How I Did It : Lessons from the Front Lines of Business

Powerful stories from the world's top CEOs to help prepare you for the hard decisions ahead.

The essays in How I Did It teach and inspire. Pulled directly from the pages of one of the most popular columns in Harvard Business Review, these essays offer firsthand accounts of the most difficult management challenges faced by the men and women who occupy the corner office. It's the next best thing to sitting down and talking face-to-face with these corporate leaders.

You'll hear from renowned global leaders including: Kevin Ryan, Gilt Groupe; Mindy Grossman, HSN; Kevin Plank, Under Armour; Daniel P. Amos, Aflac; Pramod Bhasin, Genpact; Eric Schmidt, Google; Ellen Kullman, DuPont; Patrizio Bertelli, Prada; Pierre Omidyar, Omidyar Network; Jorge Cauz, Encyclopaedia Brittanica; and Richard Gelfond, IMAX.

Let these potent stories of strategic thinking—and often bold and unconventional action—be your guide as you step into your own future as a leader.


  1. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Change Management, Updated and Expanded (featuring "Leading Change" by John P. Kotter)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, John P. Kotter, Frances Frei, Vijay Govindarajan, Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez

    audiobook
  2. Managing Overthinking

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  3. The Year in Tech, 2026 : The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Scott D. Anthony, Amy Webb, José Parra-Moyano, Christina Shim

    audiobook
  4. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Strategy, Updated and Expanded (featuring "The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy" by Michael E. Porter)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  5. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Emotional Intelligence, Updated and Expanded (featuring "What Makes a Leader" by Daniel Goleman)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  6. HBR's 10 Must Reads on High Performance, Updated and Expanded (featuring "Nine Things Successful People Do Differently" by Heidi Grant)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  7. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness, Updated and Expanded (featuring "How to Stop Worrying About What Other People Think of You" by Michael Gervais)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Michael Gervais, Angela L. Duckworth, Martin E. P. Seligman, Herminia Ibarra

    audiobook
  8. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leadership Lessons from Sports : (featuring interviews with Sir Alex Ferguson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Andre Agassi)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Alex Ferguson, Bill Parcells, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Joe Girardi

    audiobook
  9. HBR Guide to Being More Productive

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  10. Psychological Safety

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Amy C. Edmondson, Daisy Auger-Domínguez, Erica Keswin, Ron Carucci

    audiobook
  11. Having Difficult Conversations

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  12. Positivity and Growth

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook