How to Identify a Toxic Culture and 13 Ways to Fix It
Toxic workplace culture, once hidden, is now quantified by data showing millions of daily incivility incidents and a 10% employee exposure rate. Leaders who prioritize accountability over short‑term results risk burnout, disengagement, and costly turnover. Research from SHRM and MIT highlights leadership, social norms, and work design as the primary drivers of toxicity. The article outlines 13 actionable steps—ranging from cultural audits to redesigning workloads—to reverse the trend and link cultural health to bottom‑line performance.
On Grant & Archimedes
Anthony Guerra’s column draws leadership lessons from Ulysses S. Grant’s Civil‑War campaigns, emphasizing relentless perseverance and the strategic concentration of forces after Grant assumed unified command in 1864. Grant’s tenacity turned a series of failed “experiments” into the decisive Vicksburg siege, while...
Data Transformation Is the CEO’s Business
Caterpillar’s CEO Jim Umpleby launched Cat Digital and tasked it with building the Helios enterprise data platform to break down siloed customer, contact and equipment data. By giving senior leaders ownership of 14 data domains and committing three years of...
Overseers Name New Senior Officers
Harvard University’s Board of Overseers has elected federal judge Raymond J. Lohier Jr. as president and Pulitzer‑winning journalist Sheryl WuDunn as vice chair for the 2026‑27 academic year. Both alumni bring extensive legal, media, and corporate experience to the university’s...
Launch of the "Qinglan Program" In Beijing: CASWSS, Fudan Institute on Ageing and Neutech Group Jointly Build the "Hope Project"...
The China Association of Social Welfare and Senior Service (CASWSS) and Fudan Institute on Ageing have launched the "Qinglan Program," a three‑year, free training and mentorship initiative for young elderly‑care directors, backed by Neutech Group. The pilot cohort will admit...
Meta Tells Staff It May Not Conduct Further Layoffs This Year
Meta announced in an internal memo that it does not expect any further company‑wide layoffs this year, after a recent round that trimmed roughly 10% of its workforce. The memo from CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized a strategic pivot toward artificial...
Omnicom PR Announces New Leadership Structure with Joanne Wong as APAC CEO
Omnicom PR announced a new regional leadership structure for Asia‑Pacific, EMEA and Canada, elevating FleishmanHillard’s Joanne Wong to APAC CEO effective July 1. The three regional CEOs will report to global CEO Chris Foster and oversee all Omnicom PR agency...
Getting Buy-In for Your Next Big Idea
Harvard Business Review’s Alison Beard hosts a conversation with University of Michigan professor Sue Ashford and former Harvard Business Publishing VP Ellen Bailey on how mid‑level leaders can secure executive buy‑in for new initiatives. They outline a three‑question framework—problem, mutual...
Olympic Goalie Shares Team-Building Lessons
Schneider Electric, ranked #1 in Gartner’s Supply Chain Top 25 for three consecutive years, has re‑engineered its logistics around a customer‑experience "north star" metric. The shift moves focus from pure on‑time delivery to transparent, proactive communication that gives customers confidence and...
Wendy's Taps Former Potbelly CEO to Lead Struggling Burger Chain
Wendy’s announced former Potbelly chief Bob Wright as its new CEO, aiming to reverse a five‑quarter streak of same‑store sales declines. Wright previously steered Potbelly’s post‑pandemic turnaround and oversaw its 2023 take‑private by RaceTrac for $566 million. Wendy’s shares have slumped...
Authentic Brands Group Has a New CEO, but Jamie Salter Is Sticking Around
Authentic Brands Group founder Jamie Salter has stepped down as chief executive, promoting long‑time president Matt Maddox to CEO while Salter assumes the role of executive chairman. Salter will continue to steer strategic growth, M&A and brand licensing, overseeing a portfolio...
RISE Brings Harvard-Backed AI Learning to Thailand
RISE, a regional corporate innovation consultancy, has signed a three‑year exclusive partnership with Harvard Business Impact to launch the AI‑driven learning platform HBR Spark for Thai executives. The initiative aims to boost Thailand’s GDP by 1 % by 2027 through innovation‑driven transformation...
