We read a wide variety of leadership articles every month. For July, we summarized some of the best leadership articles we have read so you don’t have to.
The Labor-Savvy Leader
An interesting read from Roy E. Bahat, Thomas A. Kochan, and Liba Wenig Rubenstein, who advocate for a more constructive relationship between management and organized labor. The paper proposes that leaders should embrace unions as partners, invest in workers’ skills and well-being, and foster a culture of mutual respect and trust. While embracing unions may not be feasible for all organizations, the ideas around investing in workers and building trust are worth considering.
Part-Time Employees Want More Hours. Can Companies Tap This ‘Hidden’ Talent Pool?
Businesses need more staff, and employees need more work, so why can’t employers make this work to their advantage? A report by Joseph Fuller and colleagues shows how algorithms and inflexibility can prevent companies from accessing valuable talent they badly need in a long-term shortage. The report provides concrete recommendations for tapping into this pool of workers who want more hours, which could be a win-win for employers and employees.
How to Be a Purpose-Driven Leader Without Burning Out
The idea of servant leadership — putting your team’s needs ahead of your own — brought us to a more compassionate, human-centered work environment. But in today’s high-pressure environment, it’s a recipe for burnout. This article offers three areas where managers can shift their lens to a more sustainable type of purpose-driven leadership.
Should Managers Be Coaches, or Is There a Better Option?
This blog post by Sharlyn Lauby discusses a recent article from Fortune titled, “A company replaced all of its managers with coaches. Employees became 20% more productive–and much happier.” While the article is interesting, Sharlyn suggests that rather than replacing managers with coaches, we may be better served by upskilling our managers to incorporate coaching skills into their management capabilities.
Creating Authentic Connections in Virtual Teams
Matriarca, an Argentinian sustainable goods distributor, partnered with the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative (WiN) to improve online collaboration within its remote team using a scientifically validated exercise called “Fast Friends.” The exercise involves asking personal questions that increase intimacy over time, creating trust among participants. This article provides a step-by-step guide for implementing Fast Friends to build authentic connections that drive collective growth in virtual teams.
How AI Will Transform the US Workforce by 2030
This article examines how the rapid development of AI-like generative models will affect the US labor market by 2030. It estimates that up to 30% of work hours could be automated, and 12 million workers may need to switch occupations. This transition will require workers, employers, educators, and policymakers to collaborate to ensure an inclusive workforce transformation. While AI brings concerns, proactively preparing the workforce can lead to positive change.
This month’s leadership bits and bytes covered various topics, from strengthening labor-management relationships to adopting coaching skills as a manager. As always, successful leaders will focus on developing inclusive, resilient, and human-centered organizations.