Martha Stewart’s New AI Startup: A Good Thing?
Martha Stewart has launched Hint, an AI‑native home‑management platform slated for a summer debut. The service pulls publicly available property data and lets users upload inspection reports and insurance policies to monitor repairs, expenses, and maintenance. Hint raised $10 million in seed funding and will earn revenue through affiliate commissions, setting it apart from labor‑heavy rivals like Honey Homes and Birdwatch. Stewart is actively involved, writing model guidelines and testing suggestions on her own homes.
AI Is Changing Who You Should Hire. Here’s How to Get It Right
AI is reshaping hiring criteria; traditional reliance on sector experience is becoming a liability. Companies now need leaders who can navigate rapid AI-driven change, make decisions without playbooks, and align cross‑functional teams under uncertainty. The article argues that the “done...
AI Is a Leadership Problem, Not a Technology Problem
Todd James argues that AI’s biggest obstacle is not technology but leadership. Executives are investing in pilots and models but often cannot show a direct impact on the profit and loss statement. He identifies three critical levers—P&L relevance, decision‑making velocity,...
6 Tips for CEOs Leading Change
CEO Pierre Le Manh argues that today’s top leadership question is no longer “What’s our plan?” but “Are we built for change?” He warns that traditional change frameworks are failing, citing a PMI report that most strategies break down at execution....
It’s Never Been Easier to Do Too Much
Generative AI has slashed the cost of idea creation, enabling professionals to produce dozens of strategies, memos, or product concepts in a single morning. While ideation is now almost free, turning those concepts into reality still requires weeks, months, or...
The Tony Soprano Problem: Why Even the Strongest Leaders Get Blindsided
Leaders today grapple with the “Tony Soprano Problem”—the tension between collaborative, empathetic management and the need to compel teams and customers to act. The piece uses the fictional mob boss’s shift from coercion to listening as a metaphor for modern...
The End of the ‘Always Available’ Professional
Professionals across sectors are feeling burnout from the pressure to answer every message instantly. Experts argue that the problem stems from uncertainty, not true urgency, and recommend replacing constant responsiveness with predictable communication patterns. By establishing regular update windows, clear...
New Microsoft Study: Leaders, Not Workers, Are Responsible for Successful AI Integration
Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index, based on surveys of 20,000 AI‑using workers across ten countries and billions of Microsoft 365 signals, finds that AI’s true value emerges when leaders redesign work rather than merely add tools. While 58% of employees...
5 Ways High-Performing Teams Stay Calm when Everything’s on Fire
When markets swing and workloads explode, most teams double down on meetings, longer hours, and frantic updates, mistaking activity for control. High‑performing teams break this cycle by embedding repeatable habits that cut through chaos. The first habit is establishing a...
The Stumbling Blocks of Organizational Change
The podcast with Nick Tran explores why companies stumble during change. Tran, former CMO of Taco Bell, Samsung, Hulu and TikTok and now President and CMO of First Round Collective, argues that good instincts are drowned by external noise—board demands,...
This Is the Critical Part of Work Leaders Keep Missing
Workplace leaders often focus on visible metrics like productivity and efficiency, overlooking the deeper human drivers of meaning, belonging, and identity. These spiritual needs shape employee well‑being, motivation, and discretionary effort. When ignored, organizations miss out on creativity, commitment, and...
Why Language Is the Key to Shaping AI Success at Work
Executive leaders face mounting pressure to boost productivity with AI, yet employee trust remains low. A Gartner survey of 110 CHROs found 95% have launched AI initiatives, but many struggle to translate investment into business impact. Employees report 79% low...
This Is the Missing Third Pillar of Leadership Excellence
Most leadership models focus on mental toughness and physical stamina, but a growing body of research highlights emotional recovery as a critical third pillar. Breakthru, a micro‑break platform integrated with Microsoft Teams and Slack, embeds brief movement‑based exercises to replenish...
Successful Men Are Struggling with This
A growing loneliness epidemic is hitting high‑achieving men, who appear surrounded by colleagues, golf partners, and networking contacts yet feel profoundly isolated. The author frames this as a “friendship recession,” where most male relationships are limited to utility or pleasure,...
Your Leadership Team Isn’t Ready for AI. Here’s a 90-Day Plan to Change That
In March 2026 Coca‑Cola CEO James Quincey and Walmart’s Doug McMillon announced they were stepping down, citing the need for faster, AI‑focused leadership. Both leaders, who delivered billion‑dollar growth, concluded that the AI era demands a different skill set than they...
2 Years Ago, Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus Gave a Commencement Speech at His Alma Mater. His Advice Is Still...
Apple senior vice president of hardware John Ternus will replace Tim Cook as CEO in September. Two years ago he returned to the University of Pennsylvania to deliver a commencement address that emphasized meticulous craftsmanship. He recalled late‑night work on...
Courage Is Not Hardwired—You Can Build It Like a Muscle. Here’s How
Nelson Mandela famously turned down a conditional release in 1985, choosing to remain in prison rather than abandon the anti‑apartheid struggle. The article uses his decision to illustrate that true courage is not a mystical trait but a deliberate choice...
