Stop Trying to ‘Educate’ People Into Changing. Science Proves It Doesn’t Work
The article debunks the information‑deficit model, showing that simply providing facts rarely changes entrenched beliefs. Decades of research, from the Semmelweis effect to studies on death‑penalty attitudes, reveal a psychological resistance to contradictory evidence. Instead, behavior shifts are driven by social networks, peer conformity, and cultural context. Leaders are urged to abandon slogan‑heavy campaigns and focus on shaping supportive networks, starting with a majority of early adopters and building keystone projects.
SheSparks 2026: How Women Leaders Are Enabling the Workforce to Build AI Skills in GCCs
At SheSparks 2026, Kyndryl’s Kush Mahajan and BT Group’s Arunima Dhiman discussed how women leaders are shaping AI adoption in Global Capability Centers (GCCs). They framed AI as an efficiency‑boosting partner that frees employees for higher‑order judgment rather than a...
Considering U.S. Air Force Culture When Modifying Career Development Pathways for Longer Assignments
In May 2025 the Department of Defense ordered the services to cut permanent change‑of‑station moves and reshape career‑development pathways. A new report examines how U.S. Air Force culture—its policies, processes and unwritten norms—underpins the long‑standing belief that frequent relocations are...
Why Your Change Plan Is Failing Your Managers (and What to Do Instead)
Most organisations treat change like a predictable clock, yet change behaves more like a cloud—messy, evolving, and hard to control. This mismatch leaves middle managers juggling certainty‑driven tools while navigating uncertainty, leading to broken trust and heightened stress. The article...
Nordstrom’s $6.25 Billion Deal to Go Private Is Paying Off—And Don’t Expect an IPO Anytime Soon
Nordstrom completed a $6.25 billion take‑private in 2025, giving the founding family a 50.1% stake alongside Mexico’s El Puerto de Liverpool. In 2025 revenue rose 7% to $15.9 billion, finally surpassing its 2019 peak after pandemic‑related weakness. The private structure lets the co‑CEOs...
M&S Boss Stuart Machin Says Leaders Should Not Fully Switch Off on Holiday
Stuart Machin, chief executive of Marks & Spencer, told delegates at the Business Leader Summit that senior leaders should remain reachable even while on holiday, rejecting the conventional work‑life balance mantra. He highlighted his hands‑on leadership style, which has driven...
GBRf Looks Inward to Leadership Transition
GB Railfreight has launched a formal search for a new CEO as John Smith prepares to step back after 25 years at the helm. Interim Managing Director Liam Day and newly appointed COO Ian Langton will oversee daily operations during...
Are You Micromanaging Yourself Out of a Job?
New leaders who cling to micromanagement unintentionally spawn costly escalation cultures, stifling decision‑making and driving turnover. The article cites a $1 trillion annual U.S. turnover cost and $8.8 trillion global productivity loss tied to disengaged employees. As AI pushes task ownership lower,...
Effective Leadership Communication: The Skills and Practices That Build a High-Performing Culture
Effective leadership communication is emerging as a decisive performance lever, with BDO’s 2025 research showing 95% of employees deem it essential yet only 25% feel their companies deliver it well. The report introduces the Human, Compelling, Visual Communications™ framework, which...
Squire Patton Boggs Names Andrew Wilkinson as Next European Managing Partner
Squire Patton Boggs has appointed Andrew Wilkinson as its new European managing partner, taking over from Jonathan Jones in May. Wilkinson, a London partner since 2003, leads the firm’s IP and technology practice, advising on AI, fintech, telecoms and other...
Naveen Narayanan to Be CHRO, Biocon
Naveen Narayanan will become chief human resources officer of Biocon on 1 April 2026, moving from his role as global head of HR at Biocon Biologics. He brings over 30 years of HR leadership across hospitality, banking, consulting and technology, including a...
Dr. Elisabeth Armstrong Named NIH Chief of Staff
The National Institutes of Health announced Dr. Elisabeth Armstrong as its new chief of staff, bringing a blend of public‑sector leadership and private‑sector insight. Previously the director of the FDA’s Office of the Executive Secretariat, she oversaw agency‑wide information flows...
