Michael D. Watkins

Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change | IMD, Switzerland

Michael D. Watkins is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change. He is a globally recognized leadership transitions expert. A Thinkers50-ranked management influencer, Watkins has developed proven frameworks and tools to help professionals navigate personal and organizational change challenges. He holds a PhD in decision sciences from Harvard University.
Before joining IMD in 2007, Watkins was an Adjunct Professor at INSEAD and Associate Professor at Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, designing and teaching world-class programs for high-potential leader development, corporate diplomacy, and strategic negotiation. He has been named twice on the Thinkers50 Ranking of top management thinkers.
Watkins is the author of many books, including the bestselling 'The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter', which is widely regarded as the classic reference for leaders in transition. He complemented this in 2019 with the publication of 'Master Your Next Move: The Essential Companion to The First 90 Days'. His new book, 'The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking', explores how executives can learn to think strategically and lead their organizations into the future.
At IMD, he directs the First 90 Days open program for leaders taking on challenging new roles and co-directs the Transition to Business Leadership (TBL) executive program for future enterprise leaders. Over the past 20 years, he has used his First 90 Days® methodology to help leaders make successful transitions, both in his teaching at IMD, INSEAD, and Harvard Business School, as well as through his private consultancy practice Genesis Advisers. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and guest on popular business podcasts.

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