as I kept reading, the energy started to fade. The later chapters didn’t quite land the same way. They felt more like filler than must-reads, and I found myself losing interest. It’s not that they were bad—just not as compelling or memorable as the first half of the book.
If you’re a fan of HBR or just looking to skim the latest management trends, it’s still worth picking up. Just be ready for a strong start and a bit of a fizzle toward the end. Solid read overall, but not their best. That’s why it lands at a 3 out of 5 for me.
But as I kept reading, the energy started to fade. The later chapters didn’t quite land the same way. They felt more like filler than must-reads, and I found myself losing interest. It’s not that they were bad—just not as compelling or memorable as the first half of the book.
If you’re a fan of HBR or just looking to skim the latest management trends, it’s still worth picking up. Just be ready for a strong start and a bit of a fizzle toward the end. Solid read overall, but not their best. That’s why it lands at a 3 out of 5 for me.
Read
January 18, 2025I just finished reading Harvard Business Review’s Definitive Management Ideas of the Year 2025, and I’m torn on how to rate it. While I seriously enjoyed 2-3 of the articles, others were good but didn’t fully resonate with me or impact my line of work.
My top three articles were:
1. Rid Your Organization of Obstacles That Infuriate Everyone
2. How Fast Should Your Company Really Grow?
3. Use Strategic Thinking to Create the Life You Want
The first article stood out to me because it applies to every job I’ve had, but especially so now as an Account Manager. I’m currently navigating a work management system transition, and this article gave me valuable insights—I even shared it with our executives.
The second article, How Fast Should Your Company Really Grow?, hit close to home. It made me reflect on my time at Swag Golf, where the explosive growth felt ambitious but, in hindsight, perhaps too fast.
While not every article was relevant to my role, the ones that were truly stuck with me and provided actionable advice. I’d recommend this collection to anyone in management or business, especially if you’re looking for a variety of perspectives on growth, strategy, and workplace culture.
My top three articles were:
1. Rid Your Organization of Obstacles That Infuriate Everyone
2. How Fast Should Your Company Really Grow?
3. Use Strategic Thinking to Create the Life You Want
The first article stood out to me because it applies to every job I’ve had, but especially so now as an Account Manager. I’m currently navigating a work management system transition, and this article gave me valuable insights—I even shared it with our executives.
The second article, How Fast Should Your Company Really Grow?, hit close to home. It made me reflect on my time at Swag Golf, where the explosive growth felt ambitious but, in hindsight, perhaps too fast.
While not every article was relevant to my role, the ones that were truly stuck with me and provided actionable advice. I’d recommend this collection to anyone in management or business, especially if you’re looking for a variety of perspectives on growth, strategy, and workplace culture.
March 16, 2025
I have always enjoyed HBR’s 10 Must Reads collection. The 10 Must Reads for 2025 collection is a solid overview of top management ideas. Even though it’s geared toward managers and above, it’s helpful for anyone who wants to understand the challenges and trends shaping modern business.
I typically do my best to avoid re-summarizing a book on GoodReads once I’m done reading it. But I'll make an exception here.
I wanted to type up my notes for personal future reference when I decide to revisit these topics later. Perhaps it can be useful to you, the reader of this review, as well.
________________________
1. Reskilling in the Age of AI by Jorge Tamayo, Leila Doumi, Sagar Goel, Orsolya Kovacs-Ondrejkovic, Raffaella Sadun
AI is transforming work. Companies must invest in reskilling and upskilling to keep employees relevant. Reskilling is a strategic imperative that affects every level of an organization and workers are often eager to learn new skills.
Leaders should focus on structured processes that match the company’s strategic needs with employee skills. Because many future roles don’t have formal degrees, it’s best to emphasize capabilities rather than credentials. The authors also suggest partnering with industry and government to ease the transition and tap broader talent pools.
2. How Fast Should Your Company Really Grow? by Gary P. Pisano
Growth can be a double-edged sword. While many leaders want to grow as fast as possible and “fix the problems later,” uncontrolled expansion can erode culture, create quality issues, and embed flawed systems.
Pisano warns against chasing fast growth at all costs. Excessive expansion can dilute culture and strain systems. He offers the RDM framework to proactively think about growth.
• Rate: How fast should you grow? Sometimes it’s wiser to grow more slowly to preserve quality.
