Linda A. Hill

Rapid technological evolution can be a double-edged sword for today’s organizations. To harness the potential of new digital tools and data to create differentiated customer experiences requires a new kind of leader – one who can build an organization where their people are willing and able to experiment, collaborate and learn, both together and with partners beyond their boundaries.

“Agile, innovative organizations rely heavily on digital tools and data,” says Linda A. Hill, a globally acclaimed leadership expert and the Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. “They have figured out how to build digitally mature organizations where people actually adopt digital tools to make data-informed decisions and run their businesses in novel ways.”

Hill’s groundbreaking work, especially her focus on the synergy between leadership, innovation, and digital transformation makes her an indispensable resource for forward-thinking organizations around the globe. Named one of the top management thinkers in the world for the seventh time by Thinkers50, her work focuses on helping organizations leverage diversity of thinking so they can build 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. At InnovationForce, a SaaS company named twice by Fast Company as an “innovative company to watch,” Hill is a co-founder who helped develop the new InnovationWorks platform using generative AI that provides leaders with the data they need to assess and transform their organizational capabilities/processes and culture to accelerate innovation.

A top-rated speaker and advisor, Hill’s expertise offers a comprehensive blueprint for leaders grappling with the rapid pace of technological change and evolving stakeholder expectations. By adopting her frameworks, leaders can transform their organizations into agile, innovative powerhouses, capable of not just surviving but thriving in the digital era.

Building Bridges in a Digital World

In her forthcoming book, “Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation,” co-authored with technology executive and growth and strategy expert Jason Wild, and Gen Z partner Emily Tedards, Hill and her co-authors expand on their acclaimed Harvard Business Review article, “What Makes a Great Leader?” to outline the “ABC” characteristics of leaders who beat the odds – Architects, Bridgers, and Catalysts.

This framework builds upon Hill’s much-praised concept of “Collective Genius,” delving into how technology and data reshape co-creation and innovative problem-solving. The challenge for leaders today is not just about internal capabilities but also about fostering external collaborations at the boundary of our organization or well beyond it. This could involve building ecosystems across sectors to develop the electric vehicle market, generating drive for sustainable solutions, the integration of generative AI in all of an organization’s products and services, or any other transformational change.

“As a leader, you have to be able to co-create across the boundaries in the organization with other partners. You need to learn how to become a bridger,” Hill observes. “Your organization may not have the talent or tools you need inside the organization right now – you’re going to have to go outside to be able to get them.”

Hill’s insights are drawn from real-world examples, including the Pfizer team’s remarkable feat in running vaccine trials in record time, demonstrating the need for leaders to reach beyond their organizations for resources and expertise.

“Because technology now is evolving and changing so quickly, some companies may not want to own the technology directly,” Hill adds. “This rapid change leads to more companies forming direct partnerships, leveraging external tools and talent for innovation.”

Catalyzing Ecosystems for Sustainable Success

A crucial aspect of Hill’s framework is the role of leaders as catalysts within broader ecosystems. She cites Mastercard’s approach, where the company not only bridged with startups for critical business capabilities but also catalyzed relationships within its ecosystem to enhance overall customer experience. “Leadership today is about being a catalyst, not just within your organization but across a network of relationships and collaborations,” Hill emphasizes.

In “Genius at Scale,” Hill highlights the importance of this new leadership paradigm in various contexts, from multinational corporations to educational reform initiatives in India. Her work is a call to action for leaders to embrace a role that transcends formal authority, leveraging digital tools for shared knowledge, feedback and efficiency.

“Leadership in the digital age is complex,” Hill concludes. “Ultimately, it’s about building a social fabric that fosters innovation through trust and mutual influence, both within and beyond organizational boundaries.”

Linda A. Hill is the co-founder of Paradox Strategies and co-founder of 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. She has been named by Thinkers50 as one of the top 50 management thinkers in the world in since 2011, and received the Thinkers50 Innovation Award in 2015.

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” (Harvard Business Review Press, 2014), which was named by Business Insider as one of “The 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.

Hill has chaired numerous HBS Executive Education programs, including the Young Presidents Organization Presidents’ Seminar, the High Potentials Leadership Program and Leading and Building a Culture of Innovation. In addition, she acted as course head during the development of the new Leadership and Organizational Behavior MBA required course.

Hill is a member of the Board of Directors of Relay Therapeutics, on the Board of Trustees of the ArtCenter College of Design and a member of the Team8 Fintech Strategic Committee. She serves on the advisory boards of several organizations including the American Repertory Theater, the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program, the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), Eight Inc., the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. She sits on the board of the Global Citizens Initiative, Inc. and is a Special Representative to the Board of Trustees of Bryn Mawr College. Hill is a former member of the Board of Directors of Harvard Business Publishing, State Street Corporation, The Bridgespan Group, and the Eaton Corporation. She is also a former member of the Board of Trustees of The Rockefeller Foundation and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund USA.

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^®.