Armstrong Fluid Technology Appoints Danilo Elez as Chief Executive Officer
Armstrong Fluid Technology announced Danilo Elez as its new chief executive officer, positioning him to lead the firm’s next growth phase. Elez arrives with senior leadership experience at major HVAC and building‑technology companies, known for driving sustainable expansion and integrating...
Your Team Doesn’t Need a ‘Work Family’ — It Needs This System That Holds Up When It Counts
The article argues that calling a team a "work family" obscures accountability and hampers performance under pressure. It advocates replacing sentiment with a system built on clear ownership, explicit standards, and respectful tension. By assigning single-point responsibility for critical outcomes...
Hallmark Media Picks New Prez
Hallmark Media announced Darren Abbott as its new President, succeeding John Matts who departed after a brief tenure. Abbott will retain his existing role as Chief Brand Officer while taking charge of ad sales, distribution, and research. The appointment marks...
Initiative Promotes Paige Wheaton to National Managing Director Role
Media agency Initiative has promoted Paige Wheaton to National Managing Director, giving her national responsibility for business performance, operating model, and client partnerships. The move is part of CEO Jo McAlister’s leadership realignment to improve national alignment and operational excellence...
The CFO Who Earned Her Seat by Bringing Everyone to the Table with Her
Nikki Spillers, CFO of IC Biomedical, rose from a bank receptionist to a senior finance leader by consistently tackling the work most others avoid. Her career path spanned banking, distribution and a senior role at RaceTrac before she took the...
Is Musk Right, Is It All About the Interview?
Elon Musk recently urged leaders to base hiring decisions on whether an interview sparks a “wow” reaction within the first 20 minutes, downplaying résumés. HR scholars from Canadian institutions argue that such gut‑feel, unstructured interviews are unreliable, prone to bias,...
Grigory Berezkin: From Energy to Media and Social Initiatives
Grigory Berezkin transformed distressed oil assets into a $600 million sale to LUKOIL, then revitalized the Arctic‑based Kolenergo power utility before exiting the energy sector in 2003. He later built Russia’s leading free‑daily newspaper Metro, grew RBC into a multi‑platform business...
Michael Rousseau, Air Canada’s CEO, to Step Down Amid Backlash Over Comments After Crash
Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau announced his resignation after intense criticism for a largely English condolence video following a fatal LaGuardia crash. The board will seek a successor who can communicate fluently in French, reflecting the airline’s bilingual obligations. The...
Maximus Tyrannus Avery: Building Growth Across Borders
Maximus Tyrannus Avery leveraged an early fascination with computers to develop a systems‑thinking mindset that propelled his career from Alltel to international defense sales. In 2023 he co‑founded Digital Ascension Group, positioning the firm as a pragmatic business‑development partner focused...
Leave It to Me: Overconfident CEOs Less Likely to Delegate M&A Work
A new study of 3,690 public‑company M&A deals (2000‑2019) finds that overconfident CEOs are 10‑15% less likely to delegate acquisition responsibilities. Researchers measured CEO confidence via stock‑option behavior and delegation through mentions of non‑executives in press releases and SEC filings....
Tali Raphaely: From Law to Miami Real Estate Leader
Tali Raphaely, a former top‑ranked law graduate, has transformed his legal expertise into a thriving real‑estate empire in South Florida. After a stint in litigation, he founded a nationwide title company before shifting to property ownership, focusing on multifamily apartments in...
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Never Has One-on-One Meetings With His 60 Direct Reports — Here’s Why
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang deliberately avoids one‑on‑one meetings with his roughly 60 direct reports, preferring large, open‑forum discussions. This flat reporting structure eliminates multiple management layers, allowing rapid decision‑making and shared information across the AI chipmaker. Huang describes the approach...
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Names Claire McKenna as General Counsel
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) announced that Deputy General Counsel Claire McKenna will assume the role of senior vice president and general counsel on May 1, replacing Ashley Carvalho. McKenna, who joined MWAA in March 2020, brings nine years of senior attorney experience...
As a VC, I Can Predict a Startup’s Success in Minutes — And It Comes Down to 3 Traits (Not...
A veteran VC argues that a startup’s fate can be judged in minutes by assessing three founder traits—clarity, context, and chemistry—rather than relying on a polished pitch deck. He explains that clear, jargon‑free storytelling reveals true problem insight, while deep...
The NPT Executive Session Featuring Jonathan Reckford: It’s Time To Be Financially Nimble And Politically Nonpartisan
Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, warned that global volatility—oil shocks and tariff concerns—is hitting low‑income families hardest. He urged nonprofit leaders to adopt rapid, “quick and dirty” scenario planning to stay financially nimble amid a possible downturn....
As the Number of Political Appointees Surge and Career SES Ranks Shrink, One Nonprofit Warns of ‘Institutional Consequences’
The Partnership for Public Service reports that political appointees in the federal government have surged to their highest level in decades, while career Senior Executive Service (SES) positions have shrunk by nearly 30% since the start of the second Trump...
Audacy Crowns Kenyon As Its Latest Regional President
Audacy has promoted Detroit market manager Debbie Kenyon to Regional President for its Central U.S. markets, adding Chicago, Cleveland, Madison, Milwaukee and Minneapolis to her portfolio. The move is part of Audacy’s ongoing “Content‑First” restructuring aimed at leveraging scale while...
Compass Promotes a ‘Trusted Leader’; KW Elevates 25-Year Veteran
Compass International Holdings promoted longtime executive Rory Golod to president of growth, a role designed to accelerate agent adoption of its AI‑driven platform, oversee recruitment, M&A and corporate communications, and unify its brand portfolio. Golod’s decade‑long tenure includes leading brokerage...
Texas Health Resources CEO to Retire, Successor Named
Barclay Berdan, CEO of Texas Health Resources, will retire in September after four decades with the system, having overseen major clinical, digital, and operational transformations since taking the helm in 2014. The board has appointed senior executive vice president and...
Kenyon Takes A Regional VP Role For Audacy
Debbie Kenyon, a veteran of Audacy (formerly Entercom), has been promoted to Regional President for the company’s Central U.S. markets. In addition to continuing oversight of Detroit stations, she will now manage key properties in Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Milwaukee and...
How to Find Leaders Early Using Neuroscience and AI
New research from Wharton, Korn Ferry, and Lazul.ai shows that leadership potential can be detected in undergraduate students using neuroscience‑driven, AI‑enabled assessments. By measuring cognitive flexibility, attention allocation, and multidimensional risk tolerance, the study uncovers behavioral signals that precede formal...
6 Biggest Cybersecurity Mistakes CEOs Make
A 2025 EY study found 84 % of organizations faced a cyber incident in the past three years, many of which were preventable with stronger leadership. CEOs often treat cybersecurity as a technical checkbox rather than a strategic priority, leading to...
Q&A: Hartford CIO Charisse Snipes on AI, Language Access and Building a Smart City Culture
Charisse Snipes, Hartford’s Chief Innovation Officer, says the city prioritized AI governance before rollout, embedding data ownership, security and cross‑department training into its framework. Partnering with Google Cloud, Hartford added real‑time, two‑way translation to its 311 system, supporting up to...
Executive Decision-Making Demands a Different Kind of Discipline. Here’s What That Looks Like in Practice.
Senior executives are increasingly removed from day‑to‑day operations, forcing them to make high‑impact decisions with limited visibility. The article argues that decision‑making must be treated as a disciplined practice built on transparent systems, rhythm‑based reviews, and protected cognitive bandwidth. It...
This Skincare Founder Changed the Rules—Now Her Brand Is One of the Biggest in the Industry
Priscilla Tsai, a Wharton‑trained former J.P. Morgan analyst, founded clean‑beauty brand Cocokind in 2014 after battling hormonal acne. Leveraging a community‑first approach, she built the brand through transparent social media engagement and secured national retail placements at Target (2019) and Ulta (2022)....
