#leadership

It’s a joke! I was training 3 people to replace me. All 3 were 2+ my PSG.

Not just a new CEO, but Sycamore also named a new EXECUTIVE chairman John L. For those unaware an executive chairman has more power and authority than a regular chairman of the board. Executive chairman has a lot more say over day to day operations of a company. And essentially the CEO reports to the executive chairman. Plus like most boards they tend to operate behind the scenes, as opposed to more out front like a CEO. Get ready for virtually no transparency. Plus on a side note, no mention of Stefano's role in the new company.

I know this may be a bit of paranoia and this could genuinely be Mike reshuffling leadership, but with the stock not doing well and rumors of company cutting costs I think it's a bit of a hint that there may be lay offs soon.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/27/google-executive-says-company-has-cut-a-third-of-its-managers.html?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-20250828

Sampath’s post is pure smoke and mirrors. “Transformation in months”? Please. The only thing that’s transformed is how fast leadership churns out buzzwords while frontline employees are buried in RTO nonsense, broken systems, and nonstop cost cuts.

“Once in a lifetime opportunity”? For who — the execs on stage collecting fat paychecks while the business bleeds customers and morale tanks? The Value team isn’t setting a new standard — they’re just the latest props in Verizon’s never-ending PR circus.

Growth? Sure, in empty slogans and staged photo ops. Out here in the real world, Verizon is shrinking.

Hi all. My partner works in design and I’ve been hearing stories about leadership and making his job harder. Just curious-who is responsible for leadership? Who’s making sure they are doing a good job?

Nike's apparel leadership is sleepwalking through a masterclass in mediocrity, churning out clothes that fit like a midlife crisis and feel like a betrayal of their own "Just Do It" mantra.

Earth to Beaverton: the market is screaming for fitted, functional, and actually wearable gear, but you're too busy peddling baggy, outdated designs that belong in a clearance bin at a discount store. Lululemon, Vuori, and Fabletics are eating your lunch because they get it consumers will pay for quality, fit, and style.

Meanwhile, Nike's stuck in a 90s time warp, dressing athletes like they're auditioning for a Kohl's sale rack.

Your 25.7 line was a half-hearted nod at progress, but it’s still a swing and a miss. Not everyone wants to drown in oversized fabric that screams "I gave up." Take a look at golf, poor Scottie Scheffler looks like he’s wearing a hand-me-down tent every weekend. Your "standard fit" polos are a joke, forcing players to tuck in yards of excess fabric just to avoid looking like they raided their dad’s closet. Golf shorts? Baggy, long, and about as flattering as a potato sack.

Running shorts are fine, congrats on getting one thing right but your golf joggers are an insult to anyone who values style or function. Sweats are not joggers, Nike. Get a grip.

Who’s modeling these designs? A team of couch potatoes who think "athleisure" means "loungewear for Netflix binges"? The market is begging for fitted cuts, premium materials, and sizing that doesn’t assume every customer is built like a linebacker.

Consumers are dropping serious cash on brands that respect their bodies and lifestyles. Lululemon’s stock is proof of that. Nike, you’re sitting on a goldmine of opportunity, but your apparel team is too busy sniffing their own fumes to notice. Step up, ditch the initio, or keep handing the apparel crown to brands that actually listen to the market.

This was done solely for profit. In a time of a weak job market, aggressive inflation, and the dawn of AI, they just crushed people’s lives for money. At a recent summer regional, Penny stated a few times, “over my dead body will this place be sold”. When you have to be that declarative, then you know the field and home office no longer trust you. She is the female version of Andy Sieg. She also stated she is rewriting the Partnership. To change the required age of MP retirement? Perhaps we have a dictator on our hands. Perhaps to change the by-laws to make it easier to sell? She has hired inexperienced EJ leaders for her ELT…external hires, in a sense creating a board of directors. And when she sells, guess what? The GPs get the premium or excess paid for the equity…you as a LP will only get your capital back. Reminds me of 2008 with another proud St. Louis institution - Anheuser Busch. August the 4th was incompetent Iike Penny and he too “invited the barbarians in the gate” meaning the executives from InBev which allowed them to plan the takeover.

So thank you heir dictator you truly are a “penny stock” - you bring little to no value and come with many disclaimers.

It’s pretty clear leadership isn’t thinking beyond the next quarterly report. The long-term impact of shedding talent, experience, and skill doesn’t seem to matter at all. No matter how well or poorly a company is doing, there are always cuts, so there’s more money for the people at the top. Leadership doesn’t care about efficiency. They care about the bottom line, right here, right now.

https://index.hu/gazdasag/2025/08/27/sap-hungary-kirugas-vezetes-felsovezetok-elbocsatas-vallalatiranyitas/

They fired the entire leadership after it was found out they organised s-x massage rooms and dr-gs on a conference.

