The push to bring employees back into the office has become one of the defining workplace tensions of the post-pandemic era. For many employers, the office represents more than just a physical location—it is a hub for collaboration, culture-building, and oversight. Leaders often argue that in-person environments foster innovation, strengthen team cohesion, and make it easier to …
When the Australian technology company Atlassian recently announced layoffs (1600 jobs, 10% of global workforce) as part of a broader restructuring, many employees were reportedly taken by surprise. The company explained that the changes were linked to a strategic shift toward platform efficiency, automation and increased use of artificial intelligence tools. Public statements emphasised productivity …
A recent Harvard Business Review article, adapted from Genius at Scale (Hill, Tedards & Wild, 2026), examines why scaling innovation has become so difficult inside large organisations. Bridging leaders As complexity increases and technologies such as AI reshape business models, no single function holds all the expertise, authority or legitimacy required to move ideas from …
You can’t fix what you refuse to see— James Baldwin On 8 March 2026, the United Nations marks International Women’s Day under the theme: “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” The focus this year is on enforceable rights, accessible justice, and tangible structural change. It also emphasises inclusion — not progress for some …
Leadership pipelines don’t emerge — they’re engineered. In every global role I’ve held, I’ve visualised succession planning as making moves on a chessboard. You’re constantly thinking a few moves ahead, not just who can step in now, but who might be ready in the next phase of the game. And just like chess, the organisations …
“The right to be left alone is the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilised people.” — Warren and Brandeis, The Right to Privacy (1890) From online shopping to airport security to digital health records, most people now live with a level of monitoring and data collection that would have been unthinkable …
Australia’s National AI Plan is now firmly directed towards acceleration: attracting investment, scaling infrastructure, and capturing productivity gains. For business leaders, this matters. Not because the plan tells organisations how to deploy AI—it largely doesn’t—but because it reshapes the environment in which leadership decisions about AI will be made. The plan rests on three pillars: capturing the opportunities of AI spreading the benefits …
On 15 January, Microsoft entered into a landmark agreement with the ACTU, committing both to work together on AI skills, consultation and public policy. ACTU ‘s Joseph Mitchell said: “Workers through their unions have consistently raised concerns that AI was being rolled out without meaningful consultation”. The agreement reflects a maturing view of successful AI …
Strategic talent development is on many companies’ radars, yet organizations still hesitate to move high-potential talent into stretch roles until someone is “ready.” But readiness isn’t a destination—it’s a path. Real growth happens not in the comfort zone or the anxiety zone, but in the learning zone, where challenge meets support. Building on Amy Edmondson’s …
Many organizations assume that because they value merit as the sole determinant of talent decisions, introducing fair processes will undermine meritocracy. It doesn’t. In fact, fairness amplifies meritocracy by ensuring every decision reflects ability and potential—not assumptions or bias. When systems are designed to be fair, transparent, and inclusive, leaders can truly recognize and reward …