Media highlights

The packed calendar has been an executive norm for so long that it is no longer questioned. However, research suggests it may be one of the most costly habits in leadership.
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends Report, leaders and employees spend 41% of their working day on tasks that add no meaningful value – nearly half the week lost to what amounts to productivity theatre.

Far from solving this, AI is compounding the problem: a 2026 UC Berkeley study found that AI tools are intensifying workloads rather than reducing them.

The argument is not for doing less – it is for being more deliberate. The cognitive work that defines effective leadership – strategic clarity, sound judgment, creative problem-solving – is not cultivated in back-to-back meeting. It emerges in the spaces between. In an era of accelerating AI-driven intensity, the ability to protect time for genuine thinking may be the most important discipline a senior leader can demonstrate.

Company or team culture is rarely declared; it is revealed – often in the smallest, most routine interactions. One of the best ways to see it in action is to attend a hybrid meeting remotely. From that vantage point, behaviours of team inclusion, disengagement and unspoken hierarchy become immediately visible

These behaviours are often unintentional but reveal how inclusive or disengaged a team culture really is.

Culture operates like “the water we swim in”, often invisible to those in power, but it directly affects motivation, engagement and risk within organisations. By occasionally joining meetings remotely and observing who speaks, who is ignored, and how decisions are made, leaders can gain valuable insight into the culture they are shaping.

We’ve almost all experienced Accidental Leaders — people promoted for their technical skills or top performance, not because they were ready to lead. In fact, 82% of UK bosses fall into this category. Common challenges include micromanagement, lack of vision and weak people skills. And the impact of these can lead to toxic team cultures and low morale/high turnover in employees

It’s tough for the leaders too — stress, self-doubt, and pressure to perform without support. However promotions are inevitable, so the solution is clear:

• Mentoring & coaching
• Training
• Leadership networks

With the right support, Accidental Leaders can become effective, trusted leaders — and everyone benefits.

At a recent Full FX London event, a millennial panel discussion revealed surprising alignment with older generations on workplace views (e.g., hybrid work, multi-generational value).

• Key takeaway: workplace bias often distorts how we label, judge, and misunderstand colleagues.
• Bias = mental shortcuts that shape decisions and perceptions, consciously or unconsciously.
• Five common workplace biases:

• • Blind Spot Bias – believing we’re less biased than others.
  • Bandwagon Effect – following the crowd.
  • Outcome Bias – judging only results, not process.
  • Authority Bias – overvaluing hierarchy/status.
  • Confirmation Bias – seeking views that reinforce our own.

Although bias can never be eliminated, awareness, reflection, and critical thinking help mitigate its impact.

Replacing staff costs 6–9 months’ salary, making retention a critical HR challenge. Yet research shows employees at environmentally friendly companies accept 9–15% lower salaries, highlighting sustainability’s potential as a retention lever. Millennials and Gen Z, in particular, expect their employers to take meaningful climate action.

• 62% of Gen Zs and 59% of Millennials report climate anxiety; many change jobs for environmental alignment.
• Post-Covid, employees increasingly seek purpose-driven work.
• HR hesitates due to workload, limited expertise, and greenwashing risks.

Therefore, HR should partner with CSOs to align sustainability and retention strategies, boosting engagement and loyalty.

At a recent Full FX London event, a millennial panel discussion revealed surprising alignment with older generations on workplace views (e.g., hybrid work, multi-generational value).

• Key takeaway: workplace bias often distorts how we label, judge, and misunderstand colleagues.
• Bias = mental shortcuts that shape decisions and perceptions, consciously or unconsciously.
• Five common workplace biases:

• • Blind Spot Bias – believing we’re less biased than others.
  • Bandwagon Effect – following the crowd.
  • Outcome Bias – judging only results, not process.
  • Authority Bias – overvaluing hierarchy/status.
  • Confirmation Bias – seeking views that reinforce our own.

Although bias can never be eliminated, awareness, reflection, and critical thinking help mitigate its impact.