Wonder if there were such rooms when Christian went there this year and if their goodbyes were so heartfelt and the severence so high as for Jürgen. Or do you have to se-----y harrass a colleague to be praised?

Dear colleagues,

I never imagined I’d be writing an email like this. After almost 20 years with Edward Jones, I’ve been told I no longer have a place here. While I was encouraged to accept the narrative that our leadership team “cares” and that none of this should come as a surprise, I cannot leave without speaking my truth.

This firm is not what it once was. I remember sharing coffee with Jim Weddle and even his predecessor—leaders who embodied stability, integrity, and care for associates. What I’ve experienced in recent months is the exact opposite: a process that has been dehumanizing, disheartening, and nothing short of a debacle.

On more than one occasion, I was thrown under the bus to “save face” for our department, taking the heat for situations that were not mine to own. Work that should have been properly regulated by others was instead pushed onto me, leaving me to answer for nonsense that should never have been allowed in the first place. Carrying those burdens silently was one of the most demoralizing parts of my time here.

And then, with less than an hour’s notice, I was pulled into a meeting with a general partner—someone who had already announced her own exit from the firm—and an HR representative. In that moment, after nearly two decades of loyalty, I was told my job was gone. No warning, no dignity, no appreciation for the years of sacrifice. Just a cold, abrupt ending.

To add insult to injury, my most recent leader—the best leader I have ever had in almost two decades at this firm—was demoted. Make it fu--ing make sense. I am so angry, and I will never understand why this happened.

Meanwhile, we’ve watched Penny take home almost $30 million in bonuses in the last year. We’ve watched ALT members hired who don’t even live anywhere near St. Louis—the supposed heartbeat of the firm. We’ve watched David move to BACA and his New York high-rise. And months ago, we were already told we should just be “thankful we have jobs.” How tone deaf can you get?

Even worse, I literally trained someone who came in with no relevant background — a former shoe store manager — and watched as she was fast-tracked into senior leadership. Today, she’s untouchable as a general partner. That’s the kind of favoritism and politics that has replaced merit, hard work, and decades of dedication.

To those who think their jobs are safe, I urge you to think again. I was targeted long before this outcome, despite years of service and dedication. I’ve had colleagues tell me my communications were authentic, my work was valued, and that my exit is a mistake. Yet I’ve learned firsthand how quickly perceptions can be twisted, and how little “receipts” matter when people in power decide otherwise.

I’ve poured my heart and soul into this place. When my mom was dying of cancer, I worked 65 hours a week—balancing the phones, managing 14 contractors and interns, and carrying the responsibilities of multiple roles—all while being her sole caregiver. I gave everything I had to this firm. To now be told I wasn’t “good enough” is something I cannot accept as truth.

What pains me most is knowing Ted would be heartbroken by what’s happening. His vision was one of partnership, people-first values, and building something greater together. That spirit feels lost.

I know many of you have seen what’s happening on places like layoffs.com. I won’t hide behind an anonymous username or light up threads online. This is my story, and it’s just one example of the human cost behind these decisions.

To those who reached out with genuine kindness—thank you. Your words reminded me that my worth isn’t defined by a firm that has lost its way.

I leave not bitter, but resolved: to speak my peace, to hold my head high, and to remind you that no one is immune.

— A fellow associate

I saw some noise about “whistle -blowing” on coworkers for “off-channel” communication. Just so everyone’s on the same page, here’s what actually counts according to FINRA/SEC — and what doesn’t.

What off-channel rules are really about:
They’re meant to stop sensitive business communications (like client details, financial transactions, confidential company info) from happening on unapproved apps (WhatsApp, iMessage, personal email, etc.), because regulators require those to be monitored and archived.

What does not fall under off-channel:
• Layoff discussions: Talking with coworkers about who was laid off or how it happened is a protected right, not an off-channel violation.
• Leadership narratives: Pointing out inconsistencies in company/GP messaging is workplace discussion, not regulated business communication.
• Gossip/personal chatter → Not business communication, no compliance issue.
• Sharing Information or organizing → 100% protected by labor law. Companies cannot punish or monitor you for this, no matter the platform.
• General job updates (“I’ve been swamped with calls today”) → Not regulated business activity.

If someone suggests you can’t talk to coworkers online or that you’ll get in trouble for discussing your rights, that’s a scare tactic. Don’t confuse compliance rules with attempts to silence employees. If they try to take action against employees that share information this falls under retaliation.