• Direction: Consider whether you want to expand in scale (same model, new markets), scope (adjacent products), or diversification (different industries). Where do your capabilities give you a competitive edge?
• Method: Grow organically, by acquisition, or through partnerships. Each approach has trade-offs in control and speed.
The key is to plan growth strategically rather than reactively.
The goal is to be proactive about how, where, and why you pursue growth instead of chasing it blindly.
3. How to Sustain Your Empathy in Difficult Times by Jamil Zaki
Empathy is essential for effective leadership but can lead to burnout if mismanaged.
Managing and prioritizing self-care is a solid starting point.
Zaki distinguishes between emotional empathy (sharing another’s feelings) and empathic concern (wanting to help). Leaders need to cultivate empathy as a skill: care for others without being overwhelmed by their emotions. The goal is to be supportive and calm, not an “echo” of someone’s distress. Empathy can be learned and refined through awareness and practice.
4. The New-Collar Workforce by Colleen Ammerman, Boris Groysberg, Ginni Rometty
There is a vast pool of talent among people without four-year degrees. By focusing on skills rather than degrees, companies can tap into a broader workforce. Apprenticeships, training, and internships can open pathways to high-paying jobs, helping meet future talent demands. Instead of only “buying” the skills they need, leaders should “build” them internally. This may require managers to rethink hiring and development practices.
By removing degree requirements when they aren’t necessary, companies can fill talent gaps and enhance diversity of thought.
5. Rid Your Organization of Obstacles That Infuriate Everyone by Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao
Organizations often pile on processes and rules, creating “addition sickness.” Leaders should remove unnecessary friction, but not all friction is bad. Some complexity is useful when decisions are critical or creative. To reduce the bad friction, the authors suggest regular “good-riddance reviews” to spot and eliminate pointless obstacles. They also advise being mindful of how any new process might burden others and possibly designating “subtraction specialists” to keep the organization lean.
6. Where Does DEI Go From Here? by Laura Morgan Roberts
Momentum for DEI has stalled in many places. Roberts proposes aligning advocates and critics around creating environments where all workers can flourish. She highlights four “freedoms”:
• Freedom to Be (bias-free workplaces),
• Freedom to Become (opportunities for growth),
• Freedom to Fade (ability to opt out of the spotlight),
• Freedom to Fail (room to learn from mistakes).
Leaders should implement these freedoms responsibly, ensuring accountability while giving people room to thrive.
7. What Today’s Rainmakers Do Differently by Matthew Dixon, Ted McKenna, Rory Channer, Karen Freeman
Traditional sales methods aren’t enough anymore. Clients are less loyal, so business development must be proactive and collaborative. The authors identify archetypes like Experts, Confidants, Debaters, Realists, and Activators. The best rainmakers act as Activators who connect people, share insights freely, and cultivate broad networks—even if it doesn’t lead to immediate sales. Over time, this approach fosters trust and long-term opportunities.
The Activator playbook include:
• Commit time to business development. Take time to
• Build broad networks (clients, colleagues, partners). This includes across companies, partners, and even across levels of organization.
• Proactively generate new ideas, even if there’s no immediate payout in the short term. It can lay the groundwork for future opportunities.
8. The New Era of Industrial Policy Is Here by Willy C. Shih
Globalization patterns are shifting. Governments are rolling out industrial policies that affect costs, manufacturing locations, and trade partnerships. Shih categorizes these policies based on two dimensions—horizontal vs. vertical and supply-side vs. demand-side.
• Horizontal: Broad measures like R&D credits, applicable to most firms.
• Vertical: Targeted tools for specific sectors or firms.
• Supply-side: Focus on reducing R&D or production costs (e.g., grants, subsidies).
• Demand-side: Encourage consumption through tax credits or procurement.
Companies must weigh the trade-offs of taking government incentives, plan for potential “strings,” and be ready for when subsidies eventually end. Collaboration with partners and a clear understanding of policy aims can help navigate this new environment.
9. How to Market Sustainable Products by Frederic Dalsace and Goutam Challagalla
Many brands talk sustainability, but customers mainly care about core product feature. Does it solve the problem that a customer is looking ot solve? Sustainability is often a “reason to care,” but the primary feature is the “reason to buy.” Marketers should note whether going green adds to, reduces, or doesn’t affect core benefits:
• Enhances the product: Appeals broadly, may justify a price premium.