Women over 50 Outperform in Business. Why Are They Still Overlooked?
Meryl Rosenthal turned a 2005 human‑capital consultancy into a thriving two‑decade business after becoming a solo founder at age 50. She highlights how women over 50 leverage decades of experience, adaptability, and confidence to out‑perform peers, despite facing age‑and‑gender bias....
Changing Ideas of Respect and Power Are Transforming China’s Workplaces. Here’s What You Need to Know
ByteDance recently instructed staff to use the informal pronoun “你” instead of the formal “您,” signaling a shift toward flatter, startup‑style culture. The change challenges traditional Chinese norms where language denotes hierarchy and respect. Younger employees embrace the egalitarian tone,...
The Simple Mental Habit Every High-Performer Shares
Serial entrepreneur Alexa von Tobel discovered that nearly every high‑performing founder she interviewed relies on a personal mantra to navigate stress. Neuroscience shows that second‑ or third‑person self‑talk creates psychological distance, improving emotional regulation and persistence. Repeating a concise phrase...
Is Command-and-Control Leadership Back in Fashion?
A wave of articles and podcasts is championing a comeback of command‑and‑control leadership, dubbing CEOs as “wartime” leaders and praising authoritarian coaching. The narrative gains traction because volatile markets make decisive, centralized authority feel reassuring. Yet scholars note that top‑down...
Are Internal CEOs the Way to Go?
Tim Cook will leave Apple’s CEO chair after nearly 15 years, handing the role to senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus. Cook praised Ternus as a detail‑obsessed engineer and the ideal successor. The move aligns with Egon Zehnder’s...
Tim Cook Reveals the First Thing He Did as CEO Every Day. It’s a Leadership Habit Everyone Should Steal
After 15 years as Apple’s chief executive, Tim Cook announced he will transition to executive chairman in September. In his farewell letter, he revealed that every morning he opens his email to read notes from Apple users worldwide. The habit...
Your AI Can’t Read an Invoice. That Should Worry You More than Whether It Can Pass a Math Exam
Enterprise software veterans note that large language models can solve Olympiad‑level math yet still miss basic totals on invoices. The author argues this gap isn’t due to reasoning limits but to perception challenges—messy layouts, poor scans, and ambiguous formatting. While...
Peak Brain Power Comes After 50: Here’s Why Your Business Can’t Afford to Ignore That
Recent research overturns the long‑held belief that cognitive ability peaks in early adulthood, showing that crystallized intelligence—knowledge, judgment, and pattern recognition—continues to improve into the 50s. While fluid intelligence, the capacity for rapid abstract problem‑solving, declines after the late teens,...
Every Leader Wants to Change the World. Here’s How to Tell if You’re Actually Doing So
Tech leaders frequently tout "changing the world" as a core mission, but the claim often lacks concrete measurement. The article defines social impact as the net effect on people, families, and communities, highlighting the gap between growth metrics and societal...
Duolingo Was Evaluating Its Workers’ AI Use. Workers Pushed Back.
Duolingo introduced a new performance‑review metric that measured how effectively employees used AI, but strong internal pushback led CEO Luis von Ahn to reverse the policy. The company clarified that AI tools are optional aids rather than mandatory performance criteria....
Ambitious People Get Caught in This Trap—Here’s How to Get Out
Ambitious professionals often appear confident, yet many silently lose trust in their own instincts as external metrics dominate their decision‑making. The article identifies four recurring patterns—over‑committing, ignoring internal signals, neglecting delegation, and lacking reflective practices—that erode self‑trust. By recognizing and...
Why Leaders Should Build Community, One Connection at a Time
Jerry Lee, former CEO of MG2 and now foundation director, illustrates how leadership rooted in generosity can reshape a firm’s culture. Drawing on a childhood in a Seattle grocery store that served the neighborhood, he shifted MG2 from a profit‑centric...
Jack Dorsey Wants to Have 6,000 Direct Reports
Block, the fintech arm of Square, slashed 4,000 jobs—about half its staff—earlier this year to accelerate its AI strategy. In a recent podcast, CEO Jack Dorsey said he wants to flatten the hierarchy, cutting middle‑management layers from five down to...
Nearly a Third of Workers Admit to Sabotaging Their Company’s AI Strategy
A joint report by generative‑AI firm Writer and research outfit Workplace Intelligence found that 29% of 2,400 surveyed U.S., U.K. and European workers admit to sabotaging their company’s AI initiatives. The sabotage ranges from ignoring guidelines to feeding sensitive data...
The Cobra Effect: Why Managing by Metrics Backfires
The article revisits the classic Cobra Effect—where incentives backfire—using the British‑Raj bounty on cobras as a cautionary tale. It then applies the paradox to modern protest metrics, specifically the 3.5% rule that claims movements succeed once they mobilize that share...
We’ve Entered a New Era of Risk for the Modern CEO
The article argues that CEOs are entering a new era of risk where geopolitical events, such as escalating Taiwan Strait tensions, spill over into political, economic, cultural, and technological domains. Traditional risk models focus narrowly on geoeconomic exposure, leaving firms...
The Quiet Cruelty of ‘Ghost Jobs’ in Today’s Hiring Market
Recent research of 175,000 listings reveals that roughly one in seven job postings stay active for more than 30 days, even after hiring decisions are made. These “ghost jobs” continue to collect applications, draining candidates’ time and emotional energy. Companies...
Why Women Still Aren’t Reaching the Top
Women remain underrepresented in U.S. leadership despite comprising nearly half of the workforce, holding only 37% of leadership roles. A promotion gap means roughly 93 women are promoted for every 100 men, with women of color lagging further behind. The...
Leaning Into This Simple Quality Will Make You a Better Boss
A classic 1981 study found that 93% of Americans believe they drive better than average, illustrating the cognitive bias known as illusory superiority. The article links this bias to leadership, noting that many managers overrate their positive impact on teams....
If You Want to Get Something Done, Hire a Cancer Patient
Cancer patients are increasingly staying in the workforce, with about 60% of those aged 25‑62 working through treatment. The U.S. will have roughly 18.6 million survivors by 2025, challenging the stereotype that illness forces people out of jobs. Remote‑work tools and...
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol Says the Most Underrated Leadership Skill Is Listening More and Talking Less
Starbucks chief executive Brian Niccol told Fast Company that the most underrated leadership skill is listening more and talking less. He argues that truly hearing employees drives higher engagement, sharper customer service, and faster innovation across the coffee chain. Niccol...
Leadership Skills Brené Brown Wishes She Learned Earlier
Brené Brown, the research professor behind "Daring Greatly," shares a candid video on Fast Company where she outlines the leadership skills she wishes she had mastered earlier in her career. She highlights the power of vulnerability, the discipline of active...
Emma Grede’s Unfiltered Take on Modern Leadership
Emma Grede, co‑founder of Good American and former CFO of Spanx, shares a blunt take on modern leadership in a Fast Company video. She argues that true leadership hinges on a relentless mindset of excellence rather than trying to satisfy...
Your Job Title Doesn’t Define Your Work
Melissa Puls, Ivanti's CMO and senior vice president of customer success, argues that titles no longer dictate impact. She describes a shift from departmental silos to company‑wide accountability, overseeing the entire customer journey—from awareness to renewal. The piece highlights how...
Ben Cohen Is Fighting to Free Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s co‑founder Ben Cohen is publicly confronting Magnum Ice Cream, the firm that acquired the Vermont‑based brand in 2025. Cohen claims Magnum is suppressing the company’s long‑standing social commentary on issues such as the Gaza conflict, racial justice and student...
Why Women Leaders Are Ditching the Old Workplace Rulebook—And Winning because of It
Women executives are abandoning the traditional command‑and‑control playbook that emphasizes hierarchy, constant availability, and emotional restraint. The old model, built for a predictable era, is now linked to high burnout—six in ten senior women report frequent exhaustion, outpacing men. By...
Fractional Leadership Is the Future. Here’s How to Make It Work
Fractional leadership, once a niche cost‑saving tactic for startups, has become a mainstream strategy for companies seeking senior expertise without full‑time overhead. Revelio Labs reports that fractional executive positions have more than tripled since 2018, with CFOs and CMOs leading...
Many Productivity Programs Solve the Wrong Problem. This Is What Leaders Should Do Instead
Many firms label declining output as a productivity issue, but the root cause is often poor work design. Leaders typically react with new tools, workflow tweaks, and engagement campaigns, which generate a brief boost before problems resurface. The article argues...
The Cosmetic Surgery Industry Is Mainly Built for Women. So Why Is It Run by Men?
The aesthetics industry is driven largely by women, who spend over $1,000 annually on cosmetic procedures and conduct extensive research before treatment. Yet fewer than 20% of board‑certified plastic surgeons in the United States are women, and only about 8%...
How American Independent Bookstores Made a Massive Comeback
American independent bookstores, once thought doomed by Amazon’s low‑price dominance, have staged a notable resurgence. Since 2020, sales at indie shops have risen roughly 20%, driven by community‑centric programming and curated inventory. Store owners have embraced hybrid models, offering online...
The Busiest Leaders Share This Surprising Weakness
In recent leadership keynote, almost every high‑performing executive admitted cancelling personal plans because work demands arose, often multiple times a month. The pattern repeats at work, where leaders skip informal coffee chats or face‑to‑face meetings, substituting emails for real conversation....
How (and Why) to Give Your Team Time to Think
Modern workplaces are saturated with meetings, emails, and instant messages, leaving little room for deep thought. Microsoft research shows employees spend about 60% of their day on communication, while a Dropbox survey found only 8% regularly generate new ideas. This...
5 Practical Ways to Build Truth-Telling Cultures at Work
Recent research shows that organizations with a strong truth‑telling culture can boost financial performance by more than 20%, while 76% of workers say honesty influences their employer choice. Yet only 19% of employees trust that leaders are being truthful, reflecting...