Stanford Graduate School of Business

Practitioner & Teaching

My practitioner facing work focuses on the broader strategic environment of business. To succeed, business must succeed in the market. But the ability to succeed in the market is shaped in large part by what goes on beyond the market. In my work, I integrate traditional business strategy with dimensions of strategy beyond-the-market. I develop tools and frameworks for CEOs and managers to shape the rules-of-the-game of market competition to give them the best chance of success. This work leverages insights from my academic research. A particular focus is on innovative industries that are subject to disruption and change.

In my teaching, I have created a broad set of classes to convey this material to practitioners. At Stanford GSB, I teach in the MBA and Executive Education programs, as well as in the GSB’s online LEAD program.

INNOVATION & AI

My work on innovation and market disruption extends naturally to AI. My work on AI has focused on the intersection of AI companies and government policy, namely the regulation (or not) of AI. It is clear there will be some AI regulation. The key question -- and what is being competed over in society right now -- is the shape that regulation will take.

A problem in the regulation of AI (or any technology) is that policymakers do not understand the technology or how it will affect society, and therefore they are unsure how to regulate AI. Policymakers would like to regulate to avoid harmful effects, but they are fearful of over regulating and hampering what could be a wonderful new technology (not to mention giving up the technology lead to other countries).

A key feature of AI is that while no one knows exactly what the future brings, those working the frontier labs have better information about that future than do policymakers (and everyone else). To understand debates over AI going on now -- and to predict where we will land -- we need to understand that the policy fight is the frontier labs trying to exploit their superior knowledge and policymakers trying to overcome it.

I have written an academic research paper studying exactly this problem: "Regulating Innovative Industries."

A more accessible piece of research is a short chapter for an NBER handbook published in 2025. In this chapter, I argue that we should think of the regulation of AI as a race between policymakers and the rise of a new interest group: Initially, policymakers have a lot of power to shape laws but they have little information. Waiting allows them to learn about the technology's capabilities, but it also allows the industry to grow in power and this limits the policymaker's freedom to act. In the chapter, I propose how policymakers can design the dynamic path of regulation so that they can win the race for society rather than for the labs. The chapter is titled "Regulating AI: The Race Between Policymakers and the Rise of a New Interest Group" and can be accessed at the link.

Recently I was quoted in an article in The Dispatch on these topics: "Why AI and Washington Talk Past Each Other."

I also act as a Senior Scholar advising The Global AI Competition & Innovation Lab (GAICIL).

My academic research page contains links to additional research papers related to this work.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

A crisis can hit an organization at any time and in any location around the world. Crises affect big firms and small firms, old and established as well as start-ups. A crisis can have a large and lasting impact on an organization. It can have a big impact on a firm’s reputation, on its stock price, the careers of those managing the crisis, and even on the culture and morale within the firm.

In my research, I have developed a playbook for how a firm can manage a crisis. How to think about a crisis, how to organize the many, many decisions that need to be made in a crisis into a strategic plan, and how to execute on that plan. I have also developed a suite of crisis simulations, from table-top exercises to immersive experiences. Crisis management is a two-prong skill: Analysis and Execution. The playbook combined with the simulations build those skills and provide you with the toolkit to build a crisis capability personally and within your organization. Please contact me via email if you are interested in these tools (contact details here).

Leadership and Crisis Management (GSBGEN 575)

In this course we develop an understanding of what a crisis is, how one evolves, and the strategies and tactics available to manage them. We also practice applying the frameworks and knowledge in several crisis simulations where students are put in the hot seat of a real and evolving crisis.

This is an elective in the MBA program, and I regularly teach in Executive Education Programs. I also offer a stand-alone crisis management course in the online LEAD program, and in the past I have offered a dedicated course in crisis management through Executive Education.

STRATEGY BEYOND THE MARKET

Strategy Beyond the Market (PolEcon 230/239)

This first year class in the MBA and MsX programs expands the scope of business strategy beyond traditional market forces to incorporate the broader environment of business. This is a long-standing staple of the GSB (formerly called non-market strategy). Upon arriving at the GSB, I overhauled the course. I developed new material and focused the course on the challenges of start-ups and entrepreneurs in the beyond-market environment.

