Transformational leadership is a management style that emphasizes employee participation in company vision and decision-making, which creates a greater commitment to organizational goals and allows employees to take a personal interest in the company's success. Transformational leaders embrace change, emotional intelligence and adaptability to foster collaboration, open communication and trust within the team.

Before you write another word of your next speech or presentation, talk out the main points you want to make since often how you speak is far more persuasive and engaging than how you write, public speaking coach Gary Genard writes. "When something sounds the way you want it to concerning your audience's probable response (intellectually and emotionally), then write it down. By the time you finish this process, you'll have a speech that will almost without any doubt succeed in the oral arena," Genard advises.

Being scapegoated at work can be isolating and unfair, but Karin Hurt and David Dye suggest using empathetic and solution-focused phrases such as "What I'm hearing you say is..." and "I'm curious how this looks from your perspective" to help clarify roles and defuse tension. You can prevent being blamed for something in the future by documenting your work, building strong relationships with colleagues and advocating for clear team roles to avoid misunderstandings.

Quiet hiring, where employees take on new roles without a formal hiring process, is increasingly common as companies look to save time and money. A Monster report found 63% of employees view quiet hiring positively, but it can have a negative effect on diversity, equity and inclusion because it can reinforce existing biases by relying on internal networks and referrals.

An International Workplace Group survey indicates hybrid work significantly improves work-life balance, with 42% of employees citing it as a primary benefit, leading to reduced burnout and better retention. However, only 7% of hybrid employees felt trusted in 2024, highlighting challenges in employer-employee trust. "Forward-looking leaders are adapting their mindsets -- and policies -- to not only evolving needs of their business but also the expectations of today's workforce," says Mark Dixon, CEO of IWG.

Taking second place or losing out on a deal can bring up negative feelings, but after placing second in the Young Entrepreneur of the Year contest, author and speaker Amer Iqbal sought feedback, took pride in placing at all and looked at the collective impact of his achievements instead of one incident. "They say comparison is the thief of joy, but if you can look at your losses objectively and are willing to act on the feedback you receive, coming in second place can be just the motivation needed to see what's been holding you back," Iqbal writes.

A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals the brain's mechanism for distinguishing one's own voice from background noise through auditory corollary discharge signals. These signals, traveling from the motor cortex to the auditory cortex, are crucial for speech processing and are disrupted in conditions such as schizophrenia, leading to auditory hallucinations.