I don’t like to cry wolf, but things are tough out there. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve spoken with three professionals over 40 in wildly different industries. They all lost their jobs and are concerned about “who will hire me at this age?”
AI, tariffs, the government shutdown, private sector job losses, and economic uncertainty are impacting employment. Unemployment inched up to 4.3% in August, up from 4.2% in July 2025, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As I reflect on my three clients and friends, they all share one challenge. They are not doing enough with the right people in their organizations to ensure job security. One client said she “trusted” the company to take care of her; another said he was doing great work but could come across as cocky; and a third was totally focused on doing a great job while not thinking about keeping his manager informed and impressed by that great work. He and his boss were not on the same page.
How are you doing with your job? Are you managing up successfully? Can your boss easily communicate your wins? Who are your mentors, sponsors, or coaches?
Worth the share
Last week, I spent over two days at Columbia University, learning about Hybrid Intelligence, listening to high-profile speakers who shared new insights, challenged us to think differently, and excited us about a future with AI.
I was very impressed by Hitendra Wadhwa, PhD, one of Columbia Business School’s favorite professors. He shared how dramatically trust has broken down “a great deal” across 10 sectors by about 20 percentage points over the last 20 years, according to Gallup. Trust matters.
His approach to leadership is not externally grounded in our Outer Life (behavior, speech, and outcomes), but in our Inner Life (feelings, thoughts, beliefs, values, intentions).
Here is his three-step process:
#1 – Bring your best self to work to bring out the best in others
#2 – Activate one or more of these five energies:
- Purpose: A commitment to pursue a noble, uplifting cause.
- Wisdom: A calm receptivity to the truth in every situation.
- Growth: A continual striving to approach one’s full potential.
- Love: A fostering of warmth, understanding, and connection.
- Self-realization: A stirring of the human spirit that lies at one’s core.
#3 Use simple actions to activate these energies in yourself and others, such as appreciation, growth, and listening.
To learn more, read the full article by clicking on this link. His book is Inner Mastery, Outer Impact
#wisewords
“Life moments become leadership moments when we begin to see leadership as the discipline of bringing out the best in ourselves and others in all situations.”
– Hitendra Wadhwa
And Finally...
At the Columbia Conference, not surprisingly, AI was discussed in almost every session. It is upending the coaching profession and how I work. I need to adapt further!
Here are a few other thoughts I captured:
- Terrence Maltbia stressed the importance of Conceptual Clarity, where Hybrid Intelligence is found at the intersection of Human Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence.
- Amy Edmondson shared her Recipe for Excellence in an Uncertain World. To Aim High, Team Up, Fail Well, Learn Fast, Repeat. Her newest book is Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well.
- Helanah Warren from NYU talked about AI & Executive Presence, identifying strengths and blind spots.
- What AI gets right: Tone, Structure, Repetition
- What AI misses: Embodiment, Nuance, Trust
- AI is here. Adopt or die —or, put another way, according to Jonathan Kirschner, “use AI to supercharge your work.”
Have a great week,
Mary Jo