Stepping Up

Early this spring, as Londoners began preparing in earnest for the Summer Olympics, I paid a visit to Paul Polman, Unilever’s CEO, at his company’s imposing neoclassical headquarters on Victoria Embankment. Polman has assigned himself an Olympian task. The soft-spoken Dutchman, who took over as CEO three years ago last January, has laid down an ambitious plan to double Unilever’s revenue within a decade while cutting its environmental impact in half. It’s a big gamble, as Polman acknowledges in the HBR Interview. If he succeeds, he could become a model for CEOs who want to make sustainability a core part of their business. But if the company falters, Polman—who has already provoked investors by trashing hedge funds and eliminating quarterly reporting—is sure to face shareholders’ wrath. HBR also showcases another impassioned voice this month—that of the prominent Wall Street veteran Sallie Krawcheck. Long regarded as one of the world’s most influential women, Krawcheck argues that big banks still have a big governance problem. Her solution: upgrade bank boards and equip them with simple but powerful tools to push management toward more-responsible behavior in handling risk. And we’re pleased to feature Michael Watkins, the author of the seminal leadership book The First 90 Days . Watkins writes this month’s cover story, on the skills and perspectives individuals need to move successfully from manager to leader. His article is an inspiring playbook for one of the thorniest challenges our readers face. Adi Ignatius, Editor in Chief

Stepping Up

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