Inc. Productivity Tip
Expert opinions, valuable insight, and helpful advice from today’s top business coaches, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs. Find more at Inc.com.
Episodes
Build Trust With AI by Giving People More Time to Be Human
As Inc. contributor Heather Wilde Renze writes, AI can handle the busywork. Humans can handle the human stuff.
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AI Shopping Is Here. Are Your Products Ready?
The storefront is moving into the AI conversation.
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New Research Reveals What Separates Workplaces People Love From Those They Leave
Here’s why 61 percent of employees have considered quitting, according to research.
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Science Says Happier People Prioritize 3 Key Aspects of Life. So Should You
Why pick one when you can choose–and benefit–from all three?
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Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil Says Employees Who Get Promoted Share 3 Traits. None Requires a Degree
The head of the $259 billion company says his test for who earns a promotion has little to do with credentials.
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A 2000s era TV show Its Enduring Appeal Can Show How Brands Can Became More Valuable With Age
More than two decades after its debut, Gilmore Girls demonstrates how a distinctive brand, loyal audience and smart distribution can create enduring value.
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GM Is Building Its Own Talent Pipeline. More Businesses Should Pay Attention
Stop hunting for talent. Start building it.
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The Best Leaders Notice What People Don’t Say. Here Are 5 Ways to Get Better at It
Listening to the words isn’t enough. A skill called attunement can help leaders pick up the subtle signals that reveal what’s really happening with their people.
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The Mets Spent $352 Million on Talent and Still Missed the Playoffs. Here’s the Leadership Lesson
As Andrea Olson, the CEO of Pramatik writes, you can buy talent, you can’t buy teamwork.
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Want to Be More Persuasive, Starting Today? Research Says Stop Making Statements and Start Asking Questions
Why? Because we all prefer–and are more likely–to persuade ourselves.
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The Hidden Leadership Cost of Letting AI Do Too Much Thinking
AI was meant to save time. So why are we drowning in workslop?
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Arthur Smith Built ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Into Lasting Franchises. He Credits 6 Core Principles
Inc. contributor Marc Berman, the founder and Editor in Chief of Programming Insider talks about Arthur Smith and his 25 years as the head of his own production company that's made over 200 television shows by sticking to what made it successful.
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4 Rare Leadership Habits That Make People Want to Follow You
Inc. Contributor Marcel Schwantes says the best leaders don’t rely on authority to get people to follow. Their everyday actions earn trust, respect, and commitment.
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‘Friends’ Wasn’t Just a Hit Sitcom. Its 6 Stars Built a Powerful Business Alliance Entrepreneurs Can Learn From
The decision by six young actors to stick together became a lesson in collective leverage.
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Steve Jobs Had One Leadership Blind Spot. His Longtime Advisor Says This Is What Leaders Get Wrong.
What Kamini Ramani thinks the former Apple CEO got wrong, and what she learned from him.
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Sydney Sweeney’s Ad Controversy Just Showed Founders the Real Cost of Renting Fame
Big names bring big attention. They can bring baggage, too.
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A Massive New Study Links Working From Home to Isolation and Mental Health Problems; plus, Emotionally Intelligent People Use 3 Short Questions to Strengthen Their Relationships
A recent analysis of five nationally representative surveys covering 588,322 U.S. workers from 2011 through 2024, excluding the peak-pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.
Also, to start listening, you have to stop arguing, first. These three short questions will help you reign in your feelings—and turn emotional into emotionally intelligent.
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Gartner Says Companies May Rehire 30 Percent of Workers Replaced by AI. Here’s the Leadership Lesson
Companies racing to replace people with AI may eventually discover they moved too fast.
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In 1970, the Carpenters Turned a Bank Commercial Into a Hit Song. It’s a Lesson for Every Leader
Most people have no idea how “We’ve Only Just Begun” began.
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Want to Turn Failure Into Progress and Even Happiness? Science Says Just Tell Yourself the Right Story
The way you frame a failure can make you feel better in the present and more likely to be successful (and happy) in the future.
