Leadership Communication | The Dean's Call Episode 11

As AI disrupts industries at a pace that may surpass even the internet… what can today’s CEOs learn from past disruptions? In this month’s Dean’s Call, I spoke with IESE Business School professor Yuliya Snihur about how Barnes & Noble and Borders reacted when Amazon began selling books online. Both saw an opportunity. But how their CEOs framed it—and the actions that followed—were worlds apart: 📚 Barnes & Noble presented it as an exciting opportunity to reshape the future of bookselling, opening new possibilities and integrating online into their core business. 📚 Borders, by contrast, framed it as an adjunct channel, keeping it separate from the core business. The lesson? CEO communication is especially critical in times of uncertainty and ambiguity. To work, it must be intense, consistent, future-oriented, and inclusive. An inspiring case of how legacy businesses can face disruption—and a clear reminder of the crucial role of leadership communication.