HBR’s Most-Watched Videos of 2022

Each yeah, HBR produces dozens of videos that cover a wide array of business and work topics, ranging from research-based business theory, to wisdom from top performers in their fields, to nitty-gritty tactics for surviving another day in an imperfect world of work. We took a look at our 10 most popular videos made in 2022, and noticed a few themes emerging. Number one was that viewers were looking for clarity around strategy: What is it? What isn’t it? And how do I get better at it? Other popular videos covered how to be a better listener, a better leader, and insights from leaders at the top of their game.

What exactly is strategy, again? How do I handle difficult conversations with really difficult coworkers? What can a very winning Formula One team leader teach me about management?

These are a cross section of questions answered by some of HBR’s 10 most popular videos made in 2022. By design, our videos cover a little of everything that HBR has to offer, from research-based business theory, to wisdom from top performers in their fields, to nitty-gritty tactics for surviving another day in an imperfect world of work. This year, our 10 most popular videos fit into these three categories: What is…?, How do I…?, and How do they…?

“What is …?”

Four of 2022’s top 10 videos answered elemental questions about the world of business. The top two answered the same question, “What is strategy?” from different angles.

In “A Plan Is Not a Strategy,” Roger Martin, former dean at the Rotman School of Management, warns that “strategic planning” is an illusion: You’re either planning or strategizing, but only one “positions you on a playing field of your choice in a way that you win.” If you’re busy planning where to put your next factory or which departments to grow, without a rigorous theoretical framework, your competitor is doubtless doing the much harder work of strategizing a way to beat you.

In “What Is a Strategy? It’s a Lot Simpler Than You Think,” Harvard Business School’s Felix Oberholzer-Gee urges companies to focus on two value drivers: customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. By aligning strategic initiatives on these alone, leaders make their workers’ jobs less complicated and improve customer experiences. The video includes a very handy visual tool — the value stick–for seeing how these drivers interact.

Other “What is …?” videos in the top 10 were from HBS’s Linda Hill, who offers a fresh, up-to-date take on “What Makes a Great Leader?” (today it’s less about getting people to follow you to the future, more about getting them to co-create that future with you); and a succinct animated explainer, “What is Web3?” (what is Web3, that is, other than a lot of hype?).

“How do I …?”

Four other top videos dealt with everyday problems that could be faced by almost anyone in the workplace. HBR contributing editor Amy Gallo anchored our series of “HBR Guides,” distilling her and others’ advice for dealing with tricky situations (or tricky people). Most popular was “The Art of Active Listening.” It turns out that lots of nodding and mumblings of “mmm-hmm” are not signs of good listening. A better approach starts with recognizing that good listening “is an active, non-competitive, two-way interaction.”

Others in this category included videos on myth-busting common advice around switching jobs (Do you really need to stay at a job for two years? Are lateral moves always bad?); controlling emotions during a difficult conversation (acknowledging and labeling your feelings are a good start); and working with someone you just can’t stand (yes, there are better ways than just arguing with or ignoring a jerk).

How do they…?

Viewers also valued insights from practitioners, in various fields, who are performing at the top of their game – literally, in the case of our number three video, “F1 Legend Toto Wolff on Winning, Losing, and Leading Through Both.” After one of the greatest winning streaks in all of sports, the team principal for Mercedes-AMG Petronas — arguably the most impressive team in F1 racing history — finally had a losing season. He shares what he’s learned, what’s changed about his leadership style, and what’s not. It’s particularly dangerous, he says, for teams to get used to not finishing first.

And finally, viewers engaged deeply with an episode of our weekly LinkedIn Live series, “The New World of Work,” in which HBR Editor Adi Ignatius talks to top-tier executives about how they see the future and how their companies are trying to set themselves up for success. In his conversation with Julie Sweet, CEO of professional services giant Accenture, they discussed the number one skill employers are most looking for these days: “One of the most important things that we look for, no matter who you are, is your ability to learn: learning agility. Because we know that while we may hire you for a certain set of skills, the rate of change in the need for skills is quite rapid.”

Looking ahead, we’re already teeing up some difficult questions to attempt to answer in 2023. Will a recession take hold, and if so, what can businesses and individuals do to weather it? What technologies will shape the way we work together? (We’re currently working on a video about devices that can scan brainwaves to detect what you’re paying attention to.) Who will emerge as new thought leaders, and what can we learn from their perspectives? Whatever the new year throws our way, we’ll do our best to help you make sense of it.