Bottom line: Off-channel rules exist for business compliance, not for controlling everyday conversations or stopping employees from organizing.

Money was never and will never be my God.

Today’s announcement was the best thing ever. Offer it widespread. I agree there are countless old id--ts who need to leave. (And I am one of them). They are expensive. They don’t give a cr-p. They are barriers to moving work along. The absolute worst are in ET. Time and technology has left the 50+ folks in the dirt. Hand it off to the people who care.

We don't need the money , we are a great company....maybe not with the best leadership?

https://x.com/howardlutnick/status/1959957716715078114

you know its bad when after the recording this guy still thinks this is good.

#theywerewhowesaidtheywere

reading previous post how AI will lead to next round layoffs I have a proposal, hear me out.
let's be clear most of leadership all the way to VPs are basically walking chatbots, you don't even need "thinking" AI models to replace them, some older ones will do the job. Then add agents workflows to generate endless stupid powerpoints and initiatives, randomize meeting creation and that's it. At least that kind of leadership will do a better job - faster, more accessible, zero price, less d-mb noise, jokes and posts. Their shallowness and lack of any deep knowledge is literally any area is insane.

Worthless anyway, at least we save some money, win win!?

I would just like to say that the firm has taken a noticeable turn when PP became the MP. What I don't like is that now we have members of the Executive Leadership Team that don't even have to live in StL. That used to be the norm - you're a Partner, you have to move to StL. How can leaders that don't live in StL immerse themselves in the EJ culture? They can't.

We now have ELT members that live in NYC. I'm sorry, but there is nothing in EJ's culture that aligns with NYC's culture. This is only one part of the disconnect - and it's why we have associates commenting here and at the firm their suspicions about David Chuback. He is NOT EJ culture, and PP is fooling herself if she thinks he could be a trusted confidant.

I just hope she doesn't ruin the firm before she retires in 2030.

What are people's thoughts on how ER will enable the firm to execute with more speed and efficiency? Honestly, I was optimistic when they first announced it because the firm had become so bloated and convoluted that it was difficult to get anything done. But the rollout seemed more focused on short term cost cutting and may seriously backfire on "increasing speed and efficiency" since we lost so much firm knowledge (aka the only people who know how to fix certain systems since they were part of creating them, people who know undocumented processes or work arounds for the many broken systems). I'm worried this will just make things so much worse and make jobs so much harder for those who remain. It's like leadership is operating on an entirely different plane of reality; one where we are a rocket ship instead of bogged down by decades of under investing in tech and poor process design. Over the past 2 years I have experienced them deprecating systems and teams in anticipation of solutions that never seem to materialize. The "running the business" work gets harder and harder with no end in sight.

Who will be voted off the magenta island next?!

Rumor mill is saying Frier announcement coming before retail season kicks off.

I’m guessing Sievert is gone in January. New year and whole new senior leadership team.

One common theme about Canon is clear: it doesn’t matter which building you work in, the problems are the same. Canon doesn’t suffer from a lack of talent.. it suffers from a lack of leadership. Employees show up, work hard, and carry the company forward, while management hides in endless meetings, promotes favorites over performers, and makes decisions that protect themselves at everyone else’s expense. Supervisors are handed titles without the skills to actually lead. The facade of care may look good on paper, but the reality employees live every day tells a very different story, no matter how polished the corporate messaging may look

October is right around the corner and its layoff season again at HMH. Massive customer problems with this years back to school. Lots of customers asking for their money back. New CTO, with an attention span problem and flare for unprofessional behavior, dead set on getting rid of most of the technology staff. 80 hour work weeks. continuous stream of abuse to drive people to quitting so they don't have to pay severance pay..... and the result is?, you guessed it, October is fast approaching, massive layoffs both in technology and across the company. One cannot imagine why year after year of layoffs could have possibly resulted in such bad outcomes.

Many non-american directors and VPs in US are surviving by feeding on work of their remote teams. They have no technical, no planning, and no managerial ability. They cannot contribute to strategy and not set direction for the team.
Theiremote team wastes time explaining work to him so he can brief higher-ups, but there poor grasp and inaccurate updates create confusion and more effort. Out of insecurity, they misrepresent successes as their own foresight, blame failures on remote leads, and withhold information from remote leads to keep them from becoming threats. They even avoid involving remote leads in meetings with other american peers and managers, ensuring they are cut off from visibility and credit. Careers in remote teams depend on their patronage, not merit; loyalists are rewarded, independent voices punished. Their insecurity, politics, and favoritism fracture the team and poison the culture.
Have you come across such leaders ??

