Good Morning
intelligence briefing
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Workplace news you didn’t know you needed.
i
Inc. yesterday

I Spent 2 Uncomfortable Days With My Executive Team. It Changed How We Run the Company

A CEO's account of two uncomfortable days with his executive team that reshaped company operations.

H
Harvard Business Review yesterday

Research: The True Cost of Corporate Scandals? Talent.

HBR research finds corporate scandals drive away top talent long before legal or financial costs peak.

FC
Fast Company 1h ago

The surprising downside of high-performing employees

High performers carry hidden organizational costs leaders rarely see until damage is already done.

H
Harvard Business Review 23h ago

What New CEOs Get Wrong About the Job

New CEOs consistently misread their role in ways that damage early credibility and team trust.

FC
Fast Company yesterday

3 mistakes to avoid when you have a 1:1 with a direct report

Three common one-on-one mistakes undermine manager credibility and direct report trust over time.

i
Inc. yesterday

‘Nothing’s Going to Feel Good Now’ for Employees Uncomfortable With Change, says Cisco CEO

Cisco CEO's blunt message on change resistance signals how executives must frame discomfort to their teams.

HR
theHRDIRECTOR 3h ago

The Office Has to Earn Its Place

The office must now justify itself to employees, reshaping how leaders communicate return-to-work mandates.

SR
MIT Sloan Mgmt Review 22h ago

Five Urgent Priorities for CMOs in 2027

MIT Sloan identifies five strategic priorities CMOs must address to lead communications effectively in 2027.

F
Fortune 8d ago

How employee anxiety masquerades as performance, then backfires

Employee anxiety mimics high performance until it collapses, posing a hidden retention and culture risk.

FT
Financial Times 6d ago

Thousands of Barclays staff revolt against three-day office mandate

Thousands of Barclays employees publicly resist a three-day return-to-office mandate, escalating hybrid work tensions.

A
Ask a Manager 20d ago

how can I encourage my staff to bring me complaints?

Ask a Manager offers concrete tactics for creating the psychological safety employees need to surface complaints.

SR
MIT Sloan Mgmt Review 35d ago

What Gets Your Best Employees to Stay

MIT Sloan research identifies what actually keeps top employees from leaving, with direct retention implications.

FT
Financial Times 72d ago

Employers pushed staff to use AI more. That has backfired

Pushing employees to adopt AI without support is backfiring, damaging morale and productivity.

WSJ
The Wall Street Journal 22d ago

Ernst & Young Is Giving $100 Million in Bonuses to Staff for ‘Human’ Skills

EY commits $100 million in bonuses explicitly rewarding human skills as AI reshapes the workplace.

M
McKinsey 26d ago

The new management playbook for AI: How to move faster and create more value

McKinsey's new AI management playbook outlines how executives can accelerate value without losing control.

HR
theHRDIRECTOR 33d ago

5 Ways to Make Office Days More Meaningful for Employees

Research-backed strategies help executives make in-office days genuinely worthwhile rather than obligatory and resented.

PR
PRWeek 36d ago

How QVC kept its cool after a live TV mishap

QVC's live TV mishap response offers a replicable model for calm, credible crisis communications in real time.

A
Ask a Manager 48d ago

telling two employees they didn’t get a promotion but their coworker did

Handling promotion denials well requires specific messaging discipline that most managers underestimate.

M
McKinsey 54d ago

Is the AI productivity story at a turning point?

McKinsey examines whether AI productivity gains are finally materializing at organizational scale.

WSJ
The Wall Street Journal 76d ago

Air Canada Picks Outsider as Next CEO to Rebuild Trust After Video Fallout

Air Canada's choice of an outside CEO after a trust crisis signals how boards use leadership hires to signal accountability.