Leadership and managing people

In the May 11, 2026, edition of The Insider, managing editor Gretchen Gavett highlights a recent story about treating AI agents as coworkers, the results of the latest Insider Insights survey, and more.

New research finds that including small slip-ups in performance reviews can drive employees to gossip, disengage, or even sabotage the company.

“Structured empowerment” is a decision-making approach that scales.

High performers often expose friction—and then get blamed for it.

The unintended consequences of putting agents in the org chart.

By understanding and promoting your people’s stories—rather than your own—you can motivate them to do their best work.

When organizations fixate on just one role model, they erase the very diversity that drives innovation.

A study of nearly 2,000 FTSE-100 board directors reveals a striking paradox.

Practical advice for executives and fellow board members.

Research shows how AI can weaken human connection at work. Leaders should step in to prevent this.

You and your employees all have different internal clocks. Enhance performance by planning around them.

Your most devoted employees and customers have a lot to teach you about loyalty and performance.

Seven research-backed practices.

It’s riskier than you think. Here’s when it makes sense and who to choose.

It reduces employee resistance, improves learning, and accelerates impact.

Does your organization reward looking accountable—or being accountable?

Lessons on leadership and strategic discipline from Tim Cook’s 15-year tenure as Apple’s CEO.

Fresh insights from a wide range of academic studies.

Two ways to identify the values that matter most for your leadership.

Lessons from HBR’s archive on making the high-stakes process successful.