Lynda Gratton

People Strategy

How do you put people at the heart of corporate purpose?

“Putting your people at the heart of your firm’s business and people strategy will help your organisation thrive. This means defining and implementing a culture and processes that promote energy and human potential” – Lynda Gratton

People Strategy has been a key focus of Lynda’s work since the 1990s. She has written two books and a variety of articles which look at people strategy and alignment issues, the structure of HR, and performance management. Lynda has put these ideas into a teaching context and for over two decades she has directed the programme ‘Human Resource Strategy in Transforming Companies’ at London Business School, considered the world’s leading programme on human resources.

Leadership & Corporate Purpose

What is the role of the company and the leader in this changing world?

“I am fascinated by the impact of global trends – technology, political, resources, demographic – on corporations and leadership. Leaders are under increasing pressure. Trust in corporations is on the decline, and ever more vocal citizens are forming themselves into worldwide communities of interest to influence corporate policy. And yet, while these pressures may be sweeping away some of the leadership capabilities we hold dear, they clear the way for new ideas about what leadership can and should be”          – Lynda Gratton

This theme is at the centre of the MBA elective on the future of work that Lynda teaches at London Business School. Each year she’s joined by a range of CEOs and political commentators to discuss their views on corporate purpose. Lynda is an active member of the Drucker Foundation and have spoken about the role of corporate purpose at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council. She has also chaired the World Economic Forum Council on Leadership.

Cooperation and Innovation

How can innovation and collaboration flourish?

“I’m fascinated by the role of cooperation in innovation. For over a decade this was a major focus of research and thanks to a significant grant from the Singapore Government I was able to fully understand cooperation and develop a series of cooperative tools” – Lynda Gratton

Cooperation and co-creation are fundamental to corporate and individual purpose and success. There are three key elements:

1. The corporation has a cooperative culture deliberately built through practices and processes.

2. There are rich and diverse networks which allow ideas to move freely.

3. There is a purpose that energises and ignites – a Hot Spot.

Over the years these three foundations – culture, networks and igniting purpose – have been central to Lynda’s writing and teaching, and the leadership of her research advisory practice, HSM Advisory.

The Future of Work

What will our working lives look like 20 years from now? What should we be preparing for? How will we be working? Where will we be working? Who will we be working with?

These are questions Lynda has been addressing for decades.

In 2008, she launched the Future of Work Research Consortium. Since its launch, it has brought together executives from more than 100 companies to explore how work is changing and what we must do differently to thrive in the years ahead. By 2011, Lynda had written about what she had discovered in The Shift, where she outlined the key trends that are shaping our working lives. Then alongside Andrew J. Scott, in The 100- Year Life, she honed in on one aspect – demography, and then widened her gaze to also look at technology and social changes in The New Long Life. Then in 2020, with the pandemic raging, she wrote and spoke extensively about hybrid work.

Lynda is part of a number of networks that look at the future trends. For example, as co-chair of the World Economic Forum Council on Work, Wages and Job Creation.

The 100-Year Life

“Today we’re living and working for longer — but few organisations fully understand the opportunities and challenges that come with greater longevity” – Lynda Gratton

Lynda draws on both psychological and economic research to introduce the concepts of tangible and intangible assets at the level of the individual. In The 100-Year Life she explored how a three-stage life has evolved and what it means to work for up to 80 years. From a corporate perspective, she considered how corporations are beginning to prepare for what will without doubt be the most significant change in human capital ever faced.

In The New Long Life, Lynda took a broader perspective, bringing in societal and technological trends. She also created a clear agenda for individuals, education and corporations.