• Subtracts from performance: A niche product for eco-conscious consumers willing to pay more.
• Neutral impact: Emphasize that it performs the same but is greener, though any premium must be minimal or temporary.
Real progress in sustainability comes from ongoing R&D and continual reassessment of customer preferences.
10. What Does “Stakeholder Capitalism” Mean to You? by Lynn S. Paine
Stakeholder capitalism has been a popular trend for the past few decades. Yet, stakeholder capitalism can have multiple interpretations. Misalignment among these models can lead to conflict if everyone assumes a different definition of “stakeholder capitalism.” Clarity around which model a firm adopts can prevent misalignment.
The models Lynn Paine highlights are below. From weakest to strongest commitment.
• Instrumental: The most dominant interpretation. Stakeholders matter only if they enhance long-term shareholder value. Holding a longer term view may be more beneficial than a purely short term view. Yet, shareholders hold primacy if the interests clash.
• Classic: Some stakeholder interests must be upheld, even if not profitable in the long-term shareholder interest. This presents a problem of how to balance or prioritize competing stakeholder claims when interests inevitably clash.
• Beneficial: Firms should actively aim to improve stakeholder well-being. Stakeholder interests are thought of as building blocks rather than constraints. Yet, it can run into issues of how much corporate leaders can invest in any one stakeholder group as real world constraints arise.
• Structural: Stakeholders hold formal power in governance. Yet, the risks of suboptimal returns with this model are high. Taking time to solicit and negotiate the views of various stakeholder groups may not be feasible. Contentious standoffs and lengthy negotiations can cause issues in a rapidly changing business environment when business needs to move fast.
Bonus Article: Use Strategic Thinking to Create the Life You Want by Rainer Strack, Susanne Dyrchs, Allison Bailey
If a business without strategy is a losing proposition, what about our own lives without strategy?
We all need a personal strategy, just like a business. The authors adapt corporate strategy questions to individual lives:
• What’s my purpose and vision?
• How do I define a successful life (what metrics matter)?
• How do I “allocate resources” like time and energy? We only have 168 hours a week, how are we sending them?
• What activities can be reduced or outsourced to reach my goals? Can activities be combined to reach multiple goals at once?
• How do I stay accountable and adapt over time? How can I anchor my goals, set consequences if I don’t meet them, and routinely check in to readjust as necessary?
________________________
4/5. Nobody could have predicted the Trump effect.
I typically do my best to avoid re-summarizing a book on GoodReads once I’m done reading it. But I'll make an exception here.
I wanted to type up my notes for personal future reference when I decide to revisit these topics later. Perhaps it can be useful to you, the reader of this review, as well.
________________________
1. Reskilling in the Age of AI by Jorge Tamayo, Leila Doumi, Sagar Goel, Orsolya Kovacs-Ondrejkovic, Raffaella Sadun
AI is transforming work. Companies must invest in reskilling and upskilling to keep employees relevant. Reskilling is a strategic imperative that affects every level of an organization and workers are often eager to learn new skills.
Leaders should focus on structured processes that match the company’s strategic needs with employee skills. Because many future roles don’t have formal degrees, it’s best to emphasize capabilities rather than credentials. The authors also suggest partnering with industry and government to ease the transition and tap broader talent pools.
2. How Fast Should Your Company Really Grow? by Gary P. Pisano
Growth can be a double-edged sword. While many leaders want to grow as fast as possible and “fix the problems later,” uncontrolled expansion can erode culture, create quality issues, and embed flawed systems.
Pisano warns against chasing fast growth at all costs. Excessive expansion can dilute culture and strain systems. He offers the RDM framework to proactively think about growth.
• Rate: How fast should you grow? Sometimes it’s wiser to grow more slowly to preserve quality.
• Direction: Consider whether you want to expand in scale (same model, new markets), scope (adjacent products), or diversification (different industries). Where do your capabilities give you a competitive edge?
• Method: Grow organically, by acquisition, or through partnerships. Each approach has trade-offs in control and speed.
The key is to plan growth strategically rather than reactively.
The goal is to be proactive about how, where, and why you pursue growth instead of chasing it blindly.
3. How to Sustain Your Empathy in Difficult Times by Jamil Zaki
Empathy is essential for effective leadership but can lead to burnout if mismanaged.
Managing and prioritizing self-care is a solid starting point.
