A few signals, ideas, and conversations that stood out to us this week. Some point to shifts happening in the world around us. Others simply make us pause and think a little differently.
1️⃣ From geopolitics to modern slavery: what leaders should be paying attention to.
A new episode of Elephants in the Boardroom is out this week.
But instead of predicting headlines, the episode looks at the signals underneath them – from prediction markets and Europe’s changing role in a multipolar world to the growing importance of critical materials and infrastructure.
The conversation then turns to something sitting quietly inside many supply chains: modern slavery. James Cockayne, Anti-Slavery Commissioner for New South Wales, explains why this issue shouldn’t be treated as a compliance task, but as a leadership responsibility. Listen here…
2️⃣ If robots can run marathons, what does that mean for humans?
In last week’s ThrowForward Thursday, Graeme reflects on how advanced humanoid robots are changing not just our view of technology, but our view of ourselves, and a reminder that being human is never about beating the machines. And as a bonus, he shares a bit about his own journey towards running the Otter Challenge in 2026.
3️⃣ When the warning is there, but no one wants to hear it.
In 1707, nearly 2,000 sailors died in a shipwreck that should have been avoided. One sailor warned the fleet that they were too close to the rocks. He was punished for speaking up. The fleet sailed on. The storm wasn’t the real problem. The warning was there. No one wanted to hear it.
This pattern still shows up inside organisations today. What our team at TomorrowToday calls a Grey Elephant, something visible, discussed, but uncomfortable enough to ignore.
In this piece, Dean Van Leeuwen reflects on what this disaster still teaches us about leadership, certainty, and the dangers of ignoring what everyone can already see. The story is worth reading.
4️⃣ Why Graeme Codrington pays close attention to US politics.
People sometimes ask Graeme Codrington why he spends time talking about US politics.
His answer is simple: decisions made their ripple across the rest of the world. Right now, we’re watching a tense moment unfold around Iran, Israel, and the United States. What happens next isn’t clear. Some paths could escalate things quickly, and others might still lead back to diplomacy.
In this post, Graeme reflects on what he’s seeing, the possible roads ahead, and why moments like this deserve careful attention.
5️⃣ AI is supposed to make work easier. But what if it sometimes does the opposite?
A recent Harvard Business Review article explores a phenomenon researchers are calling “AI brain fry”. The cognitive overload that can happen when people are asked to monitor, interpret, and make decisions from large volumes of AI-generated output. Instead of simply doing the work themselves, many professionals now find themselves supervising increasingly complex systems and trying to keep up with a constant stream of recommendations and insights.
It’s a reminder that adopting AI isn’t just about adding new tools – it also requires rethinking how work is designed around them. Read the full article here.
It also connects closely to something we explore in our From AI to IA keynote: the real opportunity isn’t replacing human thinking with artificial intelligence, but designing systems where AI becomes an intelligent assistant that supports and amplifies human judgement.
If this is a conversation you’re having inside your organisation right now, contact us – we’d enjoy exploring it together.