OTHER TEACHING

One of the pleasures of being a GSB faculty member is being able to learn about new industries and ideas through teaching and industry engagement. Two topics I have learned a lot about in recent years through developing new courses at the GSB are the energy industry and the future of cities.

Energy: Innovation, Policy, and Business Strategy (PolEcon515)

This is an elective in the MBA program. The energy transition will bring fundamental change to society. It will require lots of innovation in both technology and business strategy as entrepreneurs develop the new technology into successful businesses. The energy industry is also highly regulated, both to restrain behavior and also government programs that seek to incentivize behavior to speed up the transition to renewable power. In this class we analyze the broader context of the energy market to understand how start-ups can succeed when they must grapple with entrenched incumbents and a policy process that will shape their opportunities. We focus specifically on the electricity market — the electric grid, utilities, green sources of power, and how politics shapes the path of the industry.

The Future of Cities: Entrepreneurship, Policy, and Business Strategy (PolEcon531)

This is an elective in the MBA program. The overwhelming majority of people around the world live in cities. Why? What draws people to cities? What makes cities work so well? Why are some cities thriving whereas others are stagnant and even failing? What can be done to harness the power of cities to make their inhabitants better off and allow innovation and prosperity to emerge? This class will develop an understanding of cities as a phenomenon, characterize the barriers to development and growth, and develop the opportunities for growth. We will do this largely through the lens of business and start-ups in particular to understand how business can be the engine that drives progress.

I also teach annually a PhD class on “Foundations of Political Economy” for the incoming 1st year PhD students to the PE program, as well as other interested students.

If there is anything you can’t find there, or if you have any other queries, please send me an email.

POLECON 670
Advanced Topics in Political Economy (PhD) (old)

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Practitioner & Teaching

INNOVATION & AI

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Leadership and Crisis Management (GSBGEN 575)

STRATEGY BEYOND THE MARKET

Strategy Beyond the Market (PolEcon 230/239)

OTHER TEACHING

Energy: Innovation, Policy, and Business Strategy (PolEcon515)

The Future of Cities: Entrepreneurship, Policy, and Business Strategy (PolEcon531)

Courses Taught

GSBGEN 575:
Leadership and Crisis Management (MBA)

POLECON 230/239:
Strategy Beyond Markets (MBA/MsX)

POLECON 531:
The Future of Cities: Entrepreneurship, Policy, and Business Strategy (MBA)

POLECON 515:
Energy: Innovation, Policy, and Business Strategy (MBA)

POLECON 680:
Foundations of Political Economy (PhD)

POLECON 670
Advanced Topics in Political Economy (PhD) (old)

Steven Callander

Practitioner & Teaching

INNOVATION & AI

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Leadership and Crisis Management (GSBGEN 575)

STRATEGY BEYOND THE MARKET

Strategy Beyond the Market (PolEcon 230/239)

OTHER TEACHING

Energy: Innovation, Policy, and Business Strategy (PolEcon515)

The Future of Cities: Entrepreneurship, Policy, and Business Strategy (PolEcon531)

Courses Taught

GSBGEN 575: Leadership and Crisis Management (MBA)

POLECON 230/239: Strategy Beyond Markets (MBA/MsX)

POLECON 531: The Future of Cities: Entrepreneurship, Policy, and Business Strategy (MBA)

POLECON 515: Energy: Innovation, Policy, and Business Strategy (MBA)

POLECON 680: Foundations of Political Economy (PhD)

POLECON 670 Advanced Topics in Political Economy (PhD) (old)

Steven Callander

GSBGEN 575:
Leadership and Crisis Management (MBA)

POLECON 230/239:
Strategy Beyond Markets (MBA/MsX)

POLECON 531:
The Future of Cities: Entrepreneurship, Policy, and Business Strategy (MBA)

POLECON 515:
Energy: Innovation, Policy, and Business Strategy (MBA)

POLECON 680:
Foundations of Political Economy (PhD)

POLECON 670
Advanced Topics in Political Economy (PhD) (old)