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Are HR Platforms Becoming Extinct? AI Agents Are Changing the Game
The next HR platform might be built, not bought.
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Experience Doesn’t Automatically Create Confidence. New Research Finds How to Bridge the Gap
Leadership confidence doesn’t come from positive thinking. New research suggests it emerges when leaders learn to make meaning of their own experience.
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3 Uncommon Traits of Strong Leaders People Never Forget
What seems soft on the surface can become a serious advantage for leaders who want stronger teams.
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Angela Duckworth Built Her Career on Grit. Her New Book Says It’s Not Always Enough; plus, How Playing High School Sports Secretly Predicts Career Success in Women
-The folks of Masters of Scale write that you can have all the grit in the world and still be grinding in a room where it doesn’t compound.
-And a new e.l.f. Beauty and Parity study of 9,000+ women shows how youth sports build high-earning, leadership-minded careers.
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An NBA owner was Suspended for a Year. It Shows What Happens When Leaders Make Exceptions for Stars
Scott Hutcheson, author of 'Biohacking Leadership' writes that leaders can teach their most valuable contributors that rules don’t apply. The consequences rarely stop there.
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The Most Dangerous Words on a Technical Team? ‘We’re Aligned’
Neil Thompson, the founder of Teach the Geek writes that speaking the same language is harder than it sounds.
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Great Leaders Don’t Just Ask Questions. They Ask Better Ones
Want the truth? Ask a better question.
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Scientists Warn About a Creepy New AI Side Effect on Humans
New research suggests the more humans interact with AI chatbots, the more they act and talk like robots themselves.
This expert opinion was written by Jessica Stillman.
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The Upside of Imposter Syndrome
Research shows doubting your skills or success can actually be a good thing.
Thie expert opinion was written by Jeff Haden.
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The Dangerous Workplace Culture Trap Rewarding Exhaustion Over Output
The toxic habit of measuring employee value by sacrifices rather than actual output is quietly destroying your top talent.
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This Pioneering Psychologist’s Simple Equation Predicts How Successful You Will Be (and Explains Why)
Regardless of the way you choose to define ‘success.’
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AI Transformation Experts Say Companies Are Really Facing a Talent Management Problem
The companies getting the most from AI aren’t treating it as a technology rollout. They’re redesigning work around the partnership between people and intelligent machines.
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Science Confirms ‘Leisure Guilt’ Is Real—and You’re Likely Wasting Hours on It
A new study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin reveals that Americans spend a full 14 percent of their downtime worrying about productivity instead of resting.
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The Dangers of AI Speeding: Why Every Business Must Master the Human Rhythm Now
As businesses rush to adopt generative AI and automated voice agents, they face a dangerous “human tempo gap.”
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I’ve Coached Hundreds of Leaders. The Ones Who Grow Do This 1 Uncomfortable Thing Repeatedly
New research suggests leadership skills are built through productive struggle and exposure to real-world pressure.
Today's Inc Productivity Tip was written by Inc. Contributor Marcel Schwantes.
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The AI Question Every CEO Should Be Asking Instead of ‘Who Can We Cut?’
Today's opinion was written by Bill Fotsch. In it, he says AI is a tool, not a layoff plan.
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Why Simplifying Your Business Could Be the Key to Growth, plus, Real Accountability Isn’t About More Pressure
Growth is great. Complexity? Not so much.
Also, clear goals, visible results, better performance — that’s accountability.
This pair of Inc. Productivity Tips were written by David Finkel, co-author of 'Scale: Seven Proven Principles to Grow Your Business and Get Your Life Back'
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Want to Be More Productive, Creative, and Focused? Take more microbreaks; plus, Every Founder Should Pay Attention to the LA Lakers
Always grinding? Sure—as long as you take a few short breaks along the way.
Also, Jerry Buss built the Los Angeles Lakers into one of the most iconic franchises in sports. Almost half a century later, a fight between his children over what happens to his creation offers a lesson that extends far beyond the basketball court.
