Logo for “SAM Management Pulse” featuring a stylized electrocardiogram line integrated with the SAM logo. The background is a dark blue digital grid, and the heartbeat line glows in bright neon blue, emphasizing the concept of monitoring the pulse of contemporary management trends.

AT&T and the End of Workplace Loyalty: Rebuilding the Employment Contract

AT&T CEO John Stankey recently shook the corporate world by declaring the end of traditional workplace loyalty. In a memo responding to employee survey results, he suggested that long term job security, tenure based promotions, and expectations about remote work must change. He framed the employment relationship as increasingly transactional and guided by market realities. The message landed during a period when many companies are rethinking roles because of AI, automation, and shifting customer needs.

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Leadership Links #9

This week’s roundup looks at how leadership choices shape culture, capability, and confidence during a period of rapid change. You will see why a Bitcoin miner moved quickly to restore continuity, how a telecom’s blunt message about loyalty is stirring debate, and what one enterprise software chief says about the role of human judgment in an AI heavy future. We also highlight a senior leadership program focused on sustainability and strategy, and new research that finds most executives feel unprepared for overlapping crises.

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The Hidden Cost of Silos: Why High-Performing Teams Work Across Boundaries

In many organizations, productivity is measured by how well each department performs within its own scope. Sales pushes to meet quotas, operations focuses on throughput, and finance keeps a close eye on spending. This seems like an efficient way to run a business. Each unit has defined responsibilities and is held accountable for specific results. The structure creates clarity, and the metrics provide guidance. However, when you take a step back and examine how the business operates as a whole, it becomes clear that success within departments does not always add up to organizational progress. Often, the parts function well individually but poorly in combination.

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Logo for “SAM Management Pulse” featuring a stylized electrocardiogram line integrated with the SAM logo. The background is a dark blue digital grid, and the heartbeat line glows in bright neon blue, emphasizing the concept of monitoring the pulse of contemporary management trends.

Mastering Hybrid Work: A Manager’s Guide to Flexibility, Culture, and Performance

Managers face a pivotal moment as the boundaries between office and home continue to blur. In this guide, you’ll discover how to craft hybrid work models that balance flexibility with fairness, nurture a cohesive team culture across any distance, and lead with empathy and outcome-focused performance strategies. Dive in to learn actionable steps for turning hybrid work into your organization’s competitive advantage.

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Leadership Links #8

This week’s digest spotlights five executive moves that reflect shifting priorities across automotive, advertising, consumer goods, financial services, and manufacturing sectors. You’ll discover why Renault opted for an internal promotion to guide its new strategic plan, how WPP is breaking barriers with its first female CEO, and what P&G’s choice of a global brand veteran signals for its future. We also cover S&P Global’s mission-driven leadership appointment and Harley-Davidson’s next step toward innovation under a new chief.

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The Power of Proximity: Why Smart Leaders Curate Their Circle

Leadership is rarely a solo act. Every decision, reaction, and insight is influenced by the people closest to you. Your inner circle shapes how you think, how you lead, and how you show up. Proximity has power, and smart leaders know that the people they spend time with can either fuel growth or slowly drain it. This applies to peer groups, direct reports, mentors, and even professional contacts. Leadership is not only about who you lead. It is also about who surrounds you while you lead. Curating that circle with intention is one of the most underrated strategies for long-term effectiveness.

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Honor the Legacy and Empower the Future.

The Society for Advancement of Management (SAM) is proud to open nominations for the 2025 Awards Season, a celebration of leadership, ethics, innovation, and social impact that reflects more than a century of excellence. This year’s awards program brings something new and significant. For over 100 years, our society’s International Awards Program has recognized the trailblazers and thought leaders who have shaped the management profession. From the prestigious Taylor Key to the influential Human Relations Award, these honors acknowledge individuals who transform theory into lasting influence.

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Logo for “SAM Management Pulse” featuring a stylized electrocardiogram line integrated with the SAM logo. The background is a dark blue digital grid, and the heartbeat line glows in bright neon blue, emphasizing the concept of monitoring the pulse of contemporary management trends.

