IN DEPTH
An age gap in the C-suite drives innovation
Companies with a bigger age gap between the CEO and other C-suite executives are likely to be more innovative, according to new research.
Majority of managers believe part-time work is a career barrier, finds research
Part-time working could be key to tackling seemingly intractable economic problems. Yet, access to reduced-hours options remains “poor” for many groups of workers.
China’s difficult balancing act
The prediction that China would replace the US as the world's largest economy by 2030 has largely been abandoned. Is the country still fertile ground for global expansion?
Managing self-management: 7 steps for (finally) making it work
First up is ordering employees to be free...
AI creates gender bias in leadership
As AI creeps into every industry, there are concerns that its misinformation could negatively impact women at the top.
Show me the money: People prioritise higher salaries over purpose
Despite suggestions that Covid prompted people to find meaningful work, most people still prioritise money, new research finds.
Is the future of work no work?
For decades, we've been warned that robots are coming for our jobs. This time is it for real?
Napoleon: “Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than 1,000 bayonets.”
“I am sometimes a fox and sometimes a lion. The whole secret of government is knowing when to be one or the other.”
The 2023 Autumn Budget: An admission Liz Truss was right?
The Budget decoded for business leaders: “Hunt’s autumn statement can be read as a tacit admission that Liz Truss may have been onto something with her (badly-costed) dash for growth.”
MT Asks: What do CEOs make of the 2023 Autumn Budget?
Tax cuts, discounted rates and AI support were just a few of the policies laid out in this year’s statement.
Charlie Rudd on turnarounds: "Build a beacon, don't do surgery"
The group CEO of three advertising agencies tells MT his tips for turnaround success, from focusing on gangs and little wins, to why he never runs to a meeting.
Trust matters: Why organisations and leaders should rethink their approach
Henley Business School professor Dr Chris Dalton considers trust in management and leadership.
The 5 top leadership struggles - and how to overcome them
Leaders routinely have to overcome the same struggles to be more effective – no matter if it’s the public, private or government sector.
Bezos mocked for photo shoot that social media users say looks AI generated
MT’s round-up of this week’s talking points.
Can a reshuffle set up an organisation for success?
How do leaders manage the reshuffle of a senior team? Doug Baird, CEO of people advisory firm New Street Consulting Group, looks at how to successfully transition to a new top team.
Organisational ghosts: A haunting legacy
Former leaders exude a huge amount of influence over an organisation, which raises questions about when it's time to let go of the past.
Should your business introduce dynamic pricing?
"The price of the same drink could vary from one round to another or, if you’re unlucky, while a round is being ordered.” Paul Simpson investigates the increasingly common policy of surge pricing.
Are insider or outsider CEOs best for growth?
The answer is not so simple.
Experimental mindsets, parallelism and magpies - the secret innovation rules
PA Consulting's innovation chief takes MT inside the race to build 30,000 ventilators in just 8 weeks and other 'impossible' challenges.
Why financial analysts are providing inadequate scrutiny of fraudulent CEOs
As FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is convicted for perpetrating "one of the biggest financial frauds in US history", research finds analysts are often blinded by the "truth bias".
Musk tells PM artificial intelligence will eradicate the need to work
MT’s round-up of this week’s talking points.
Do companies think and feel?
If an organisation is perceived to have a full mind, like a human being, it is more likely to be judged positively than one that isn’t.
Insolvencies at 14-year high in April to September
Rising interest rates, debt levels and prices are seemingly to blame for the highest number of insolvencies since the 2008 financial crash.
Actually, women do ask for more pay
Studies show that women are more likely than men to negotiate their job – which often results in higher pay.
Lessons in growing, then selling a business from a former spin doctor
Hanover Communications founder and executive chair Charles Lewington on the parallels between business and politics and why hard work isn’t the answer to everything.
Can harnessing anger make you a better leader?
Anger is a divisive emotion, but leaders can harness it correctly to get the most out of their people.
MT Asks: Will more time in the office increase productivity?
