Doug Ready

Douglas A. Ready is a Senior Lecturer in Organizational Effectiveness at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is also the founder and CEO of ICEDR (The International Consortium for Executive Development Research). Ready is considered one of the world’s leading authorities on strategic talent management and executive development. He is a repeat member of Thinkers50.

Doug is the author of numerous highly popular Harvard Business Review articles including: “Building a Game-Changing Talent Strategy,” “The Power of Collective Ambition,” “Are You a High Potential?” “Make Your Company a Talent Factory,” “Winning the Race for Talent in Emerging Markets,” and “How to Grow Great Leaders.” He is also the author of several acclaimed MIT Sloan Management Review articles including: “Developing the Next Generation of Enterprise Leaders,” “Enabling Bold Visions,” “Leading at the Enterprise Level,” “How Storytelling Builds Next Generation Leaders,” and “Why Leadership Development Efforts Fail.” His writings have also appeared in the Financial Times, Business Strategy Review, Fortune and The Wall Street Journal.

Doug has been named multiple times as a member of Thinkers50, the premier global ranking of the 50 most influential management thinkers in the world, and in 2017 Doug was named to the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame. He is the recipient of the coveted Marion F. Gislason Award, an honor bestowed to only one person annually for excellence in the field of leadership and executive development. Business Horizons also recognized Doug as one of the world’s top “leadership gurus.”

Ready has taught at London Business School, the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at UNC Chapel Hill, and has guest lectured at various universities and companies in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and Asia. He also advises CEOs and top teams on large-scale, enterprise-wide change efforts. He has worked with senior leaders in this capacity around the world.

Ready earned his MPA from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a PhD from Cranfield University in the UK.

Publications

"Leadership Mindsets for the New Economy." Ready, Douglas A. MIT Sloan Management Review, November 6, 2019.

"In Praise of the Incurably Curious Leader." Ready, Douglas A. MIT Sloan Management Review, September 23, 2019.

"The Power of a Clear Leadership Narrative." Ready, Douglas A. MIT Sloan Management Review, September 23, 2019.

"Closing the Gender Gap Is Good for Business." Ready, Douglas A. MIT Sloan Management Review, July 3, 2019.

"Dodging Digital Blind Spots." Ready, Douglas A. MIT Sloan Management Review, April 19, 2019.

"Why Great Leaders Focus on Mastering Relationships." Ready, Douglas A. MIT Sloan Management Review, March 6, 2019.

"Leadership Lessons from Your Inner Child." Ready, Douglas A. MIT Sloan Management Review, January 23, 2019.

"The Enabling Power of Trust." Ready, Douglas A. MIT Sloan Management Review, December 5, 2018.

"Leading Into the Future." Ready, Douglas A. MIT Sloan Management Review, October 15, 2018.

"How to Become a Game-Changing Leader." Ready, Doug, and Alan Mulally. MIT Sloan Management Review, September 8, 2017.

"4 Things Successful Change Leaders Do Well." Ready, Douglas. Harvard Business Review, January 2016.

"Getting Employees Excited About a New Direction." Ready, Doug. Harvard Business Review, November 2015.