Porsche Turns To New CEO To Steer Through Missteps
Porsche appointed Michael Leiters as CEO on Jan. 1, ending Oliver Blume’s dual role with Volkswagen. The sports‑carmaker reported a 10% drop in 2025 deliveries, moving only 279,449 units – its steepest decline since 2009 – with China sales plunging 26%....
AIG’s Next Chapter: New CEO Faces Test Of Post-Revival Growth
Insurance giant AIG announced Eric Andersen as its interim president, set to assume the CEO role in June while current CEO Peter Zaffino transitions to executive chairman. Andersen, a former Aon strategic adviser with extensive brokerage experience, replaces John Neal...
Florida Educator Tapped to Lead Fort Worth Schools Under Texas Takeover
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath has named former Florida superintendent Peter B. Licata as the new leader of Fort Worth Independent School District, which is currently under state control. Licata, who briefly headed Broward County Public Schools, will oversee a...
Meet The FCC’s New CIO
The Federal Communications Commission has appointed Farhan Khan as its new Chief Information Officer. Khan, previously the FDA’s chief digital officer, will steer the FCC’s IT strategy, focusing on modernization and information security. His portfolio spans oversight of systems that...
Reflections on a Career in International Education, Shaped by Experience
The outgoing chief executive of UKCISA reflects on a career that moved from language services to government, consultancy and finally national advocacy for international students. He credits personal study abroad experiences for shaping his belief in mobility as a catalyst...
Why the ‘Gets It, Wants It, Capacity’ Won’t Build a Competitive Company
The Gets‑it‑Wants‑it‑Capacity (GWC) framework, popularized by Gino Wickman’s *Traction*, offers a quick filter for matching people to predefined roles, but it stops at present‑state competence. While GWC clarifies hiring and accountability, it treats seats as static and ignores strategic conviction,...
People Moves: WTW Makes Structural, Leadership Changes to EMEA Regional Operations; Carpenter Taps FloodFlash’s Bartholomew as Head of Parametric Advisory
WTW announced a major restructuring of its EMEA Insurance Consulting and Technology business, creating dedicated P&C and Life units and appointing Tim Rourke and Michael Klüttgens as regional leaders. Tammy Richardson will now oversee the firm’s AI transformation across the...
MedCity Pivot Podcast: How Fujifilm Tackled An Existential Crisis
Fujifilm faced a 60% revenue collapse in 2006 as digital cameras displaced film, prompting a strategic pivot toward healthcare. The company launched a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) in 2011, acquiring Biogen’s large‑scale site and expanding its biotech capabilities....
U.S. Bank Names Next COO
Toby Clements will assume the role of chief operations officer at U.S. Bank effective April 13, succeeding Souheil Badran, who is retiring after a three‑year tenure. Clements, a 2017 hire, has overseen operations in Europe, cards, merchant payments and client services,...
What Makes an Exceptional Leader?
New research by The Grossman Group and The Harris Poll finds only 30% of U.S. employees consider senior leaders "exceptional," while 16% label them "outdated" and blame them for burnout. Exceptional leaders outperform "good" leaders by more than two‑fold in...
Week in Review: How the Performance Review Has Changed
Performance reviews have shifted dramatically over the past 15 years, moving from annual check‑ins to frequent, often quarterly, continuous feedback loops. This change reflects heightened expectations for real‑time manager‑employee dialogue and is driven by digital tools that enable ongoing performance...
The Enduring and Evolving ‘Craft’ of Customer Support – Interview with Nick Francis
Help Scout co‑founder Nick Francis stepped down as CEO in late 2025, becoming Chairman after 15 years leading the remote‑first support platform serving over 12,000 businesses. In a Punk CX podcast interview, he discussed the "craft" of customer support, the...
Ezekiel Lewis Named Chairman and CEO of Epic Records
Sony Music announced Ezekiel Lewis as the new Chairman and CEO of Epic Records, elevating him from his recent role as President. Lewis, a Grammy‑winning songwriter and former EVP of A&R, has been with Epic since 2018 and previously held...