IESE Insight. Issue 36. First Quarter 2018

The resources you need may lie outside your firm. Before stepping out, know what it takes to make alliances work. Africa Ariño and Rafael Andreu use the case of a healthcare alliance to show how partners can better coordinate their activities to improve their joint performance. Jeffrey J. Reuer and Shivaram V. Devarakonda discuss when it may be appropriate to set up a steering committee in non-equity alliances. Solon Moreira sees three necessary preconditions when licensing knowledge through strategic alliances, to protect yourself from getting taken advantage of by partners. Fabrizio Ferraro, José Miguel Argüelles and Massimo Maoret define their model of strategic leadership, illustrated by Federico Minoli, renowned for turning around Ducati. Guillermo D'Andrea highlights the latest retail sector trends, so that brands and businesses can adapt to the consumer of the future. SAP CEO Bill McDermott advises aspiring business leaders to always take the tough assignments. Executives consider which way YouTube should go next, and whether Susan Wojcicki is the right CEO for the job. And astronaut Pedro Duque shares some out-of-this-world insights.