- Autumn 2025
- 50-unit: second half of the quarter
- Gleacher Center: Tuesday evenings, 6-9pm, Room 306
This course focuses on the dynamics of digital disruption. Innovation and new business models have always transformed industries; Schumpeter observed “the perennial gale of creative destruction” as a normal part of markets almost a century ago. Today, digital disruptions—driven by modern telecommunications, cloud computing, AI/ML, virtual reality, and other technologies—are major factors influencing how industries are evolving. In fact, advances in agentic AI are potentially impacting the very nature of work and almost all organizations in profound ways. We will examine these disruptions primarily from the perspective of the leadership teams of established incumbents, as well as high-growth enterprises. We will discuss how leaders can best address the following key questions:
- How do we assess and respond to a potential disruption in our industry?
- If we want to strategically innovate in our business, how can we embark on such a journey *and* get it done?
- How can we create the conditions for disciplined innovation in our our organization?
Each of these questions can be peeled back to reveal a complex set of decisions, actions, and implications.
This class will involve a combination of case discussions and lectures, with a final exam. This course will appeal to students who intend to:
- lead teams and organizations, in the context of digital disruption,
- advise firms on adapting to change, as management consultants, or
- drive investment decision processes within private equity or other funds.
