Delivering Stakeholder Value Through Human Capability:
The Emerging World of Work
by Dave Ulrich

Everyone recognizes the rapidly evolving world of work with social, technology, economic, political, environmental, and demographic (STEPED) disruptions. While it might have been possible before to focus on customer or strategy or technology or culture or people or leadership or new HR operating models, today’s complex and rapidly changing business context requires alignment, integration, and simplicity in the face of complexity. Let me suggest three simple (not easy!) principles shaping the new world of work. […]

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How the Dionysian Imperative Changes Business Management
by Janka Krings-Klebe and Jörg Schreiner

While the landscape shifts beneath our feet – marked by disruption, blurred boundaries, and accelerating change – many organizations still cling to outdated instincts. For generations, management has been guided by a quest for order and predictability, trying to tame uncertainty through rigorous processes and disciplined decision-making. This inclination aligns well with what Nietzsche, in The Birth of Tragedy, called the “Apollonian” impulse: the drive toward harmony, rationality, and controlled form. Yet Nietzsche also highlights a contrasting “Dionysian” force – one that brings forth ecstasy, chaos, and the powerful wellspring of creativity. Balancing these two impulses, he claimed, was vital for the brilliance of ancient Greek tragedy, where structure and chaos coexisted to produce artistic greatness.[…]

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The 70% Zone Advantage:
The Economic Surplus arising from Business Longevity
By M. Unni Krishnan and Amit Zala

Corporate lifespans are collapsing worldwide – from decades to mere years – yet longevity builds wealth, and wealth builds nations. While most organisations struggle to survive their first decade, a remarkable group of enterprises has endured for generations, creating an institutional backbone of national prosperity and social wellbeing. […]

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Why You Should Care about the Distinction between Mistake and Failure
By Amy Edmondson

A failure is not the same as a mistake. Maybe, you think, this is just semantics. I see it as an important distinction that matters for today’s leaders. First, words are the leader’s primary tool. Leadership is the art of harnessing the ideas, talents, and efforts of others to achieve challenging goals. And the harnessing is largely accomplished through words – written communication, town halls, team meetings, or one-on-one conversations. […]

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From Command to Curiosity: Rethinking Leadership
By Nick Hixson

Moving beyond military metaphors, leaders must create conditions where strengths align and unpredictability becomes an asset.
The traditional paradigm of managers as distant commanders is giving way to a richer image—that of the enabler and servant leader (The Death of the Manager: The Rise of the Enabler). Inspired by that, we might consider a radical reimagining: what if managing an organisation were more like orchestrating a mega-event…of cat management?[…]

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The Crisis of Age Debt and the Promise of Experience
By Dan Pontefract

We are living longer, which should be a cause for celebration. But in fairness, the lede is being buried deeply.
Over the past thirty years or so, life expectancy has increased significantly. For example, Canada now approaches 83 years, the U.S. is just under 80, and the European Union is close to 82 years. While it’s wonderful to see us living longer, beneath this lies a minefield of sober issues that few leaders are ready to face. […]

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