Diageo’s Leadership Shift Marks a Pivotal Turn in Crisis Management

Diageo, the world’s largest spirits maker known for icons such as Johnnie Walker and Guinness, announced on July 16, 2025, that CEO Debra Crew has stepped down after two challenging years in the top role. Crew’s departure comes by mutual agreement and follows a 44 percent drop in Diageo’s share price during her tenure. Stepping into the breach on an interim basis is CFO Nik Jhangiani, a seasoned finance executive with more than three decades of global experience.

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Leadership Links #7

This week’s roundup covers five major leadership changes shaping strategy across global consumer goods, technology, energy, insurance, and quick-service restaurants. You’ll read why Diageo’s CEO departure signals a push for cost discipline, how Snowflake is aligning its growth roadmap around AI and efficiency, and what Tamboran’s leadership shake-up means for stakeholder oversight. We also explore Munich Re’s carefully managed CEO succession and Subway’s choice of a franchise veteran to drive its modernization efforts.

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Tech Won’t Save You: Why Human-Centered Workflows Still Matter Most

Modern organizations are flooded with tools designed to make work faster, smarter, and more efficient. Project management platforms, AI-driven analytics, workflow automation, and communication apps are now staples of daily operations. These technologies promise to streamline tasks, reduce human error, and unlock productivity gains across the board. While some of these promises are fulfilled, others fall short. The assumption that better tools automatically create better results often leads companies to overinvest in technology while underinvesting in the people who use it.

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Society for Advancement of Management board committee recruitment graphic with magnifying glass highlighting three person icons on a light blue background, featuring the SAM logo and text 'Volunteer Recruitment Initiative'

Shape Inspiring Experiences: Join the Conference Programming Committee

The SAM International Business Conference is one of the highlights of our year, bringing together thought leaders, educators, students, and professionals to share ideas, learn from one another, and explore the future of management. The Conference Programming Committee is the driving force behind making this event a meaningful and memorable experience. If you enjoy planning, collaboration, and creative problem-solving, this is your chance to help design one of SAM’s most important events.

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Logo for “SAM Management Pulse” featuring a stylized electrocardiogram line integrated with the SAM logo. The background is a dark blue digital grid, and the heartbeat line glows in bright neon blue, emphasizing the concept of monitoring the pulse of contemporary management trends.

Flattening Corporate Layers Is Changing How Work Gets Led

Many large companies are removing layers to move faster and spend less. Across Corporate America, the average manager to employee ratio has stretched from roughly 1 to 5 in 2017 to about 1 to 15 by 2023. Google, Amazon, Intel, and Estée Lauder are among the firms that cut middle management in pursuit of speed, clearer accountability, and lower cost structures. The intent is simple. Fewer layers should mean quicker decisions and less bureaucracy. The reality is more nuanced.

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Leadership Links #12

This week’s edition looks at how leadership teams are reshaping strategy and structure under pressure from markets, politics, and talent dynamics. You will see why Renault tapped an experienced operator to steer Dacia through a competitive cycle, how BlackRock is pressing state officials to keep pension investing focused on fiduciary duty, and why Milan is pulling finance leaders with tax incentives even as global fundraising cools. We also cover a surge in asset management dealmaking that points to a scale and capability race, plus a rapid flattening of corporate org charts that is changing how managers lead.

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Ditch the Carrots and Sticks: Building Cultures That Actually Motivate

In many organizations, motivation is still treated as something external. Employees are pushed to perform through performance bonuses, public recognition, and the threat of poor evaluations or job loss. These methods are rooted in the idea that people will only do their best when they are given a strong enough reason to care. For decades, companies have leaned heavily on reward systems and disciplinary policies to drive results. This model may yield short-term gains, but it often fails to create lasting engagement. Once the reward is earned or the threat removed, motivation tends to fade.

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Society for Advancement of Management board committee recruitment graphic with magnifying glass highlighting three person icons on a light blue background, featuring the SAM logo and text 'Volunteer Recruitment Initiative'

Build Partnerships and Shape the Future: Join the Institutional Advancement Committee

The growth and success of the Society for Advancement of Management depend on strong relationships and strategic partnerships. The Institutional Advancement Committee plays a key role in cultivating these connections, ensuring that SAM has the resources and collaborations it needs to thrive. If you have a talent for building relationships, seeking new opportunities, and championing our mission, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact.

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