Empathy is now a necessary leadership skill that promotes productivity, innovation and collaboration, experts say, and it's something that managers can learn. "A big misconception is that empathy is a trait, and a female trait, but it's not, it's a skill, and anybody can build it," said Tara Van Bommel of Catalyst.

Entrepreneur and executive coach Simon Lovell shares how he learned healthier approaches to stress after becoming aware of how his anger and immature responses were hurting his relationships and creating a toxic culture. "I had to acknowledge and admit that what I was doing was not okay," Lovell writes.

As more retirees consider re-entering the workforce, companies are becoming more open to hiring older workers in a tight labor market. Prospective employees can look for clues in job postings to see how age-inclusive a company's culture is and talk with the company's human resources department to better understand company policies and benefits.

Hiring of workers for remote positions should be handled differently than traditional office-based jobs, writes Nate Nead, principal and managing director at InvestNet. Tips include looking for workers who have worked remotely and have the technical expertise to do so, asking current workers for referrals, and testing with an assignment before hiring to evaluate an applicant's skills.

Employers largely will settle on a hybrid approach to work as preferred by the majority of younger employees, says Scott Bonneau, Indeed's vice president of global talent attraction and HR analytics. "For companies who mandate a return to office, some employees will refuse and seek other opportunities," Bonneau says.

The volatility ushered in by the pandemic means the best CEOs must possess CQ, or crisis quotient, to be able to navigate disruptive environments, prioritize appropriately and translate complex issues into simpler forms, writes Adam Bryant. "A high CQ also includes the ability to lead with compassion and understanding for what people need and want, and to able to balance a greater focus on listening with knowing how and when to make tough decisions," Bryant writes.

Inspired by the Japanese tradition of jazz kissa and the resurgence of vinyl records, US "listening bars" are experimenting with music, acoustics and high-fidelity sound systems to elevate the drinking experience for guests. Francis Harris, head of programming at New York City venue Public Records, credits the Japanese for a concept that shows "[y]ou can have a great drink and good sound."