Another Friday, another set of ideas to sit with. We hope something in here lands.
1️⃣ New Episode: The Ageing Workforce.
By 2050, there will be two working adults for every pensioner. The organisations doing nothing about that right now are not waiting for a future problem to arrive. They are already fragile.
In this episode of the Elephants in the Boardroom Podcast, Lucy Standing and Lynda Smith join Dean and Graeme to talk about one of the most experienced, loyal, and capable parts of the labour market that most recruitment systems filter out before the first conversation starts.
Lucy’s research across 226 organisations reveals the same pattern every time. The problem never feels urgent enough to act on. Until it does.
Lynda’s concept of refirement reframes what the years between 50 and 75 look like for people who stay curious, stay engaged, and build a second season of contribution on their own terms.
The practical steps they share require no budget to start. Only leadership.
Worth 57 minutes of your time. Especially if talent, skills gaps, or productivity are keeping you up at night. Listen now…
2️⃣ Are we failing our kids by making them pass?
A Grade 9 student fails two tests in one week. In her head, she’s already lost her future. The reaction isn’t a personal flaw. It’s what we’ve trained kids to feel. We’ve built a system where passing is everything, and failure is something to hide rather than learn from. Penicillin, WD-40, the pacemaker, the Post-it Note. All born from someone getting something wrong and getting curious instead of giving up.
Jude Foulston asks the question most schools keep avoiding: ‘What are we missing because of what we are measuring?’ She’s put together a free guide for parents, teachers, and school leaders who are ready to have a different relationship with failure. Read it and pass it on.
3️⃣ AI is building profits. Who is it building a future for?
AI is doing exactly what we built it to do. It’s cutting costs, speeding things up, and making businesses more efficient. But the Financial Times asked a bigger question this week. Is efficiency really the best we can imagine? FT looks at what a human-focused AI future could actually look like, one built around health, opportunity, and progress, not just productivity.
Dean van Leeuwen shared it this week. Read it and ask yourself what your answer would be.
4️⃣ Most AI strategies are moving. Few are igniting.
Most organisations have AI pilots running and tools spreading across teams. Dashboards look good, but the operating model has not changed, and the value is not adding up.
Dean van Leeuwen has a name for this: the AI Backfire Zone. Moving forward, but the engine is running rough. Ignition is something different. It’s when AI stops being a technology rollout and starts changing how your organisation creates value. Head to our LinkedIn page to read the full post.
5️⃣ Cutting family benefits is a short-sighted leadership choice.
Women and mothers are propping up economic growth. The Center for American Progress said it, and the data backs it up. So, when companies like Deloitte and Zoom start cutting family-friendly benefits, the people who feel it first are the ones holding everything together.
Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet, calls this what it is: a choice, not a necessity. Her organisation offers six months parental leave, strong health coverage, and flexible schedules because thinking long-term requires acting like it. In times of volatility, leaders get small. The brave ones don’t. Read her full post here.
If any of this resonated, reach out to us and start a conversation. We would love to help you think it through.