Zuckerberg Promises No More ‘Company-Wide’ Lay-Offs at Meta After Slashing Jobs
Meta announced that CEO Mark Zuckerberg will not conduct any further company‑wide layoffs after a sweeping reduction that eliminated roughly 11,000 positions last year. The promise follows a period of aggressive cost‑cutting, slowing ad revenue, and a strategic pivot toward...
Airbnb CEO Says Pure People Managers Have No Future
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky told the Invest Like the Best podcast that pure people‑manager roles will disappear as AI reshapes work. He promoted a hybrid "manager‑IC" model where leaders contribute directly to product output, citing Airbnb engineers now generating about...
ICON 2026 — Blue Yonder CEO Duncan Angove Isn't Nervous to Say ‘the Agent Is the App’ (or that the...
Blue Yonder’s CEO Duncan Angove announced a "frictionless outcomes" manifesto at ICON 2026, pledging to deliver software deployments in 72 hours using embedded engineers and AI agents. The company plans to invest at least 40% of its R&D into this rapid‑deployment...
Leadership Is Hard (Part II): The Leaders Who Don’t Want to Lead
The article examines founders who launch companies later in life after experiencing poor leadership in larger firms. These entrepreneurs are highly self‑directed and often assume their teams will thrive under the same autonomous style they prefer. However, younger employees frequently...
Boards Perform Better with Diversity, Says Former NDA Chair
Former Nuclear Decommissioning Authority chair Ros Rivaz argues that board diversity directly boosts performance. Citing research, she notes that companies with gender‑balanced boards achieve stronger financial results and better risk management. Rivaz, who now chairs Companies House and Anglian Water,...
The Healthy Advisor: When Pressure, Setbacks and Life Transitions Collide With Terri Kallsen
Terri Kallsen, a three‑decade veteran of financial services, recently helped launch Rise Growth Partners, a strategic RIA investment platform, while serving as chair of the CFP Board. At Charles Schwab she oversaw 7,000 staff and $1.6 trillion in assets, and later drove...
My Employee Lied For Months About Work He Wasn’t Doing
A startup’s lead full‑stack engineer spent two months providing false status reports while the company funded his relocation from Peru. He now resigns, admitting he delivered no functional web portal. The founder acknowledges a lack of oversight and wonders about...
What Highly Effective Leaders Do Instead of Hustling 24/7
Highly effective leaders are moving away from constant hustle, opting instead for focused, sustainable work habits. They schedule dedicated, uninterrupted thinking time and delegate tasks to prevent bottlenecks, preserving mental energy. By guarding focus and setting clear boundaries, they avoid...
Wendy’s Appoints Bob Wright as CEO
Wendy’s announced Robert D. Wright as its new president and chief executive officer, effective May 21, and added him to the board. Wright, who turned around Potbelly and previously served as Wendy’s executive vice president and COO, replaces interim CEO...
CEO’s Viral Firing Post Sparks Debate on Ownership and Leadership Expectations
InstaAstro founder Nitin Verma posted a viral note explaining why he fired a senior hire who asked for direction after weeks of autonomy. Verma argued the employee lacked the initiative expected at a senior level, sparking a heated debate on...
On the Move: Clario Snags Allison Worldwide Co-Founders
Clario Group has appointed Allison Worldwide co‑founders Scott Allison and Andy Hardie‑Brown as non‑executive chairs to accelerate its footprint in the United States, Europe, APAC and the Middle East. Perry Goldman was promoted to global managing director at Montieth &...
Monoova Names Bianca Bates CEO as Co-Founder Christian Westerlind Wigstrom Steps Down
Australian paytech Monoova announced that co‑founder Christian Westerlind Wigstrom will step down as CEO, with former Cuscal executive Bianca Bates slated to take the helm on July 1 after an interim period led by chair Robert Bell. Under Wigstrom, Monoova processed roughly $130 billion USD...
