Good Morning
intelligence briefing
Sunday, September 27, 2026
Workplace news you didn’t know you needed.
F
Fortune 5h ago

Ex-Meta exec says Mark Zuckerberg taught him a lesson in work-life balance. Now he has strict rules for meetings and emails at his $1 billion tax firm

A former Meta exec turned a Zuckerberg lesson into strict meeting and email norms worth examining.

i
Inc. yesterday

My Employee Improves, Then Backslides. I’m Sick of Repeating the Same Conversation

Managers stuck in repetitive performance conversations need a new approach to break the backslide cycle.

i
Inc. yesterday

RTO Won’t Cure Employee Loneliness. New Research Says Managers Must Do This Instead

New research finds RTO mandates fail to address employee loneliness; manager behavior matters more.

F
Fortune 5h ago

Uber CEO says ‘really demanding’ work culture includes expecting employees to answer emails over the weekend: ‘Don’t come here if you want to coast’

Uber CEO's weekend email expectations signal a culture war executives must position themselves on clearly.

FT
Financial Times 14h ago

The executives going ‘fractional’, not freelance

Senior executives are increasingly choosing fractional roles over freelance, reshaping how expertise enters organizations.

WSJ
The Wall Street Journal yesterday

We All Hated Busy Work. Now That It’s Disappearing, It Turns Out We Miss It.

WSJ finds employees miss low-stakes busy work as AI eliminates it, surfacing an unexpected morale and identity risk.

HR
theHRDIRECTOR 12h ago

Access to global talent has improved, but hiring remains an operational problem

Global talent access has improved but operational hiring friction continues to slow executive-level recruiting.

HR
theHRDIRECTOR yesterday

How constant mental load starts to show up

Chronic mental load in leaders and employees shows up behaviorally before it's named — worth recognizing early.

H
Harvard Business Review 6d ago

Research: The True Cost of Corporate Scandals? Talent.

HBR research finds corporate scandals' most lasting damage is talent loss, not fines or press coverage.

M
McKinsey 12d ago

Author Talks: Read the room before you lead it

McKinsey author argues leaders must read a room's dynamics before they can effectively lead it.

HBR
Harvard Business Review 23d ago

Spot Toxic Leadership Traits in an Interview

HBR identifies interview signals that reveal toxic leadership before a bad hire is made.

FC
Fast Company 25d ago

A comedian’s viral joke about Lovesac’s 24-box couch assembly wasn’t the problem. The company’s response was

Lovesac's response to a viral joke became the real crisis, illustrating how brands amplify minor moments.

FC
Fast Company 25d ago

Why leaders struggle with negative feedback

Most leaders avoid giving negative feedback for predictable psychological reasons that research now maps.

WSJ
The Wall Street Journal 24d ago

Corporate America Is Axing the ‘Micro-Team’ Boss

Companies are eliminating small-team middle managers, reshaping how leadership layers actually function.

A
Ask a Manager 25d 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 27d ago

A Compelling Story Can Disarm Even a Skeptical Negotiator

MIT Sloan research finds a well-constructed story can shift even resistant negotiators, a tool every executive communicator needs.

M
McKinsey 30d 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.

PR
PRWeek 40d 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 53d 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.

SR
MIT Sloan Mgmt Review 67d ago

A New Way to Address Troubled Team Dynamics

MIT Sloan introduces a fresh framework for diagnosing and repairing dysfunctional team dynamics.