Videos
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How to Build Teams of Innovators: Linda Hill -
What Makes a Great Leader?
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Linda Hill | Lead, Thrive, and Empower | Equity Talks
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Professor Linda Hill: Curiosity
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Leadership in Times of Crisis
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Linda Hill: How to manage for collective creativity
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What leaders can learn from Pixar | Linda Hill | WOBI
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Harvard Business School’s Linda Hill: Why diversity and conflict are key to leading innovation
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Harvard Business School‘s Linda Hill: How collaborative leadership delivers sustainable innovation
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What is collective genius? by Linda Hill, Author of Collective Genius
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What is the central thesis of Collective Genius? by Linda Hill, Author of Collective Genius
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What makes a great leader? by Linda Hill, Author of Collective Genius
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Harvard-Professorin Linda A. Hill bei Wien Energie - Collective Genius
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Linda Hill, Harvard | PTC LiveWorx 2018
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How can leaders provide the ability to create by Linda Hill, Author of Collective Genius
Learn More About Linda A. Hill
Innovation doesn’t happen by accident. It must be led. That’s the core insight driving Harvard Business School professor Linda A. Hill, Ph.D’s groundbreaking new work, “Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation” (Crown, March 2026). Building on a decade of global research, Hill and co-authors Jason Wild and Emily Tedards reveal that the leaders who consistently spark and scale innovation share one thing in common: they understand that genius is a collective act.
“Innovation is not optional,” Hill explains. “It’s the only path to growth, value creation and long-term relevance.”
Named to Inc. Magazine’s 2025 Female Founders 500, an eight-time Thinkers50 top management thinker and a 2025 FEI Conference honoree, Hill is among the world’s most respected voices on leadership and digital transformation. Her work focuses on helping organizations leverage diversity of thinking so they can build agile, resilient and inclusive leaders and teams.
A digital transformation strategist, her roadmap for achieving success at any stage of the change process helps organizations not just harness innovation but unleash it – even in times of crisis. Her research and consulting have included organizations from Pixar and Google to Pfizer, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, NASA and the World Economic Forum. She has helped executives and their teams turn complexity into collaboration and disruption into opportunity.
From Collective Genius to Genius at Scale
In her bestselling book “Collective Genius,” which was named one of Business Insider’s 20 Best Business Books, Hill showed that leading innovation isn’t about getting individuals to follow you into the future, but rather about building an environment in which they will co-create (collaborate, experiment and learn) the future with you. “Genius at Scale” takes that insight further and introduces three interrelated roles every modern leader must master to turn ideas into impact:
- Architect – shaping the culture and capabilities that make co-creation possible
- Bridger – operating across boundaries to build robust partnerships across organizations and sectors
- Catalyst – sparking multiparty collaborations or movements that drive innovation across ecosystems
Through vivid case studies spanning diverse industries from high tech to government, Hill illustrates how these mindsets help leaders harness digital tools, data and relationships to move from generating innovative solutions to turning them into reality.
A Trusted Guide for the Digital Era
A seasoned educator and advisor as well as an exceptional speaker and communicator, Hill brings a calm authority and decades of evidence-based research to every stage and boardroom. Her work shows that the same leadership capabilities that drive innovation also fuel inclusion, agility and resilience.
Whether guiding executives through transformation or equipping teams to lead with empathy and purpose, Hill empowers organizations to unlock their collective genius and turn it into lasting advantage.
Linda A. Hill, Ph.D. is the co-founder of Paradox Strategies and InnovationForce – a SaaS company using AI and machine learning to accelerate the process of innovation – which was named by Fast Company as a 2023 Innovative Company to Watch. She has been at the forefront of developing innovative learning programs for managers such as “Breakthrough Leadership,” which won a Brandon Hall Group Award for Best Advance in Unique Learning Technology, and the award-winning multimedia management development program, “High Performance Management.”
