What do you have in common with the Big Ten Player of the Year?

More than you think. And, you might learn from him too.

One of the biggest stories unfolding in college basketball right now has very little to do with rankings and everything to do with how people grow, how they prepare, and how they respond when the expectations change.

January’s Leadership Book of the Month (LBOM) conversation was a strong way to start the year with intention and practicality. We were joined by author Margo Boster, MCC to discuss 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙎𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙪𝙡: 𝙐𝙣𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥.

If a company had Glassdoor ratings hovering around 3.5 out of 5, recurring complaints about burnout, safety concerns, discrimination lawsuits, and polarized employee experiences, would we celebrate its culture?

No. We wouldn’t.

We would call it concerning.

We would flag it as a risk.

In a world filled with stress, deadlines, and unpredictable news cycles, a little positivity goes a long way. That is why SB Mowing has captured my attention and millions of others’ too.

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.

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🏈 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.” ‍ ‍

Company structures have always shifted with markets, technology, and strategy. But AI is accelerating the pace and depth of change.

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.

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.

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.