It’s because our leadership doesn’t know how to lead. Extremely poor communication upward and downward. Probably the worst in the industry. It’s why we are perpetually in the position we are in externally and internally. Literally All of them need to be removed for folks better suited to these roles. We are effectively leaderless with just some puppets occupying those positions. The senior mrgs, heads of x and dept are the worst at this. No bad people just horrible mgrs and leaders. And truth is they are comfortable they don’t want to change or for things to change.

OP: @b6+1k3kqvjzn

This is definitely the root of our problems. Bumping the post up for visibility.

At what point do all these "ideation" sessions and powerpoints revolving around AI amount to actual working products in production and increased productivity? We are on year 3 of the company mindlessly pushing this cr-p on people, and all we have to show for it is document summarizing and code review "agents".

When is the board going to ask Candyman when these multiplicative productivity increases that he promised are going to materialize? When will there be an expected return on investment for all this money lit on fire for AI? Cuz right now its all just charlatans making GPT wrappers and demoing to clapping seals while it bugs out

It doesn’t get more ridiculous: while the ELT is carrying out further layoffs, nearly 20,000 salespeople and useless middle managers are being flown to Vegas to party. How is that compatible with the layoffs and the H1B scam? GSX must cost over 100 billion USD with those private concerts. A slap in the face for all customers, employees, and partners who pay a lot but get less service .. or get fired.

Spent years giving my all, and now all the constant chaos and cuts have destroyed any motivation. Leadership keeps getting rid of people and acting like we can still deliver miracles. I’m done going above and beyond just to see it wasted. Every task feels like a battle, and my patience has finally run out.

Proof that there is life after IBM. Check this out Carla has a new job. She only lasted 11 months at IBM and now she is failing up!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bigtime-software-adds-former-ibm-150000890.html

This feels like torture at this point.

Asking for an IT head, who promised it 3 years ago.

After reading these posts and the moral crushing from leadership, I am so glad I retired when I did. Besides a great severance and now being richer than sn-t, I no longer have to put up with endless layoffs and outsourcing to other countries. Best decision I ever made.

How many of these affable, not business savvy PSG 26-29 leaders do we have? Annoyingly, many routinely block their Mondays for extended vacations. They make every school and coaching event. Rarely in the office more than 2 days a week. I swear, it’s like they work part time, dolling out work while away. I’m talking line leadership (B&C) and functions (especially Law!!). Christ!

Define for leadership what the holiday is meant to signify vs how it is practiced at Intel.

Manufacturing
Design
Finance
IT
Marketibg
Sales

FIS has developed a structure where the ratio of management roles far outweighs the size of the actual technical teams. Over time, this has led to many highly skilled technical contributors leaving the organization, while a significant number of non-technical leaders have been added at the SVP, VP, Sr. Director, Director, and Sr. Development Manager levels. Much of this work could be more effectively coordinated under a strong, technically proficient project manager. In its current state, even senior leaders such as Stephanie may not have full visibility into which teams are truly driving delivery and creating measurable value for the company.

Keep the pressure on them. Make sure your voice is heard. The survey results and public shame are not going well for baldy. They want you to shut up and fall in line like sheep. Don’t do it! The more you speak up the sooner change will come.

We're seeing a growing number of employees leave, and it's not hard to understand why. Compensation is not competitive, and raises or promotions are often withheld even when clearly deserved. Many of us are experiencing burnout and ongoing stress. The culture at Advance isn’t what it once was. While there’s an effort to make it seem like progress is being made, particularly by HR (Kristen Soler specifically), there’s still a noticeable gap between what’s promised and what’s delivered. She’s skips over the questions everyone is asking and pivots to the unnecessary details no one cares for. If the company truly wants to address high turnover, meaningful changes in leadership may be necessary. A lot of us have stayed because we value our teams and the relationships we've built here. But even that’s starting to feel like less of a reason to stay, especially as more colleagues leave and leadership continues to shift.

And did you wonder if that was Elliot Management?

Rumor is the board has engaged an efficient expert- what would you tell them to do/look at first?

I’ll start- you could easily cut 50% of the grade 15’s and above and 80% of executives with no real impact and use that money to fund real workers.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/atts-leadership-crisis-arrogance-financial-collapse-legacy-gnall-9qfoc

I checked out Centene's thread on this site. If I hadn't seen a post saying Centene takes Humana rejects, I would have thought it was also a Humana thread. The similarities were astounding.

In a town hall he said something along the lines of "this next year will be just as hard as last, I can't do anything about your pay, but how often do you get to be part of such a big opportunity?"

Does anyone have more details or confirmation he actually said this?
How out of touch are these people?

What are you reading from this announcement? While many saw this coming, what are the implications for IA?