Workplace "alphas" are often portrayed as "competent jerks," but David Sinkinson, the cofounder of AppArmor, writes that in the animal kingdom, alpha leaders work collaboratively within their community, express empathy and lead by example, something human leaders should emulate. "Don't buy into toxic alpha behavior because you think it's necessary for business," Sinkinson writes.

Put it into practice: A recent survey showed that the majority of employees who had empathetic bosses reported higher engagement and innovation, Sinkinson notes. "The next time an alpha starts pounding their chest and bullying your team, call them out. The data supports you, and chances are your team supports you, too."

As you're building your business plan for 2025, executive coach Dave Coffaro encourages you to consider a different set of questions than those you may have used previously as a way to explore new areas of growth and success. Coffaro's nine questions center around customer expectations, external forces that may change those expectations and identifying risks that may be within your control.

Put it into practice: When considering your 2025 business plan, Coffaro recommends focusing on customers and asking questions from that vantage point about risk, opportunities and how you've been defining success. "This inquiry is an invitation to take a step back and ask: is our strategic vision aligned with the evolving reality of tomorrow's business landscape?"

A LifeStance Health survey found 79% of US employees are anxious about the upcoming presidential election, but wellness leaders and therapists say employers can help alleviate the stress by offering mental health resources and employee assistance programs, giving people flexible time off for voting and encouraging positive conversations. "Employers need to care because election stress can affect employee productivity and morale," says Nicholette Leanza, a LifeStance Health therapist.

Put it into practice: Before and after the election can be a time of stress for employees, and it's important to remember that there is no "one-size-fits-all" way of handling it, experts say. Training managers in active listening, conflict management and defusing tense situations can be helpful as well.

When Lisa Su became CEO of Advanced Micro Devices in 2014, she was faced with the daunting task of transforming a flagging semiconductor company, which she did through risky innovation and talking to everyone involved, from engineers and customers to those working in the labs. "Because you don't always hear everything sitting in your office, and that's been very helpful for me," Su notes.

Research reveals that different fears, such as those of spiders, heights and public speaking, activate separate brain regions, challenging the long-standing "fear circuit" model, according to a study in The Journal of Neuroscience. The study used MRI scans to demonstrate that fear responses are not uniform, and these findings could lead to more effective therapies for phobias and anxiety disorders by acknowledging the diverse neural pathways involved in fear.

Emotions can run high in election seasons, with everyone rooting for their candidate. It's easy to fall into the mindset of demonizing or "othering" those who may disagree with you and your candidate, and it's easy for those heated emotions to spill over into the office.

As a leader, we must lead everyone on our team, whether we have similar or differing political points of view. Data shows that more than two-thirds of workers are worried about this year's contest, which means leaders must create an environment where everyone can feel safe. That involves encouraging respectful conversations, addressing concerns, creating safe spaces for employees who feel overwhelmed and reminding your team to see each other as fellow humans and not adversaries.

Acknowledge your team's stress as well as their feelings and offer support in the form of empathy as well as any other resources including employee assistance programs and flexible working arrangements such as remote work days and time off for voting.

Set boundaries on political discussions within the office and encourage your team to disconnect from the news and take time in nature or other hobbies that they enjoy.

Even after the election, the stress may continue or increase depending on what happens. Preparing now and putting a plan in place can help you keep your team productive and cohesive, no matter their differing opinions.

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