One difficult-yet-crucial leadership skill to learn is being able to let go and empower people in areas in which you are not an expert. Trying to do everything yourself can limit career progression.

Simply deciding to set audacious stretch goals is an important step for companies and individuals, provided the goals are clear and accountable, writes Nick McLean of Four Pillars Investors. "Shooting for the stars requires stretch goals that might feel uncomfortable to some, yet clear goals and achievable growth metrics make it possible," McLean writes.

Failing to admit a wrongdoing, denying the issue and blaming others can diminish trust and damage relationships, advises Scott Miller, a senior adviser at FranklinCovey. "It sounds terrifying to bring your missteps into the open -- but on the receiving end of a sincere apology, most people are appreciative and often genuinely forgiving," Miller says.

People who struggle to be understood might be speaking too fast or too quietly, or they might be trying to show off their authority and knowledge of big words, writes Calendar CEO John Rampton. This article offers several possible steps for improving your spoken communication, including writing more, consulting a thesaurus and avoiding jargon.

Celebrity apologies offer a template for how we should show remorse -- and where so many public apologies go wrong. "Simply put, issuing an effective apology comes down to recognizing your mistake, taking ownership of that mistake and genuinely sharing your remorse to the audiences that need to hear it most -- without condition or the expectation of immediate forgiveness," says Red Banyan CEO Evan Nierman, a crisis-communications expert.

True allies to workplace diversity, equity and inclusion accept what they don't understand about marginalized people, use their privilege to help others and speak up when employees are mistreated, writes Bari Williams, chief operating officer at BandWagonFanClub. "Real allies strive for tangible, lasting systemic improvements to company policies, practices, and culture," Williams writes.

The relative importance to employees of financial compensation has dropped 11% in the last 10 years, but benefits that doubled in importance in that time include medical, life insurance, dental, vision, wellness and child care, according to an analysis by PwC and TrueChoice Solutions. Factors such as work-life balance, career progression and training have tripled in importance.

Job openings have surged, according to a Labor Department survey, leading to realignment in employee-company relations as workers rethink what they want in a job. Companies can take certain steps, such as recognizing the importance of work-life balance, to attract and retain talent in this environment.

Breathing exercises that can help people relax and reduce stress include basic deep breathing, alternate nostril breathing, fist pump breaths, skull shining breathing and breath meditation, writes yoga instructor and health coach Stephanie Mansour. "Having a moment of mindfulness with breathwork at the beginning of the day can help add consistency and structure to your routine," Mansour writes.

Space's relative void means there's little to no sound, although spacecraft have managed to pull some recordings from other bodies, such as winds on Venus. A recent video documentary mixes reality and imagination to portray how sound might function on Mars, the moon Titan and other areas of our solar system.

Dr. Michael Bell is the deputy director of the CDC's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. He will discuss Project Firstline, a new initiative to bring CDC content to frontline health care workers, with APIC CEO Devin Jopp. Wednesday, Aug. 11, from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. Registration is free for APIC members. Learn more.

The Annual Conference Committee invites you to submit a proposal for the APIC 2022 Annual Conference scheduled for June 13-15 in Indianapolis. Educate your peers and contribute to the field of infection prevention and epidemiology by submitting a proposal for consideration! Submit by Aug. 15.