London Business School research recognised among HBR’s Most Popular Articles of 2025
LBS strategy research recognised by Harvard Business Review
London Business School is proud to celebrate the recognition of Professor Freek Vermeulen’s Harvard Business Review article, You Should Be Able to Boil Your Strategy Down to a Single Clear Visualisation, co-authored with LBS PhD alumnus João Cotter Salvado, as one of Harvard Business Review’s 10 Most Popular Articles of 2025.
The article, which analysed 654 CEO acquisition presentations, identified a striking factor behind investor confidence: the presence of a clear, compelling visualisation of strategic intent. The findings underscore the growing importance of clarity, coherence, and visual reasoning in executive decision-making and strategic communication.
Professor Freek Vermeulen, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at LBS, highlighted the practical implications of the research: “Strategy often fails not because it is wrong, but because it is poorly communicated. A single, well-designed visual can align investors, employees, and leaders around what truly matters.”
For João Cotter Salvado, now building on his academic career beyond LBS as Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Academic Director of the Católica-Lisbon Entrepreneurship Center (CLEC), the article represents a bridge between scholarship and practice: “We wanted to show that strategic clarity is not about simplification for its own sake, but about making complex ideas intelligible and actionable.”
Commenting on the recognition from HBR, Dean of London Business School, Professor Sergei Guriev, said: "This recognition reflects LBS faculty’s commitment to carrying out research that is both rigorous and relevant. Freek and João’s work shows how evidence-based insights can translate directly into better leadership and better outcomes."
The article’s popularity reflects a broader appetite among executives and investors for research that combines analytical depth with immediate real-world application. Its success also highlights the enduring impact of London Business School’s research community, extending from faculty to doctoral alumni, on global management thinking.