During her career spanning more than 30 years as an advisor and coach, Hill has also co-authored a number of books which have been translated into multiple languages including the award-winning “Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation” (2014), which was named by Business Insider as one of 2014’s 20 best business books and was named to the inaugural Thinkers50 Booklist, “10 Management Classics for 2022.” Hill also authored “Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives of Becoming a Great Leader,” now considered a bible of sorts for leaders at every level of management. A related Harvard Business Review article she co-authored, “Collective Genius,” received the first Warren Bennis Prize in 2015. “Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation,” the latest book she has co-authored, was a finalist for the 2025 Thinkers50 Innovation Award.
Hill completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at Harvard Business School and earned a Ph.D. in behavioral sciences at the University of Chicago. She received her M.A. in educational psychology from the University of Chicago and her B.A., summa cum laude, in psychology from Bryn Mawr College.
Linda Hill is available to advise your organization via virtual and in-person consulting meetings, interactive workshops and customized keynotes through the exclusive representation of Stern Speakers & Advisors, a division of Stern Strategy Group®.
The ABCs of Leading Innovation: Genius at Scale
Amid relentless technological disruption, global uncertainty and shifting customer and employee expectations, most leaders know continuous innovation is essential. But few know how to switch from generating bold ideas to scaling them across complex systems and industries. According to Harvard Business School professor Linda A. Hill, one of the world’s foremost experts on leadership and innovation, the answer is clear: innovation isn’t a solo act, but a collective one. Drawing on her latest book, “Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation,” as well as a decade of global research with co-authors Emily Tedards and Jason Wild, Hill introduces three critical roles that enable leaders to turn ideas into impact. The Architect builds cultures and systems for co-creation; the Bridger builds robust partnerships across organizational boundaries; and the Catalyst sparks movements of multiparty collaborations across ecosystems. Hill demonstrates how to leverage each to drive continuous innovation. Through longitudinal case studies spanning industries from technology and entertainment to healthcare to government, Hill shows how leaders can harness digital tools, data and cross-sector collaboration to generate and scale innovative solutions. Leaders leave this session equipped with actionable frameworks and a renewed understanding of how to build environments where innovation becomes everyone’s job and co-creation thrives.
7 Principles for Guiding Successful Digital Transformation
When organizations can afford to “buy the future,” technology alone doesn’t guarantee success – it’s the strategic application of the tech that creates success. Harvard Business School professor Linda A. Hill, a renowned leadership expert, draws from extensive research, including insights from over 1,500 senior executives, to reveal seven essential guiding principles for successful digital transformation. Her approach goes beyond the technical aspects, focusing on a holistic transformation that encompasses organizational culture, customer-centric narratives and ethical governance. Through Hill’s guidance, leaders will acquire the strategic tools to not just adapt but excel in the digital landscape. This speech offers a roadmap for leaders to transform their approach to digital change, ensuring their investments in technology are matched by a robust, principle-driven strategy for enduring success.
Leading and Innovating Through Uncertainty
Leadership is about setting forth a vision. But how can you set up a vision if you can’t see? Harvard Business School professor Linda A. Hill, one of the world’s top experts on leadership and innovation, says this is how many leaders feel while trying to operate in the aftermath of COVID-19. She says instead of rethinking plans, leaders need to rethink the way they innovate. “You cannot plan your way out uncertainty,” said Hill in an interview. “You need to act your way out of it. Act, learn as quickly as you can, then adapt. The process of acting, learning and adapting is not the same as planning.” During keynotes, workshops and advisory roles, Hill teaches organizations how to innovate differently through diversity of thinking and experimentation so they can act and learn with speed and purpose through disruption of any kind, especially when a crisis requires a new approach.
How Diversity and Inclusion Fuel Innovation and Growth
Without a group of diverse thinkers, an organization can go stale from a lack of new ideas and perspectives. Worse, it can end up overlooking key audiences, which ultimately leads to missed opportunities. According to Harvard Business School professor Linda Hill, Ph.D., one of the world’s top leadership and innovation experts, the long-term growth of an organization depends on diversity of thought. Leaders who share the process of innovating with people of different disciplines, backgrounds, cultures and experiences will get the highest return on that investment on many fronts. Drawing on principles from her award-winning book, “Collective Genius,” Hill teachers leaders how to build a culture of diversity and inclusion into their business models to amplify collective genius, deepen their DEI efforts and evolve their cultural competence. Increased growth and positive brand recognition are just a few of the dividends.
