It feels like a while since the last What’s Hot Wednesday for Business Leaders. I know why—I actually, finally took all the advice we publish about the importance of taking a break…and I took a break. We went on vacation to Hawaii, stayed 11 days, loved every minute of it. Wonderful experience. Of course, the weather was picture perfect and I boogie boarded just about every day. Great food, wonderful people, and I got to see sea turtles (honu) in their natural habitat. Definitely going back and of course reminding everyone how mind expanding it is to have new views.

And you know I read constantly, so I have lots of interesting items to share with you to help your business-leader self see new opportunities to help you and your teams shine:

• Bloomberg’s Businessweek Instagram account shared a nifty quick read of 8 companies to watch in 2022 and why.
• When women are humble in their self-reporting on performance reviews, the numbers can contribute to pay and promotions setbacks. This article from Chief helps leaders see and address the issues.
• Is this a trend? Everytable is a chain that prices differently based on median household income in its locations. The food is prepped in a central spot and distributed fresh from there and managed for freshness at each location. Hmm, is there something in here for other businesses.
• Have you heard the wisdom of the late MIT professor Patrick Winston on the 3 keys to success? I read this recently and was blown away by the simplicity, and frankly, the accuracy. I loved it so much I shared with my team, and they were discussing it with enthusiasm too.
• Flying anywhere soon? Bought your tickets way back when? You may want to check out this story on knowing your rights in case the airline changes your plans.
• More travel tips, those these apply anytime you’re tempted to use free Wi-Fi.
• While layoffs at Netflix and a few other tech companies are making the news, and should not be ignored, other tech companies are working hard to retain employees with salary increases and perks.

Do Good Spotlight On: Nadia’s Initiative

I recently learned about the work of Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador, in advocating for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. She was taken captive in 2014 when ISIS attacked her homeland in Sinjar to ethnically cleanse Iraq of all Yazidis. Since Nadia’s escape from ISIS captivity, she has become a powerful advocate for women in conflict settings and survivors of sexual violence worldwide. We are featuring Nadia’s Initiative to lend our support, and as always, we made a donation to take that support further. You can learn more about Nadia and her work here.

• The idea of turning abandoned malls into farms…and more.
• Have you seen stories like this, where rather than penalizing people, in this case, kids, organizations are digging deeper and working to address the why of the issue to come up with better answers. I love the way fresh POVs can bring about positive change.
• Bothered by the thought of strangers peering into your (digitized) windows? Here’s how to blur your home on Google Street View.
• Are you surprised empathy is the most important leadership skill? According to new research, it is. Agree or disagree, here’s an article all about it from Forbes.

Well, I hope this was a worthwhile issue for you. Please reach out if you’d like to chat about any of the above. We’ve got a long weekend coming up and this Memorial Day, please remember to take some time to honor those who gave their lives in protection of our country.