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Real Wages Are Falling Again—Here’s Why a Massive Turnover Wave Is Brewing
Bruce Crumley writes that with inflation outpacing pay growth for four consecutive months, employers face a quiet retention crisis—and a growing risk of mass defections once the job market thaws.
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A Quiet Workforce Isn’t a Happy One. Leaders Need to Ask 3 Questions Before It’s Too Late
In today's Inc. Productivity Tip, Bernard Colman, the People Leader at Descript, writes that employee engagement isn’t optional, it’s an important leadership signal.
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Should You Quit or Stick It Out? The 2-Question Test to Make Your Next Move
Stuck in the sunk-cost trap? Here’s how economists recommend evaluating your path forward so you stop wasting valuable time.
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How Fast-Growing Companies Keep Their Speed as They Scale
The right systems don’t slow growth. They make faster decisions safer.
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This CEO Learned That Great Leadership Comes Down to 1 Communication Habit
When leaders leave an information vacuum, employees will fill it themselves. That’s where trust problems can begin.
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Most Leaders Think Transparency Means More Sharing. They’re Wrong
In this expert tip from Netta Jenkins, the founder of HIC, a global leadership performance firm, says employees don’t need every detail. They need fewer question marks.
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Steve Jobs Said Great Leaders Make One Difficult Choice Most Managers Avoid
Making people better requires high standards, honest feedback, and a workplace where people are not afraid of the boss.
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AI Is Making Speed Obsolete. Here’s What Matters Now
The fastest worker may not be the most valuable anymore.
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Biggest Communication Mistake Is a Self-Centered One Many People Make; plus, Communication Could Be the Missing Link to Manufacturing Efficiency
To be human means to be self-focused. Each person wrapped up in themselves. It’s just human nature. It’s also the cause of most miscommunication.
Also, two teams, two perspectives. One path to better performance.
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Want Your Message to Land? Say Less; also, Why Accountability Means Nothing at Your Company (and Everyone Knows It)
-Bernard Coleman says getting your message to connect isn’t about dumbing it down. It’s about designing for how people actually absorb information
-Plus, Leigh Elena Coleman says your best people are quietly burning out from carrying consequences that belong at the top. Here’s how leaders can stop passing the blame and fix a broken culture.
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Generation Z Is Literally Telling Us Exactly What They Need
Here’s a generation with a real problem. And here’s the opportunity, for anyone paying attention, to help solve it.
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Science Says Chronic Stress Actually Changes Your Personality
According to a study published in Psychology and Aging, the more poorly participants handle daily stressors, the more introverted, unfriendly, and closed off from new experiences they become.
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The AI Race Has a Hidden Problem. Nobody Agreed on the Rules; plus, or Months, LinkedIn Users Complained About AI Slop. The Company Just Responded With a Massive Change
AI moved faster than company policies could keep up. Now governance has to catch up.
Also, after embracing the use of AI, LinkedIn now appears to be shifting its strategy.
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American Workers are More Disillusioned With AI the More They Use It while the Navy Tried a Different Approach to AI and It Worked
A new Gallup poll indicates that Americans are more skeptical of AI in 2026, despite being more familiar with it.
The Navy didn’t just roll out AI. It rallied people around it.
These expert opinions were written by Fast Company and Ash Kumra.
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Everyone Watches the Shark in ‘Jaws.’ Leaders Should Watch the Mayor
In today's episode, Monica Amadio writes about how major leadership lessons can come from the unlikeliest blockbuster if you look in the right place.
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The Leadership Blind Spot Most CEOs Never See
In this article written by serial entrepreneur Mike Maddock, he talks about one of the great ironies of leadership, which is, the better you become at solving problems, the harder it can be to recognize when you’re solving the wrong one.
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A New Study Found the Secret to Getting Customers to Follow Through. Most Companies Are Doing the Opposite
Research from Temple University explains the “effort payoff” trick that turns casual browsers into committed buyers.