Zaki distinguishes between emotional empathy (sharing another’s feelings) and empathic concern (wanting to help). Leaders need to cultivate empathy as a skill: care for others without being overwhelmed by their emotions. The goal is to be supportive and calm, not an “echo” of someone’s distress. Empathy can be learned and refined through awareness and practice.
4. The New-Collar Workforce by Colleen Ammerman, Boris Groysberg, Ginni Rometty
There is a vast pool of talent among people without four-year degrees. By focusing on skills rather than degrees, companies can tap into a broader workforce. Apprenticeships, training, and internships can open pathways to high-paying jobs, helping meet future talent demands. Instead of only “buying” the skills they need, leaders should “build” them internally. This may require managers to rethink hiring and development practices.
By removing degree requirements when they aren’t necessary, companies can fill talent gaps and enhance diversity of thought.
5. Rid Your Organization of Obstacles That Infuriate Everyone by Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao
Organizations often pile on processes and rules, creating “addition sickness.” Leaders should remove unnecessary friction, but not all friction is bad. Some complexity is useful when decisions are critical or creative. To reduce the bad friction, the authors suggest regular “good-riddance reviews” to spot and eliminate pointless obstacles. They also advise being mindful of how any new process might burden others and possibly designating “subtraction specialists” to keep the organization lean.
6. Where Does DEI Go From Here? by Laura Morgan Roberts
Momentum for DEI has stalled in many places. Roberts proposes aligning advocates and critics around creating environments where all workers can flourish. She highlights four “freedoms”:
• Freedom to Be (bias-free workplaces),
• Freedom to Become (opportunities for growth),
• Freedom to Fade (ability to opt out of the spotlight),
• Freedom to Fail (room to learn from mistakes).
Leaders should implement these freedoms responsibly, ensuring accountability while giving people room to thrive.
7. What Today’s Rainmakers Do Differently by Matthew Dixon, Ted McKenna, Rory Channer, Karen Freeman
Traditional sales methods aren’t enough anymore. Clients are less loyal, so business development must be proactive and collaborative. The authors identify archetypes like Experts, Confidants, Debaters, Realists, and Activators. The best rainmakers act as Activators who connect people, share insights freely, and cultivate broad networks—even if it doesn’t lead to immediate sales. Over time, this approach fosters trust and long-term opportunities.
The Activator playbook include:
• Commit time to business development. Take time to
• Build broad networks (clients, colleagues, partners). This includes across companies, partners, and even across levels of organization.
• Proactively generate new ideas, even if there’s no immediate payout in the short term. It can lay the groundwork for future opportunities.
8. The New Era of Industrial Policy Is Here by Willy C. Shih
Globalization patterns are shifting. Governments are rolling out industrial policies that affect costs, manufacturing locations, and trade partnerships. Shih categorizes these policies based on two dimensions—horizontal vs. vertical and supply-side vs. demand-side.
• Horizontal: Broad measures like R&D credits, applicable to most firms.
• Vertical: Targeted tools for specific sectors or firms.
• Supply-side: Focus on reducing R&D or production costs (e.g., grants, subsidies).
• Demand-side: Encourage consumption through tax credits or procurement.
Companies must weigh the trade-offs of taking government incentives, plan for potential “strings,” and be ready for when subsidies eventually end. Collaboration with partners and a clear understanding of policy aims can help navigate this new environment.
9. How to Market Sustainable Products by Frederic Dalsace and Goutam Challagalla
Many brands talk sustainability, but customers mainly care about core product feature. Does it solve the problem that a customer is looking ot solve? Sustainability is often a “reason to care,” but the primary feature is the “reason to buy.” Marketers should note whether going green adds to, reduces, or doesn’t affect core benefits:
• Enhances the product: Appeals broadly, may justify a price premium.
• Subtracts from performance: A niche product for eco-conscious consumers willing to pay more.
• Neutral impact: Emphasize that it performs the same but is greener, though any premium must be minimal or temporary.
Real progress in sustainability comes from ongoing R&D and continual reassessment of customer preferences.
10. What Does “Stakeholder Capitalism” Mean to You? by Lynn S. Paine
Stakeholder capitalism has been a popular trend for the past few decades. Yet, stakeholder capitalism can have multiple interpretations. Misalignment among these models can lead to conflict if everyone assumes a different definition of “stakeholder capitalism.” Clarity around which model a firm adopts can prevent misalignment.
