Using gender-neutral language at a company, such as swapping "chairman" to "chair, took off in 2022, but DEI backlash is slowing that trend, according to an analysis of company titles at S&P 500 companies. Out of those 500 companies, only 185 companies currently use gender-neutral titles.

SkinnyDipped is working with the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative to invest $400,000 in the organization's Women's Livelihood Program to lift women living in the South Sudan out of poverty by offering business training. The initiative was founded by actor Forest Whitaker and "champions female empowerment, education and entrepreneurship across the globe," said Breezy Griffith, SkinnyDipped founder and CEO.

South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley has always set the bar high for herself and her players, but after the Gamecocks' win Sunday over the Iowa Hawkeyes to become the NCAA champions, she displayed a top leadership trait by thanking Iowa leading player Caitlin Clark "for lifting up our sport" and handling her new-found fame "with class," writes Jason Aten. "As a leader, your job is to use your platform to elevate those around you," Aten notes.

California's $20 hourly minimum wage for fast-food workers is compelling all restaurants to wrestle with rising labor costs since establishments from drive-thrus to fine dining draw from the same pool of workers, restaurant industry veterans Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn write. Restaurants must consider increasing prices or streamlining operations to make up for higher costs, they note.

Sushi's popularity is putting it on menus at restaurants with no Japanese connection, such as Houston steakhouse Prime 131, where owner Ben Berg says it will attract younger diners. "You have to be prepared to make that commitment financially and be committed to make it as great as you possibly can so it's worth it," Berg notes, emphasizing the space, training and sourcing requirements.

Employers should take note of the recent multimillion-dollar verdict against Novant Health, which fired a white man and replaced him with a Black woman, writes Zuckerman Spaeder attorney Jason Knott. Companies should avoid diversity, equity and inclusion policies that show any preference for one race or gender over another, advises Knott, who adds, "Thus, in adopting DEI programs, a central question that employers must ask themselves is whether their programs are designed to ensure an inclusive culture that values all employees regardless of background or identity and provides a level playing field for employees and job candidates."

Deeming topics off-limits to avoid short-term conflict or discomfort can create a "false consensus" that leads to incomplete or incorrect team views, writes executive coach Dina Denham Smith, who offers tips for talking about things you don't want to. Ignoring them can stifle a team's morale, performance and ability to solve problems and learn -- as well as company earnings, Denham Smith notes.

Ad executives discuss how diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have stalled since 2020, with "lazy" hiring remaining an issue, according to Quiet Storm's Trevor Robinson. "People look for themselves, often middle-class people from a certain school, basically ignoring a huge pool of talent along the way," Robinson says, adding, "For a young black creative, it remains hard work to constantly play the game, feeling you have to fit in."

An Owl Labs report found 11% of employees feel excluded because of unequal flexible work policies, while 13% resent their employers for allowing others to have more flexibility. "To help foster positive feelings instead of confusion about flexibility, leaders should communicate why it's important that everyone can schedule their own task-based hybrid work so they can be most productive -- such as conducting meetings and brainstorms in-office and focusing on solo projects at home or in a 'third space' like a cafe," the report said.

One of the most effective ways to build confidence is by taking action, according to Katty Kay, keynote speaker at the recent WFF Leadership Conference and co-author of The Confidence Code. When you tap into courage to push yourself out of your comfort zone and do things that feel intimidating or like a bit of a stretch, you learn that you can do more than you thought you could. Other times, you may learn you can survive when things don't go as well as you had hoped. Either way, the courage to act and the confidence those actions build work together to reinforce one another and give you the boost you need to tackle the next thing. Read more.