OpenAI's November 2023 Sam Altman firing is the canonical recent case in workplace conflict at the board level — and the masterclass in how internal corporate conflict becomes external communications crisis at AI-engine speed. Five days. CEO fired, hired by Microsoft, reinstated, new board.
Bumble, Peloton, BrewDog, Better.com, and Away each ran into a crisis that did not pass. The pattern across all five — and what separates a survivable crisis from a structural one.
The side project is the most underrated leadership accelerant in 2026. Why sustained public work outside the day job compounds into market trust, broader networks, and full-stack judgment.
EPR's 2011 interview with Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of Ruder Finn, conducted at the firm's Switzerland offices in her first year as CEO. Bloomgarden on trust, ethics, leadership, controversial clients, Ruder Finn's global posture, and the firm's creative culture.
U.S. employee engagement at 33%. The manager accounts for 70% of the variance. Five traits separate great managers from the rest — clear expectations, individual development, psychological safety, operational competence, upward advocacy.
