Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Born 1943 · Age 83
American sociologist, author, consultant and professor of business at Harvard Business School; expert on organizational behavior, leadership, change management and tokenism. Co‑founder of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative and the consulting firm Goodmeasure.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Cleveland, Ohio
Born Rosabeth Moss to Helen (Smolen) Moss (schoolteacher) and Nelson Nathan Moss (lawyer and small-business owner).
Early ambition and writing
As a child (age 11) wrote a novel and entered essay contests, an early sign of intellectual ambition.
Graduated Cleveland Heights High School
Completed secondary education at Cleveland Heights High School.
Junior year at University of Chicago (study abroad)
Spent her junior year (1962–63) studying at the University of Chicago (reported in biographical sources).
Married Stuart A. Kanter
Married Stuart A. Kanter while in college (junior year); he later died in 1969.
Graduated Bryn Mawr College, magna cum laude
B.A. in sociology (major) and English literature (minor), graduated magna cum laude from Bryn Mawr.
Earned M.A., University of Michigan
Completed an M.A. in sociology at the University of Michigan (specializing in social organization and social psychology).
PhD awarded (U. of Michigan) — dissertation 'Utopia'
Received Ph.D. in sociology; dissertation on 19th-century utopian communes (Utopia: A Study in Comparative Organization).
Joined Brandeis University as assistant professor
Began academic career as assistant professor of sociology at Brandeis (first stint, 1967–1973).
Published Commitment & Community
Published Commitment & Community: Communes and Utopias in Sociological Perspective (based on doctoral research and fieldwork).
Taught at Harvard (leave from Brandeis)
Took a leave from Brandeis to teach at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education (1973–74).
Returned to Brandeis as associate professor
Returned to Brandeis University as an associate professor of sociology (1974–77).
Guggenheim Fellowship awarded
Received a Guggenheim Fellowship (1975–76) — fellowship recognized in biographical sources.
Fellow in Law & Sociology at Harvard Law School
Served as a fellow in law and sociology (Harvard Law School, 1975–76) and subsequently as visiting scholar (1976–77).
Published 'Some Effects of Proportions…' and Men & Women of the Corporation
Published seminal 1977 article on tokenism (American Journal of Sociology) and the influential book Men and Women of the Corporation.
Founded Goodmeasure Inc. (with Barry Stein)
Founded the management consulting firm Goodmeasure Inc. with Barry Stein (EBSCO/HBS sources cite 1977 founding and long-term chair role).
Joined Yale University faculty (associate professor)
Left Brandeis to join Yale University as tenured associate professor of sociology and organization and management (starting 1977).
C. Wright Mills Award for Men & Women of the Corporation
Received the C. Wright Mills Award for the year's outstanding book on social issues (Men & Women of the Corporation).
Published/Led 'Life in Organizations' and won HBR McKinsey recognition
Co-edited Life in Organizations; Harvard Business Review recognized with McKinsey award(s) around this period (sources cite 1979 McKinsey/HBR recognition).
Visiting professor at MIT Sloan School
Served as visiting professor of organizational psychology and management at MIT Sloan (1979–80).
Published 'A Tale of "O"' (coauthored with Barry Stein)
Co-wrote A Tale of 'O': On Being Different in an Organization — a creative exploration of tokenism (book and related video/training materials).
Published The Change Masters
Published The Change Masters: Innovation & Entrepreneurship in the American Corporation — influential study of corporate innovation and management.
Joined Harvard Business School (tenured professor)
Hired by Harvard Business School as a fully tenured professor of business administration (appointed 1986).
Advisor to Senator Gary Hart
Served as an adviser to Senator Gary Hart during his 1986 presidential campaign preparations.
Economic adviser to Michael Dukakis; co-authored 'Creating the Future'
Served as economic adviser to Governor Michael Dukakis during his 1988 presidential bid; co-authored Creating the Future: The Massachusetts Comeback and Its Promise for America (1988).
Published When Giants Learn to Dance
Released When Giants Learn to Dance (study of large-company strategies and global change).
Appointed Editor, Harvard Business Review
Named editor of Harvard Business Review (served as editor 1989–1992), the last full-time academic to hold the role.
Harvard Business Review finalist for National Magazine Award
Under Kanter's editorship, the Harvard Business Review was a finalist for the National Magazine Award for general excellence (1991).
Became vice-chair, Harvard Business School Publishing Group
As part of HBR reorganization (1992), Kanter became vice-chair of the newly created Harvard Business School Publishing Group.
Published The Challenge of Organizational Change (coauthors Stein & Jick)
Coauthored The Challenge of Organizational Change: How Companies Experience It and Leaders Guide It (1992).
Published World Class: Thriving Locally in the Global Economy
Published World Class (1995), examining how local leadership and communities can thrive in the global economy.
Senior advisor to IBM Global Citizenship begins
Started serving as a senior advisor for IBM’s Global Citizenship portfolio (role lasted approximately 1999–2012).
Academy of Management Distinguished Career Award
Received the Academy of Management's Distinguished Career Award (2001).
Ranked No. 11 overall, Top Business Intellectuals study
Named the top-ranking woman (No. 11 overall) in a 2002 Accenture study of Top Business Intellectuals by citation.
Intelligent Community Visionary of the Year Award
Received the Intelligent Community Visionary of the Year Award from the World Teleport Association (2002).
Published Confidence: How Winning Streaks & Losing Streaks Begin & End
Published Confidence (2004), a New York Times Business bestseller and #1 on BusinessWeek's list for business books.
Conceived the Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) at Harvard
Guided planning for a Harvard-wide Advanced Leadership Initiative beginning circa 2005 (co-conceived with Rakesh Khurana and Nitin Nohria).
Published America the Principled
Published America the Principled: 6 Opportunities for Becoming a Can-Do Nation Once Again (2007).
Advanced Leadership Initiative launched; became Founding Chair & Director
Harvard's Advanced Leadership Initiative was launched (planning 2005–2008) and Kanter served as Founding Chair & Director (2008–2018). Some sources date public debut in Jan 2009; role accepted circa 2008–2009.
Honorary Doctor of Social Science, Aalborg University
Awarded an Honorary Doctor of Social Science degree from Aalborg University, Denmark (Nov 2008).
Published SuperCorp
Published SuperCorp: How Vanguard Companies Create Innovation, Profits, Growth, and Social Good (2009); named one of the 10 best business books of 2009 by Amazon.com.
Received 2010 International Leadership Award
Honored with the International Leadership Award from the Association of Leadership Professionals (2010).
Named one of '125 Women Who Changed Our World' by Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping named Kanter one of 125 women who changed our world in May 2010 (magazine's 125th anniversary).
Second place McKinsey Award (for 2010 HBR article)
Won second place 2011 McKinsey Award for the best Harvard Business Review article published in 2010: 'How Great Companies Think Differently.'
Lifetime Achievement Award by Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus
Received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus for her work on women's inclusion and public service advising.
William Foote Whyte Distinguished Career Award
Received the 2013 William Foote Whyte Distinguished Career Award from the Sociological Practice & Public Sociology section of the American Sociological Association.
TEDx speech: Leading Positive Change with Six Steps
Delivered a TEDx talk (January 2013) on leading positive change in organizations and communities.
Inducted into Thinkers50 Hall of Fame
Inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame in recognition of long-term influence on management thinking (2015).
Published MOVE: Putting America's Infrastructure Back in the Lead
Published Move (2015), the result of 20 months of research into U.S. transportation infrastructure and policy proposals.
Journalism Award (Boston Society of Civil Engineers) for MOVE
Received the 2016 Journalism Award from the Boston Society of Civil Engineers for the book Move.
Everett M. Rogers Award (USC Annenberg)
Won the 2016 Everett M. Rogers Award from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Stepped down as Founding Chair & Director of Advanced Leadership Initiative
Concluded tenure as Director and Founding Chair of Harvard's Advanced Leadership Initiative (served 2008–2018).
Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award and multiple honors
Won the 2019 Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award, the Thought Leader Award (ISA-Association of Learning Providers), and the Hutchens Medal from ASQ.
Published Think Outside the Building
Published Think Outside the Building: How Advanced Leaders Can Change the World One Smart Innovation at a Time (PublicAffairs, Jan 2020); book received multiple awards and lists.
HBS Case 'Haier: Incubating Entrepreneurs in a Chinese Giant' recognized
Co-authored HBS case with Nancy Hua Dai — Winner of a 2023 Case Centre Award (HBS Case 318-104). (Kanter credited on the case; recognition in subsequent years.)
Lifetime Achievement Award at Squire Patton Boggs Nonprofit Leadership Symposium
Received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 Squire Patton Boggs Nonprofit Leadership Symposium.
Death of spouse Barry Stein
Barry Stein, Kanter's husband (married 1972), died in 2023. They co-founded Goodmeasure and had one son.
Holds ~23–24 honorary degrees and extensive recognition
Biographical sources report Kanter holds 23 (Wikipedia) or 24 (CityYear) honorary doctorates; widely honored with lifetime and industry awards.
Current status — Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor, HBS; continuing author and advisor
Continues as Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor at Harvard Business School, author, speaker, board member/trustee (e.g., City Year) and advisor to CEOs and governments.
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