HBR Case Study: Play It Safe or Take a Stand?

The CFO charged with analyzing the pros and cons of a new product line wonders whether it’s time for her to stop facilitating—and start leading.

by

Trish Gorman Clifford

and

Jay B. Barney

by

Trish Gorman Clifford

and

Jay B. Barney

From the Magazine (November 2010)

Shirley Rickert sighed as she realized that she had no hope of making the 7:10 express tonight. She turned back to the reports she was reviewing at the request of her CEO, Carl Switzer.

A version of this article appeared in the November 2010 issue of Harvard Business Review.

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TC

Trish Gorman Clifford is Dean of the Jack Welch Management Institute and author of What I Didn’t Learn in Business School (with Jay Barney, Harvard Business Press, 2010).
JB

Jay B. Barney is a professor at the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business.

New!

HBR Learning

Decision Making Course

Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Decision Making. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.

Practical ways to improve your decision-making process.

Start Course

Learn More & See All Courses

HBR Case Study: Play It Safe or Take a Stand?

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