The Success Formula that Took Everbowl From 1 to 400 Locations
Jeff Fenster, serial entrepreneur behind five eight‑ to nine‑figure exits, scaled Everbowl from a single store to over 100 open locations and 400 franchised units nationwide. His construction arm, WeBuild, cuts build‑out costs to as little as one‑quarter of the...
The Gerrymandering Wars Show Every CEO Exactly What Not to Do
The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously upheld a Republican‑drawn congressional map that fragments Kansas City, giving GOP a projected 7‑1 advantage. Across the nation, Republicans have secured gerrymanders in Texas, Florida, North Carolina and more, while Democratic efforts in California are...
Bring It to Them | What Five CPOs Actually Say About Workforce Comms
Chief People Officers at the World Economic Forum, B&Q, and Radisson Hotel Group shared how they reshape workforce communications. The WEF CHRO deliberately reduced empathy during a reputational crisis, opting for clear, data‑driven direction. B&Q’s People Director highlighted that trust...
BBC’s New Boss Tells Staff He Will Use Data To Build “Sat Nav Around Bias” & Says iPlayer Must Improve
Former Google exec Matt Brittin, the BBC’s new director general, announced plans to use data analytics – potentially AI – as a "sat‑nav" to detect and correct bias in news and programming. He also criticised iPlayer, Sport and Sounds for...
Former Woolworths Boss Abruptly Steps Down From Ticketek
Former Woolworths chief Brad Banducci announced his abrupt departure from Ticketek after just over a year at the helm. During his tenure the ticketing firm lost two marquee contracts – the $100 million (≈ $66 million USD) Venues NSW deal and the Melbourne Park...
HSBC Boss Puts People at the Centre of Its AI Transformation Push
HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery announced a bank‑wide AI transformation aimed at making 200,000 staff members "future‑ready" through training and new tools. The bank appointed David Rice as its first Chief AI Officer to provide enterprise‑level leadership for generative AI adoption....
Data#3 Promotes Craig Ellis to WA General Manager
Data#3 has promoted Craig Ellis to general manager of its Western Australia operations after eight years with the publicly listed firm. Ellis succeeds Vince Troth, who left after less than a year in the role. The company highlighted Ellis’s track...
Marc Rowan Accused of Misusing Apollo Resources for Political Work
Apollo CEO Marc Rowan is accused by the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors of using company email, staff, and resources to advance his personal conservative political agenda in higher education. The unions allege he...
AI Labs: Sam Altman May Make or Break OpenAI
OpenAI’s rise began with ChatGPT, but its CEO Sam Altman has become a polarizing figure. Co‑founders sued him, staff left to launch competing labs, and the board briefly voted to fire him. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s early advantage in generative AI is narrowing...
How Tom Dundon Could Poison The Well Of The Portland Trail Blazers
Tom Dundon, who purchased the Portland Trail Blazers for a reported $4.25 billion less than two months ago, has already instituted aggressive cost‑cutting measures. Early actions include laying off roughly 70 front‑office staff, scaling back fan giveaways, and signaling a modest...
Why Difficult Conversations Define Great Leaders
Great leaders are defined not by strategy wins but by how they navigate difficult conversations. Georgia Russell highlights that performance feedback, conflict, and exit discussions require clarity, care, and consistency, drawing on Australian research from the Fair Work Ombudsman, Safe...
When Growth Exposes What Your Business Hasn’t Fixed Yet
Pat Alacqua’s new column warns that rapid growth can expose operational blind spots that revenue metrics hide. As projects multiply, decision handoffs and workflow bottlenecks cause timelines to slip, margins to erode, and rework to rise. Adding staff or tools...
SoftBank Founder’s Starstruck Bet on OpenAI Raises Concern
SoftBank Group has committed more than $60 billion to OpenAI as the ChatGPT maker readies an IPO. Founder Masayoshi Son repeatedly dismissed internal concerns about a potential failure, citing Sam Altman’s vision as a century‑defining shift. Recent breakthroughs from rival Anthropic have...
‘Absolutely Not’: Jensen Huang Admits He Wouldn’t Rebuild His $5.4 Trillion Company If Given the Choice
Nvidia, now valued at roughly $5.4 trillion, remains the world’s most valuable semiconductor firm and a dominant AI player. Founder‑CEO Jensen Huang told the "How I Built This" podcast that, knowing the hardships he endured, he would not choose to rebuild...
