Ron Heifetz

Ronald Heifetz is a globally recognized authority on leadership and the co-founder of the field of Adaptive Leadership. He serves as the King Hussein bin Talal Senior Lecturer in Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, where he also founded the Center for Public Leadership. For decades, Heifetz has worked with leaders across sectors, government, business, and civil society—helping them navigate complex change and mobilize people to tackle their toughest challenges.

Heifetz is the author of seminal works that have shaped modern leadership thinking, including Leadership Without Easy Answers, Leadership on the Line (with Marty Linsky), and The Practice of Adaptive Leadership. His teaching and writing distinguish between technical and adaptive challenges, offering leaders practical tools for sustaining progress under pressure.

As Kirsti Samuels’ mentor, Heifetz’s influence runs deep in KS-Insight’s philosophy and practice. His pioneering framework provides the foundation for much of the firm’s leadership development work, equipping individuals and organizations to face uncertainty with resilience, creativity, and integrity.