The models Lynn Paine highlights are below. From weakest to strongest commitment.
• Instrumental: The most dominant interpretation. Stakeholders matter only if they enhance long-term shareholder value. Holding a longer term view may be more beneficial than a purely short term view. Yet, shareholders hold primacy if the interests clash.
• Classic: Some stakeholder interests must be upheld, even if not profitable in the long-term shareholder interest. This presents a problem of how to balance or prioritize competing stakeholder claims when interests inevitably clash.
• Beneficial: Firms should actively aim to improve stakeholder well-being. Stakeholder interests are thought of as building blocks rather than constraints. Yet, it can run into issues of how much corporate leaders can invest in any one stakeholder group as real world constraints arise.
• Structural: Stakeholders hold formal power in governance. Yet, the risks of suboptimal returns with this model are high. Taking time to solicit and negotiate the views of various stakeholder groups may not be feasible. Contentious standoffs and lengthy negotiations can cause issues in a rapidly changing business environment when business needs to move fast.
Bonus Article: Use Strategic Thinking to Create the Life You Want by Rainer Strack, Susanne Dyrchs, Allison Bailey
If a business without strategy is a losing proposition, what about our own lives without strategy?
We all need a personal strategy, just like a business. The authors adapt corporate strategy questions to individual lives:
• What’s my purpose and vision?
• How do I define a successful life (what metrics matter)?
• How do I “allocate resources” like time and energy? We only have 168 hours a week, how are we sending them?
• What activities can be reduced or outsourced to reach my goals? Can activities be combined to reach multiple goals at once?
• How do I stay accountable and adapt over time? How can I anchor my goals, set consequences if I don’t meet them, and routinely check in to readjust as necessary?
________________________
4/5. Nobody could have predicted the Trump effect.
August 26, 2025
Another wonderfully relevant set of essays from the Harvard Business Review. I have read a few HBR books since, so I had to look up the essays contained. I remember that I had conflicting emotions about the works that concern DEI- on the one hand I really like DEI and the growing emphasis even in the face of government opposition (seriously, who would have thought that we would say such a thing in our time?), but I also felt that the writers took a very weak position. Perhaps it's because I read Martin Luther King's works at around the same time and I was enthralled by the almost platitudinous simplicity of his argument (he might say today that we should pursue DEI because it is morally right and leave it at that), but I felt that by comparison the authors were advocating for DEI simply because it's useful or popular, which I see as a far weaker position.
As for the rest of the essays, I really enjoyed the more tactically oriented essays, such as outlining the uses and challenges of AI in commerce, as well as focusing on the intricacies of marketing sustainable products. If I could make a critique of the book on the whole, I would love to see HBR publish essays that are more relevant to the local small business owner and aspiring entrepreneurs. All the same, I still benefit from these essays, and I believe most people will too. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested.
As for the rest of the essays, I really enjoyed the more tactically oriented essays, such as outlining the uses and challenges of AI in commerce, as well as focusing on the intricacies of marketing sustainable products. If I could make a critique of the book on the whole, I would love to see HBR publish essays that are more relevant to the local small business owner and aspiring entrepreneurs. All the same, I still benefit from these essays, and I believe most people will too. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested.
August 4, 2025
Overall i am not a big fan of hbr books. They are overall shallow and disjoint. And this book is even more so as it’s just a collection of their perceived beat for the year. Otherwise this is a let down as usual.
September 28, 2025
overall quite un-insightful. Most articles state the obvious
November 7, 2025
Hard to believe but I got 2026 already.
December 9, 2025
Usually I enjoy these curated articles but this time, they were jot a great fit…
May 27, 2025
don’t read 🙂
January 4, 2025
HBR must reads 2025
I usually start year by reading this series which summarises most important management ideas that are likely to influence our lives in coming year. It is a must read for anyone wishing to thrive in these uncertain times
I usually start year by reading this series which summarises most important management ideas that are likely to influence our lives in coming year. It is a must read for anyone wishing to thrive in these uncertain times
February 18, 2025
mixture of useful articles
Some articles were much more applicable and useful than others. Also good previews of longer books that some of these authors wrote. Loved the bonus article on life strategy
Some articles were much more applicable and useful than others. Also good previews of longer books that some of these authors wrote. Loved the bonus article on life strategy
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews