OBSERVATIONS
The AI Era: How It’s Shaping Company Culture (for better or worse)
Companies are at an AI inflection point. Leaders everywhere are trying to balance efficiency and empathy, automation and authenticity. AI is changing workflows, communication practices, and even how decisions get made. Beneath it all is the way AI is shaping company culture for better and worse.
Today’s Culture Matters was a meaningful delve into AI’s influence on company culture.
The Corporate Brian Kelly’s: What Business can Learn from LSU’s Costly Lesson
🏈 As Louisiana State University begins repairing the damage from the Brian Kelly coaching era, it’s clear the impact goes beyond the football field.
There were losses in the locker room, and there are losses in the ledger. LSU owes more than $50 million to buy out his contract. That’s not just a football expense. It’s the price of misplaced trust.
😩 Corporate America has its own “Brian Kellys.”
Get Ready for Another Reorg
Company structures have always shifted with markets, technology, and strategy. But AI is accelerating the pace and depth of change.
LBOM Recap #42: Self-Deception, Trust, and Culture Signals Leaders Can’t Ignore
The hardest person to lead is the one in the mirror.
That was the central theme of our August Leadership Book of the Month discussion as we explored Leadership and Self-Deception: The Secret to Transforming Relationships and Unleashing Results by The Arbinger Institute.
5 Ways to boost employee confidence (for real!)
The recent data from Glassdoor reveals that employee confidence in company outlook plummeted to a record low of 44.4% in February 2025. This decline underscores the urgent need for organizations to bolster trust and engagement within their teams.
Why Simple Deals Win: A Key Leadership Lesson from Warren Buffett
In the complex world of business acquisitions, simplicity and trust can emerge as the most effective strategies. A compelling example of this is Warren Buffett's acquisition of Forest River, an RV manufacturing company founded by the late Peter Liegl.
Beyond the Scoreboard: 5 Business Lessons from Super Bowl LIX
As a Kansas City native and Chiefs fan, I heard it all before yesterday’s Super Bowl—'The refs are paid off! The Chiefs are just lucky! The NFL is making sure the three-peat is a done deal.' Well, turns out, it wasn’t a done deal. At all.
The Philadelphia Eagles dominated from start to finish and secured a decisive 40-22 victory.
It was a tough night for Kansas City, but the game revealed leadership lessons that extend far beyond the field. Here are five takeaways for business leaders.
When Emotions Cloud Common Sense: The Super Bowl LIX Conspiracy Frenzy
Instead of celebrating the unique talents of Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and the Chiefs team, thousands of fans from other teams are convinced the NFL is rigging the game in Kansas City’s favor. The same psychological patterns play out in business and everyday life.
Resilience from a football play
With a knee brace on and defenders trying to tackle him more than once, he refused to quit. He pivoted, pushed forward, and stretched with everything he had to get the ball over the line. It was one of the most ambitious, focused, and determined touchdowns I’ve seen in a long time.
Leaders, doesn’t this feel familiar?
Employee retention numbers aren’t what they appear
Remember the Great Resignation during 2021 and 2022? Employees changed jobs in record numbers when they were frustrated by work environments, lack of career growth, inflexible policies, and poor management.