Dear Culturati Insider,
It feels like every time we get a handle on one challenge, another pops up. AI is reshaping everything, geopolitical tensions are throwing curveballs, and the workforce wants flexibility that we weren’t even thinking about a decade ago. It’s a lot—and it’s constant. But I’m realizing more and more that being a leader today isn’t about fixing everything at once. It’s about building teams that can handle what’s coming next, even when we don’t see it yet.
The truth is, we’re not just managing businesses anymore—we’re shaping culture. Eugene likes to say that culture and leadership are indivisible. The leaders we develop, the influence we project, and the character we embody are defining what our companies will look like five or ten years from now. We know it’s not about having all the answers. It’s about showing up, being real, and knowing that the choices we make, including what questions we ask, will carry us through uncertainty. It’s also about making sure we’re creating environments where flexibility isn’t just a buzzword but a real strategy for retaining top talent. Culture, more than anything, drives retention and success.
And as we work toward building more inclusive cultures, we can’t afford to prioritize convenience over fairness, especially for our neurodivergent employees. Creating systems that proactively address individual differences, rather than forcing people to fight for what they need, is how we ensure equity and foster true inclusion. When we get this right, we’re not just making work better for a few—we’re creating an environment where everyone thrives. And that, I think, is what leadership should be about.
Built on trust,
Myste Wylde, COO
How can a 13th-century philosopher help today's business leaders navigate complex, high-stakes decisions?
Join Dr. Anthony Baker and Dr. Steven Tomlinson of Seminary of the Southwest as they apply St. Thomas Aquinas's teachings on prudence to urgent business issues like AI adoption, hybrid work design, and fostering inclusion — and offer you a practical framework for discernment and innovative thinking.
The Art of 21st-Century Leadership: From Succession Planning to Building a Leadership Factory
McKinsey & Company By Bob Sternfels, Daniel Pacthod, Kurt Strovink, and Wyman Howard
Summary: Leading in the 21st century requires navigating unprecedented complexity—geopolitical tensions, AI disruptions, and a workforce demanding flexibility. CEOs now face double the critical issues compared to a decade ago, underscoring the need for resilient, servant-minded leaders. Building leadership “factories” that prioritize mentorship, real-world challenges, and continuous development is key to cultivating future-ready managers. Companies that treat leadership development as a core capability are better positioned to withstand disruption and thrive. CEOs must play an active role, focusing on talent development, fostering trust, and ensuring rapid, decisive decision-making. Success today demands agility, collaboration, and innovation. |
Why Modern Leadership Requires Influence Beyond the Boardroom
Entrepreneur By Lindsay Yaw Rogers
Summary: Modern leadership extends beyond managing operations—it requires influence, authenticity, and connection, both within and outside the boardroom. Research shows that executive thought leadership is a key growth driver, with 65% of buyers and nearly half of decision-makers influenced by leadership perceptions when making purchasing decisions. CEOs with strong personal brands attract top talent, investors, and customers, directly impacting company success. To build influence, leaders must be vulnerable, visible, and engage in industry-shaping conversations. Companies that cultivate visible, thought-leading executives foster stronger internal cultures, attract top performers, and position themselves as industry innovators. |
Make Character Count in Hiring and Promoting
MIT Sloan Management Review By Mary Crossan
Summary: When hiring and promoting, organizations often overlook character, focusing too much on competencies. However, character—comprising 11 interconnected dimensions: drive, accountability, courage, humility, temperance, humanity, justice, collaboration, integrity, judgment, and transcendence—should be assessed holistically. Imbalances, like courage without humility, can lead to poor judgment and toxicity. Companies that integrate character alongside competence see stronger leadership, greater engagement, and a sustainable competitive edge. By embedding character assessments into hiring and promotion processes, organizations can build a more resilient, values-driven workforce, ensuring long-term success. |
An Untethered Workforce is the Future, EY Says
HR Dive By Carolyn Crist
Summary: EY's 2024 Work Reimagined Survey highlights that future talent strategies are moving away from traditional rewards and physical workplaces, instead focusing on personalized employee experiences, flexible work options, and agile skill development. With 38% of employees considering leaving within a year, flexibility and a plan for talent flow are key. Success relies on five areas: talent health, work technology, total rewards, skills development, and culture. Culture alone drives 40% of the talent advantage, and 66% of leading companies report significant cultural improvements, emphasizing flexible schedules, work-from-anywhere options, and personalized rewards. |
How Reasonable Are 'Reasonable Accommodations' at Work?
Psychology Today By Hari Srinivasan
Summary: The ambiguity of "reasonable accommodations" under the ADA often disadvantages autistic employees by leaving too much room for subjective interpretation, leading to inconsistent and inequitable support. Many employers prioritize convenience over fairness, marginalizing employees with more complex needs. Autistic workers, especially those requiring significant adjustments, face exclusion from hiring, promotions, or retention. To ensure equity, workplaces need dynamic accommodation frameworks, proactive enforcement mechanisms, and universal design principles that address diverse needs from the start. This shift would reduce reliance on individual accommodations, benefit all employees, and foster true inclusion. |
Want the full newsletter each week in your inbox? Sign up now to save time and stay on top of trends.
LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE
C-SUITE
EMPLOYEES
A.I. AND TECHNOLOGY
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, BELONGING
Comentários