Cultivating and Leveraging Collective Genius for Innovation
Everyone has a slice of genius, says leadership expert and Harvard Business School professor Linda Hill, Ph.D. And when you gather a cross-section of great minds together to innovate, problem-solve and identify new opportunities, great things happen. Hill calls this human resource “collective genius.” Drawing on principles from her award-winning book of the same name, Hill teaches leaders at all levels of management how they can fuel the innovation process by building and leveraging diversity of thought.
The Art of Being the Boss
How and why you lead directly correlates with your effectiveness level, says Harvard Business School’s Linda Hill, Ph.D., one of the world’s top leadership and innovation experts. Effective managers do not seek to serve themselves and their egos. Their role is to help others accomplish something worthwhile. They know that formal authority is a two-way street and they exert their authority thoughtfully. Based on her acclaimed book, “Being the Boss,” co-authored with Ken Lineback, Hill teaches participants the “three imperatives for becoming a great leader” and outlines tools they can use to create a more productive and innovative organization while avoiding the pitfalls that can lead to burnout or outright failure. Leaders at every level of an organization, from C-suite executives to first time managers, will greatly benefit from this presentation.
Becoming a Manager: How New Managers Master the Challenges of Leadership
(Harvard Business School Press, Revised March 2019)
Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation
(Harvard Business Review Press, June 2014)
Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader
(Harvard Business Review Press, January 2011)
Linda Hill’s consulting and executive education activities focus on leading change and innovation, developing innovation ecosystems, the role of boards in governing innovation, talent development and implementing global strategies. Organizations with which Hill has worked include AIDA, General Electric, RELX, Accenture, UnitedHealth Group, IBM, MasterCard, Mitsubishi, Morgan Stanley, National Bank of Kuwait, AREVA, The Economist, Salesforce.com, and The World Economic Forum.
Hill has chaired numerous HBS Executive Education programs, including the Young Presidents’ Organization Presidents’ Seminar and the High Potentials Leadership Program, and Leading and Building a Culture of Innovation. She was course-head during the development of the new Leadership and Organizational Behavior MBA required course.
Hill has been at the forefront of developing various innovative learning programs for managers, including Breakthrough Leadership, the winner of the 2013 Brandon Hall Group Award for Best Advance in Unique Learning Technology, and the award-winning multimedia management development programs such as High Performance Management.
Harvard Business School Professor Linda Hill does not teach organizations how to harness innovation; she teaches them how to unleash it – and her workshops provide all the tools. Based on her seminal books, “Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation,” “Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader,” and her latest book “Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation,” Hill’s skill-building workshops give participants the opportunity to work side-by-side with the expert as they apply her proven frameworks and strategies in a collaborative setting. These can be booked as half-day, full-day or two-day sessions.
Hill can customize workshops to meet the needs and challenges of an organization or group of participants and she can cover a wide range of topics including:
- Effective strategies for leading innovation
- Developing creative agility
- Preparing high potentials to take on more scope and scale
- Leveraging diversity and inclusion to fuel innovation
- Successfully leading professional services firms
- Career strategies to help women and minorities thrive in corporations
- Avoiding derailers and addressing developmental needs while driving growth
- Managing the paradoxes of innovation problem-solving
Hill is a dynamic and energetic teacher and facilitator who empowers participants by giving them concrete tools and frameworks they can use to better drive innovation in their own organizations. These workshops are especially useful to leaders dealing with disruption and digital transformation, as well as those interested in leveraging diversity of thinking to further enhance the innovation process.
“Linda is a gem. Her presentation was meaty, timely and seemed well-received based on the questions we received. She is a pleasure to work with.”