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There Are Two Kinds of Resilience, and You’re Probably Ignoring One
If you think resilience is only about personal grit and iron willpower, you’re missing half the equation for exceptional toughness.
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The '6-Month Rule' to Take Big, Scary Bets on Yourself
Achieving great things means betting on yourself. Use this CEO’s advice to make those bets less scary.
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Keys for Building a Zero-Failure Mentality to Thrive in Your Business
Success is a mindset, and it can start by building a zero-failure mentality like this.
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Want a High-Performing Team With Less Drama? Start With These 6 Leadership Actions
AI may be changing how fast companies move, but leaders still have to solve the hardest human challenges.
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Microsoft and LinkedIn Just Analyzed the Future of Work and AI. It All Points to One Key Skillset
The future belongs to leaders who stay human. An expert opinion written by Ash Kumra
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The Yes Trap: Why Too Many Opportunities Are Killing Your Business Growth
If everything is a yes, nothing is a priority.
This Inc. Tip was written by David Finkel, the co-author of 'Scale: Seven Proven Principles to Grow Your Business and Get Your Life Back'
Find more helpful tips at Inc.com/lead
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When Employees Check Out, Culture Starts to Crack
Turnover isn’t a trend. It’s a warning signal.
This Inc. Tip was written by Bill Fotsch.
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Want a Sharper Brain? Start Eating a Particular Diet; plus, the Modern World Is Destroying Focus
Six good diets: but one stood out.
Also, after a college professor noticed a disturbing drop in his students’ ability to focus, researchers found a practical way to build attention spans back up.
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The Simple Framework That Changes How Technical Teams Talk to Leadership
If leaders are confused, nothing moves.
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Curiosity Is a Defining Trait of Highly Successful Leaders. Here’s How to Develop Yours in 5 Easy Steps
Research has linked curiosity to greater life satisfaction, stronger relationships, and higher achievement at work.
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Why ‘Just 1 More Idea’ Is Killing Your Team’s Productivity
If everything’s a priority, nothing gets done.
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An Email Told U.S. Soccer Players They Weren’t World Cup-Bound. The Ensuing Controversy Is a Warning to All Leaders
The way a message is delivered can be as important as the news itself.
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Why Have People Historically Quit Their Jobs? The Real Reason Comes Down to 4 Words
Employees are ready to leave if their boss fails in this crucial area of leadership.
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The Surprising Power of Just Keeping It Real in Business
Authenticity isn’t a vibe. It’s a business strategy that compounds.
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The Pricing Mistake That Quietly Limits Most Businesses
If your pricing feels “off,” it’s probably not your spreadsheet. It’s your confidence.
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AI is Making Great Leadership Harder to Fake
Behind every “optimized” workflow is someone fixing what got lost.
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8 Communication Mistakes That Make Leaders Lose Credibility Fast
Corporate jargon doesn’t inspire employees. Clear communication does.
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Confident People Do This Before They Say a Single Word
Executive presence starts before you say hello.
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Red Lobster Tried to Give Customers More and Lost Millions
Turns out, “all you can eat” can eat your profits too.
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4 Questions Every Leader Should Ask to Find Their Personal North Star
In The Path of Least Regret, author Parul Somani uses a fresh take on ikigai to help leaders clarify what matters most before choosing what comes next.
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How Steve Kerr Just Defined ‘Success’ Perfectly Describes a Path to a More Joyful and Fulfilling Life
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr on what still drives him.
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Want to Make Better Decisions? Adopt Charlie Munger’s ‘Always Invert’ Mental Model
Turning a problem upside down can be the best way to achieve long-term success.
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Great Leaders Aren’t Always Available
Always available? You might be the reason your team isn’t stepping up.
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Inc. Productivity Tip - Returning May 5
Expert opinions, valuable insight, and helpful advice from today’s top business coaches, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs. Find more at Inc.com.
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Inc. Productivity Tip: 8 Leadership Strategies for Maintaining Morale in Tough Times
Setbacks are inevitable in business but there are ways to maintain morale and still come out on top.
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