Women leaders frequently draw authority from being respected and valued within their communities, making them more attuned and responsive to stakeholder needs, says Hannah Riley Bowles of Harvard University. Initially, people often choose men as leaders based on surface-level traits, but over time, competence and qualifications become more important than gender. Bowles emphasizes that as more women take on visible leadership roles and influence policy, societal assumptions about who can be a leader are evolving. She advises women leaders to focus on their own ambitions rather than just the opportunities presented to them, and stresses the importance of staying connected to personal goals, rather than being limited by roles traditionally offered to women. 

While women have made strides in construction leadership, the next chapter depends on mentorship, collaboration and intentionally raising the next generation, writes Stacy Roman of Chapman Construction/Design. She believes in a whole-self approach--building personal brands, sharing expertise confidently, assembling "personal boards of directors" and resisting competition among women--so that leadership opportunities become more inclusive and sustainable across the industry.

If you're relying on AI to write emails or summarize meetings, you could be missing emotional nuances and team dynamics that can point to underlying frustration or disengagement among your teams, writes Debra Roberts, an interpersonal communications expert. "Your success as a leader still depends on how you listen, engage, resolve conflicts, give feedback and respond to questions. It will always depend on how you connect with others," Roberts writes.

Getting back into the swing of things at work after a vacation can feel jarring, so give yourself a gentle runway by blocking off the first half of your first day to ease in and get reacquainted with your workload, and use the clarity of time away to audit your calendar and set new priorities, writes speaker and writer Alli Kushner. "Let your team meet the slightly softer, more present version of you. Let your calendar witness you ... rest. Radical, I know," Kushner notes.

Managers and coaches in professional sports have shorter tenures than your average CEO, but according to McKinsey research, many of them have found the formula for building high-performing teams by establishing a culture of high standards, choosing members with diverse skills, codifying how work gets done and working to boost team confidence and abilities. "The great teams that I have been on, it's all about trust and accountability, with everyone working toward a common goal," former Notre Dame volleyball player Ella Sandt told McKinsey researchers.

Senior leaders need to be "better overall athletes," says Kotter International President Kathy Gersch, who notes that generalists who have broad knowledge of a company will perform better in uncertain times. "You may not be able to see five years out clearly, and you won't scenario-plan your way to certainty, but you can start moving in the right direction. The key is creating the ability -- both in yourself and in your organization -- to navigate uncertainty with flexibility and focus," Gersh says.