Innovation is the shiny object every organizational leader wants to wave around.

But what happens when leaders confuse technological progress with cultural progress?

Case in point: AT&T’s CEO, John Stankey. His 2,500-word memo recently went viral, not for its vision of the future but for its conditions of belonging. The message to employees was clear:

• You’ll get tools, structure, and opportunity.
• But don’t expect loyalty, flexibility, or advancement without constant proof of value.
• And if that doesn’t work for you, maybe you’re in the wrong place.

This directive signals a bigger problem... some leaders are betting they can adopt artificial intelligence while ignoring the real intelligence that drives culture. The people.

Have you ever seen a leader react to one person’s mistake by rewriting the entire rulebook?

Suddenly everyone has to follow a new process, add an extra approval step, or jump through hoops that didn’t exist yesterday. The team gets frustrated, productivity slows, and resentment grows... not because the process was broken, but because one person didn’t hold up their end.

That’s the leadership equivalent of staring at the tip of an iceberg. What you see above the surface feels like the problem, but the real mass lies hidden below. When leaders only react to what’s visible, they miss the root cause and make everyone suffer for what is often a single behavioral issue.

Avoid creating new processes instead of dealing with underperforming behaviors.

Cohesive leaders know the difference between a process problem and a people problem, and they have the courage to address what’s really below the surface.

Do you ever feel disconnected at work?

You're trying to be professional. Stay focused. Show up as a good teammate. But then...

• Your emails go unanswered.
• A colleague pulls you aside to spill gossip.
• You’re blindsided by a poor performance review.

Now, what do you do?

It's easy to feel unsure in moments like these, especially if it's the first time you've had to deal with this in the workplace. So, I turned to C.A.R.L. (the Cohesive Artificial Response Leader) for guidance on navigating some of these uncomfortable scenarios.

Here's what C.A.R.L. had to say.

Late career layoffs happen. And they suck. Every time.

If you've been scrolling LinkedIn recently, you’ve probably seen the uptick in conversations about professionals in their 50s and 60s being let go. And while the emotional (and financial) gut-punch is real, this isn't the end. It's a detour. And it can still take you somewhere great.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the median duration of unemployment for job seekers aged 55–64 is nearly 26 weeks, compared with 19 weeks for those aged 25–34. And those who do find a job typically accept an 11 % pay cut, on average.

Even the most mentally stable unemployed folks get anxiety over this prospect.

Let’s get this out of the way... I don’t care whether your organization offers remote work or not.

But if you do, stop calling it Work From Home.

It’s outdated, it’s inaccurate, and frankly, it’s insulting.

That phrase still drags around the myth that remote employees are less productive, more interested in wearing pajamas all day, and probably folding laundry or walking the dog while they pretend to work.

Would you take a pay cut right now?

For most American workers, the answer is a firm “nope.” But dig a little deeper, and the story gets more interesting.

According to LinkedIn’s latest Workforce Confidence Survey, more than four in 10 job seekers say they would consider a salary reduction IF it meant better alignment with their values, more room to grow, or increased flexibility.

In other words, money isn’t everything.

Remote and hybrid work are the new normal. Recent studies indicate that UK workers, for instance, average 1.8 remote workdays per week, surpassing the global average of 1.3 days. In the U.S., similar patterns emerge, with a significant portion of the workforce embracing flexible work arrangements. (The Guardian)

However, this shift brings its own set of challenges. A survey revealed that 25% of remote employees experience daily loneliness, compared to 16% of fully onsite employees. Moreover, remote workers are 98% more likely to report severe work loneliness than their in-office counterparts, according to Ringover's 2024 Loneliness at Work survey.

So, how can leaders ensure their remote and hybrid teams remain cohesive and engaged?

Without confidence, leadership falls flat.

And here’s the part too many people forget: You don’t have to wait for someone to anoint you with a title before you start leading with confidence.

I tell every group I work with the same thing:

👉 Everyone is a leader.

Not future leaders. Not potential leaders. Leaders—full stop. And if you want others to follow your lead, you have to show them someone worth following. That begins with confidence. Not arrogance, not bravado. Instead, real, earned, practiced confidence.

It’s what helps people get behind you. It’s what earns trust. A team won’t rally behind someone who doesn’t even believe in themselves.

“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.” – Harold Geneen

So where do you start?