As the UK continues to languish at the bottom of productivity lists, will increasing the number of days in the office help boost its rankings?
AirAsia chief sparks criticism with photo of topless massage during meeting
MT’s round-up of this week’s talking points.
Mentoring benefits: "People learn from others they like"
Strong mentoring relationships not only help develop individuals, they can boost company performance too.
Gender diversity and credit risk: analysing the 'glass cliff' theory
There is a tendency for women to succeed men in leadership positions when the firm is at high risk and the chances of success are low.
Management Thinkers: Why Frederick Winslow Taylor still matters
"The guru's guru's guru" - MT's Management Thinkers series outlines the principles from key management thinkers of the past, and explains why their views still matter.
Sir Cary Cooper: The UK needs managers with higher EQs
There is an epidemic of workplace stress. Sir Cary Cooper gives Management Today three simple tips for fixing the problem, including wellbeing responsibility at board level.
Embezzlement, tornados and intensive care: Why we shouldn’t romanticise entrepreneurship
Serial entrepreneur and Huboo CEO Martin Bysh speaks candidly about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
How to supercharge your sales team
Bryn Thompson debunks the misconceptions around sales and advises CEOs on how to boost their sales teams.
“Leaders don't know how to lead in this new world”
Dr Michelle King on how the world of work is changing, why leaders are failing to adapt and the secrets to getting ahead in your career.
The unintended consequences of strong cultures
Strong cultures are touted as the answer to almost every workplace problem. But beware - they bring issues of their own.
A comprehensive CEO guide to mastering public speaking
Matt Abrahams, Stanford Graduate School of Business academic and author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter, gives key advice to CEOs on tackling the tricky art of public speaking.
MT Asks: Does hybrid working damage women's careers?
Women’s career progression continues to be a hotly discussed topic, but is hybrid working a help or hindrance?
How to avoid the Peter Principle
Don't promote people beyond their competence - focus on effective training.
Why vulnerable narcissistic leaders are the most dangerous
New research shows why leaders who are both narcissistic and vulnerable are terrible for business.
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The best path to finding product-market fit
It requires non-stop iteration, thinking broadly, and using data to the fullest.
How do businesses make decisions?
Dr James Blackmore-Wright looks at the management theories explaining how firms approach strategic choices – and why so many important strategic decisions end up going wrong.
Debbie Wosskow: Remote work is “a disaster waiting to happen”
"We’re doing it and they are not”. Serial entrepreneur Debbie Wosskow says women need to resist the lure of working from home, or risk becoming less visible and influential in business.
Dame Sharon White to step down from John Lewis
John Lewis Partnership chair Dame Sharon White is set to step down in February 2025 at the end of her current five-year term.
Michèle Lamont: Businesses should “broaden who is valued and viewed as worthy”
In this exclusive article for MT, the eminent Harvard sociologist Michèle Lamont argues companies need to offer dignity and recognition to employees to create more successful societies.
The Sun boss Dominic Carter: ‘Maintaining the status quo always means going backwards’
The Sun’s EVP, publisher Dominic Carter on the brand’s identity, why the status quo is worse than stagnation and his personal approach to leadership.
AI can propel businesses to the top of their game - but only if they use it correctly
Unstructured data is all around; and business and political leaders overlook it at their peril.
Resist buying in managers and grow your own instead
Businesses that develop their existing staff to be adaptable managers are more future-fit than those who go shopping for talent elsewhere.
Why we need to stop creating 'accidental managers'
Improve the quality of your managers by hiring them intentionally. Your star player will not necessarily be a great manager.
Why it's time to make management aspirational again
For decades, managers have been maligned, ridiculed and ignored. But British business is realising that good management is the answer to many of its intractable problems.
Ethical leaders attract talent
Leaders who espouse ethical beliefs are perceived to be kinder and fairer to their employees.
Are great leaders born or made?
It's tempting to see strong leadership as an immutable set of traits. But it has as much to do with organisational context, than it does individual competence.