Shawmut’s Michelle LaFleur on Building a Culture to Fuel Performance
Chief People Officer Michelle LaFleur says culture is a core business driver at Shawmut Design and Construction, a $2.3 billion employee‑owned firm with more than 1,300 staff across 15 offices. Rising from a temporary admin role to the C‑suite, she now...
Why the Words You Choose as a Leader Can Build (or Break) Team Performance
Leaders' word choices shape team performance by setting the organization’s emotional tone. Shifting from blame‑focused language to data, feedback, and growth‑oriented phrasing encourages psychological safety and collaboration. Providing clear, actionable feedback instead of vague criticism improves accountability and reduces defensiveness....
Tech CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy: ‘Study Failure To Decrease It’
Tech veteran Sukhinder Singh Cassidy argues that companies must deliberately study their failures to curb repeat mistakes and accelerate growth. She emphasizes turning post‑mortems into data‑driven processes that become a regular metric for teams. Cassidy suggests integrating quarterly failure reviews...
People Moves: Aon Announces Leadership Promotions for EMEA and Latin America; Markel International Promotes Rice to Head of Global Development,...
Aon plc promoted Kai‑Frank Buechter and Tracy‑Lee Kus to co‑CEOs of its EMEA region, while Pedro Penalva was named CEO of Latin America, expanding the firm’s executive committee. The appointments also include Alfonso Gallego de Chaves as deputy CEO of...
Former Calvin Klein Exec Will Be Banana Republic’s CEO
Donald Kohler, a former Calvin Klein executive, will assume the role of brand CEO at Banana Republic in July, marking a return to the Gap family where he began his career. Kohler most recently led PVH Americas, overseeing Calvin Klein...
The Wilmington Group Names New CEO
Parsippany, New Jersey‑based Wilmington Group, a recycling and managed waste services firm, has named Jeff Snyder as its new chief executive officer. Snyder arrives with more than three decades of industry experience, including senior roles at WestRock, Pratt Industries, and...
The OpenAI Lawsuit Became a Master Class in What Not to Put in Writing
A California jury rejected Elon Musk’s lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI, and a judge later upheld the verdict. The two‑week trial aired hundreds of internal emails, texts and diary entries, revealing Musk’s threats, Greg Brockman’s billionaire‑ambition notes, and Mira...
How Construction Owners Should Evaluate Executive Hires
Construction owners face a high‑stakes decision when selecting a top‑level executive, as the hire will dictate culture, operational standards, and long‑term growth. Unlike typical executive searches, the role demands personal alignment with the owner’s relentless work ethic and lifestyle. Successful...
In Profile: Teresa Cameron, Group CEO of Clear Junction
Teresa Cameron, with more than 25 years in trading, FX and financial operations, stepped into the Group CEO role at Clear Junction in October 2023 after a year‑long transition from CFO. Under her leadership the firm has rolled out an...
The 2026 Leadership Reality: Realities, Priorities, Imperative
Leadership in 2026 faces unprecedented disruption, with volatility, versatility, and ambiguity reshaping the executive landscape. Lone Rock’s Leadership Reality Report, based on 28,000 leaders across 180 firms, identifies three core realities and four priority capabilities—Adaptive Velocity, Relationship Fluency, Networked Influence,...
Building Executive Presence in Today’s Workplace
Executive presence is a composite of confidence, gravitas, and emotional intelligence that signals a leader’s readiness to guide complex initiatives. It manifests through clear, purposeful communication, steady composure in high‑stakes moments, and the ability to build trust across teams. While...
$30 Billion Twilio CEO Wakes at 4:30 A.m., Works Sundays and Runs Laps Around His House Between Meetings to Blow...
Twilio chief executive Khozema Shipchandler begins his workday at 4:30 a.m., scanning Slack, email and news before the rest of the company is awake. He stays on the clock until about 9 p.m., carving out only six to eight hours of non‑work...