David Lidsky's Blog, page 26

Employees are bringing their own AI tools to work and companies are scrambling to catch up

Employees are adopting AI on their own terms, leaving companies to deal with the risks after the fact.

When ChatGPT went viral, leadership teams rushed to understand it, but their employees had already beat them to the chase. Workers were already experimenting with AI tools behind the scenes, using them to summarize notes, automate tasks, and hit performance goals with limited resources. What started as a productivity shortcut has evolved into a new workplace norm.

What’s a ‘mirror mentor’? The new professional development tool to help you snag your next role

Why you should look to your peers as well as senior leaders for mentorship.

We all know that traditional mentors—senior professionals who take an interest in you and your future—can help in the job search. They have extensive experience, know the terrain, and are likely far better connected than you are. But finding a mentor isn’t easy—and even if you do have one, it may not be enough to help you in the current job market. With nearly a quarter of recent college grads currently unemployed, it’s important to think creatively about how to get the support you need to meet the current moment—and one overlooked resource is the support of peer mentors. 

Ann Arbor is reinventing the power company

If you live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, your rooftop could soon be part of a new type of sustainable city-owned utility.

Most new renewable energy projects take the form of massive wind or solar farms. Ann Arbor, Michigan, is trying something different: a new city-owned utility is building a local power network within city limits, made up of solar microgrids and geothermal energy installed at homes and businesses.

Labor Day marks the start of fall—here’s when the leaves will change where you live

From Vermont to Florida, the changing leaves spread north to south. Here’s when to expect the best colors in your state.

Labor Day has arrived, and with it, the start of meteorological fall. Both are on September 1 this year, and it’s the day many consider to be the beginning of autumn. Astronomical fall, the day when locations on the equator have virtually equal daylight and darkness, begins three weeks later on Monday, September 22.

How one CEO used AI to scale himself

Weber Shandwick’s Jim O’Leary explains how he turned his office into an AI innovation ecosystem in about six months.

Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! I’m Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc. and Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it yourself every Monday morning.

How to spot your management blind spots

Knowing your leadership style is the key.

Every human being, leaders included, has blind spots. These aren’t flaws in character or failures of competence, they’re simply the unseen gaps between intention and impact.

How I took control of my email address with a custom domain

Custom email domains are a great way to control a core piece of your online identity.

Over the past three years, I’ve changed email providers three times without ever changing email addresses.

This is the one question leaders need to ask themselves

To avoid burnout, leaders need to pay attention to their energy levels.

You’ve carried the weight of big decisions, the pressure to perform, to lead and deliver, all despite what’s happening behind the scenes. You’ve navigated through uncertainty and change, providing the space for everyone else to thrive. It’s a feeling that the most capable leaders feel. It’s not quite burnout, but a kind of dullness. A slow drain. A fog that creeps in quietly and makes it harder to stay clear, connected, and grounded.

ICE raids are keeping workers from their jobs—and businesses are suffering

Trump’s aggressive enforcement against immigrants is affecting their ability to work—and hurting the businesses that rely on them.

A San Diego restaurant owner who serves many immigrant customers has seen business plummet. A cleaning woman avoids bringing tools to work to avoid drawing attention to herself. Her husband, a construction worker, has been unemployed for over a month. A California farm had to hire an attorney to protect workers with approved visas from deportation.

There’s a housing market shift afoot—just ask Realtors

Among real estate agents that Zoodealio and ResiClub surveyed, 81% say buyers are gaining leverage in their local housing market—that share is even higher among agents based in the Southwest (96%).

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter.