leadership Archives

Why Smart People Make Bad Decisions: The Psychology of Bias in Leadership

Why Smart People Make Bad Decisions: The Psychology of Bias in Leadership Issue 235, October 23, 2025 We have been documenting why smart people make bad decisions for several years. We thought we’d see random failure patterns across different types of leaders. But what emerged was much more systematic. The same cognitive traps keep appearing regardless of industry, education level, or experience. It’s almost like intelligent leaders create their own blind spots. Note: Related to this article, we have launched…

Kevin Novak

October 22, 2025

Human Factor Podcast

Human Factor Podcast Season 1 Episode 3 Why Smart People Make Bad Decisions: The Psychology of Bias in Leadership

Episode 003 Why Smart People Make Bad Decisions: The Psychology of Bias in Leadership Exploring How Leaders Miss the Crucial Step of Examining Their Underlying Assumptions Hosts: Kevin Novak and Elizabeth Stewart Duration: 24 minutes Available: October 23, 2025 🎙️Season 1, Episode 3 Episodes are available in both video and audio formats across all major podcast platforms, including Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, and via RSS, among others. Transcript Available Below Episode Overview Smart leaders. Dangerous blind spots. Costly transformation…

Kevin Novak

October 22, 2025

Human Factor Podcast

Human Factor Podcast Season 1 Episode 2 The Gen Z Factor: How Younger Generations Are Rewiring Workplace Psychology

Episode 002 The Gen Z Factor: How Younger Generations Are Rewiring Workplace Psychology Explore how Gen Z’s Pragmatic Approach to Loyalty, Meaning, and Work Relationships Is Fundamentally Reshaping Organizational Expectations Host: Kevin Novak Duration: 28 minutes Available: October 16, 2025 🎙️Season 1, Episode 2 Episodes are available in both video and audio formats across all major podcast platforms, including Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, and via RSS, among others. Transcript Available Below Episode Overview Organizations are hemorrhaging $1 trillion annually…

Kevin Novak

October 16, 2025

Human Factor Podcast

Human Factor Podcast Season 1 Episode 1 Being Human in the Age of AI: Trust, Adoption, and Ethical Dilemmas

Episode 001 Being Human in the Age of AI: Trust, Adoption, and Ethical Dilemmas Ethical Dilemmas Arise as We Trust AI for Bigger Decisions Host: Kevin Novak Duration: 25 minutes Available: October 9, 2025 🎙️Season 1, Episode 1 Episodes are available in both video and audio formats across all major podcast platforms, including Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, and via RSS, among others. Transcript Available Below Episode Overview In this Human Factor Podcast episode, Kevin Novak explores the psychological implications…

Kevin Novak

October 16, 2025

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

The Nostalgia Trap: How Faulty Memories Destroy Change and Transformation Initiatives

The Nostalgia Trap: How Faulty Memories Destroy Change and Transformation Initiatives Issue 234, October 16, 2025 Think about the last system, process, or tool your organization replaced. Now, be honest—how long did people complain that “the old way was better?” A week? A month? Are they still saying it? In this issue, we are exploring why your brain lies to you about the past, how nostalgia becomes the silent killer of change and transformation initiatives, and what happens when entire…

Kevin Novak

October 15, 2025

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

Coaching Across Generations: Why One Size Never Fits All

Coaching Across Generations: Why One Size Never Fits All Issue 230, September 18, 2025 Over the past two weeks, we have focused on executive burnout, exploring why, in today’s complex business environment, executives are considering alternatives to management strategies to regain mental equilibrium. Leaders are also innovating ways to manage a workforce to reduce the mental drain of today’s management pressures. We conclude this three-part series with an exploration of how to coach a multi-generational workforce. As always, the human…

Kevin Novak

September 18, 2025

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

From Boss to Coach: A Strategy for Executive Burnout

From Boss to Coach: A Strategy for Executive Burnout Issue 229, September 11, 2025 As we kick off the Fall 2025 sports season, it’s an opportune moment to examine a fundamental shift that can help lighten leaders’ burnout: pivoting from boss to coach. Successful athletic coaches don’t play every position themselves – instead, they develop each player’s individual skills to strengthen the team overall. Similarly, leaders can’t know everything, but they can empower others to contribute their expertise to collective…

Kevin Novak

September 11, 2025

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

The Mental Overload of Modern Leadership: Why Today’s Executives Are Burning Out Differently

The Mental Overload of Modern Leadership: Why Today’s Executives Are Burning Out Differently Issue 228, September 4, 2025 Productivity solutions are creating productivity problems. Consultants preach “work-life balance,” and executives install meditation apps and block calendar time for “strategic thinking.” Relaxation tactics aside, many successful leaders are quietly admitting something ominous: They’ve never worked longer hours, and they’ve never felt more cognitively exhausted. A 2025 HR Dive survey found that 70% of C-suite executives are considering leaving their roles to…

Kevin Novak

September 3, 2025

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

The Human Factor Behind Employee Retention: Why Job Embeddedness Beats Perks

The Human Factor Behind Employee Retention: Why Job Embeddedness Beats Perks Issue 227, August 28, 2025 We’ve been solving the wrong problem. Organizations are spending billions on yoga studios, free meals, and basketball courts while their best talent walks out the door anyway. U.S. median job tenure sits at just four years. For employees aged 25-34, it’s a mere 2.7 years. According to Axios, small businesses face the highest churn rates and must pay an estimated 20% of an average…

Kevin Novak

August 27, 2025

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

Why CEOs Are Going Back to Command-and-Control (And Why It Will Backfire)

Why CEOs Are Going Back to Command-and-Control (And Why It Will Backfire) Issue 226, August 21, 2025 We’re seeing some surprising headlines: Andy Jassy essentially told his 1.5 million employees, “It’s my way or the highway.” AT&T’s CEO told his workforce they’re replaceable. Starbucks’ new leader wrapped a return-to-office mandate in softer language about “human connection.” What’s really happening here isn’t just about productivity, AI or office space. It’s also potentially signaling fear and control. Transactional Culture For months, we…

Kevin Novak

August 21, 2025

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