Surfers can't control the ocean, but can learn to read and ride its waves, which mirrors a skill leaders must learn about their business as well, writes Steven Gonzalez, the president & CEO of HealthView Home Health and Hospice & Palliative Care, who notes that waiting for perfect conditions leads to missed opportunities, especially in fast-moving areas like AI. "The goal is not to surf faster, but to stay on the wave longer, guiding others with clarity and purpose," Gonzalez writes.

Put it into practice: You can't control market shifts, technological advances or evolving human needs, Gonzalez writes, but you can accept unpredictability, listen carefully before acting and respond with humility. "Respecting the 'ocean' of context doesn't make a leader passive, it makes them more agile."

Poor vision among leaders can prevent them from recognizing how managers are treating employees, which may lead to organizational problems such as eroded confidence and a lack of prompt, aligned action, says S. Chris Edmonds, an executive consultant with The Purposeful Culture Group. Edmonds highlights the importance of proactive observation and feedback systems, sharing an example of a client who uses a simple online feedback form to stay informed about employee and customer experiences.

Put it into practice: One of Edmonds' clients created a system to address feedback gaps: every outgoing email includes a link to a simple feedback form. This allows both customers and staff to easily share positive recognition or frustrations, which are promptly reviewed and routed to the relevant parties for response, so leaders stay informed about workplace culture.

Giving feedback requires courage, especially if the input is negative, since no one wants to get a defensive response, writes Shari Harley, founder and president of Candid Culture, who recommends putting people at ease by asking for feedback, defining what type it should be, thanking them for giving it and deferring any response to negative feedback for later. "You're not being dismissive; you're ensuring your emotions don't take over. If you want to have a second conversation, have it within a week," Harley advises.

Put it into practice: When you receive negative feedback, tell the person you want to think about what they've said and you will get back to them, Harley writes, noting that anything you say in the moment may sound defensive. "Putting a conversation on hold will require a good deal of self-control, but the rewards are great."

Provide input and move aside. The overwhelming majority of you (80%) will provide input to your team members when they're passionate about an idea (even if you're not) and then stand aside to let them proceed with it. The wisdom in this approach is it keeps team members engaged because they get to drive their ideas. They may also find new ways of doing things you've never thought of -- you don't have a monopoly on being right. And if they're wrong and your reservations play out the way you thought they would, it becomes a learning opportunity for that team member and next time they have an idea they're more likely to listen to your guidance and incorporate it. The final benefit is you get to work on other things while they focus on driving their own projects.

-- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS, which includes TITAN -- the firm's e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: "One Piece of Paper," "Lead Inside the Box" and "The Elegant Pitch."

First-time CEOs should ask key questions during the final interview to assess board alignment, strategic clarity, management of disagreement and evaluation processes, writes Jill Nowacki, president and CEO of Humanidei. "The final interview provides the opportunity to ask questions that uncover whether that partnership is grounded in alignment, clarity and trust: Essential qualities in successful Board-CEO relationships," Nowacki writes.

A precise system of overlapping tables in the Mayan lunar calendar is responsible for the ancient civilization's remarkable accuracy in predicting solar eclipses for more than 700 years, researchers write in Science Advances. By resetting the tables at calculated intervals, the Mayans corrected accumulating errors in the Dresden Codex, a manuscript that contains a 405-lunar-month eclipse table that originated as a lunar calendar aligning with the Mayan 260-day astrological calendar, according to the paper.

One of the hottest topics these days -- not just in the energy sector, but across the entire economy -- is the anticipated energy demand from AI data centers. One tactic many big firms are embracing is colocation. With the 'Bring Your Own Power' (BYOP) trend on the rise, Jeffrey Jakubiak, a partner at Vinson & Elkins LLP, outlines the specific load demands AI data centers place on the grid. Jukubiak also discusses the variety of challenges the US must overcome in order to build out enough generation capacity to meet data center demand.

It's nice to be praised for a job well done, but often it's difficult to hear critical feedback. It's challenging, too, for those giving the negative feedback, Shari Harley writes, because those receiving it tend to "freak out" or become defensive.

The truth is, we all need feedback, both praise and criticism, so that we can grow our skills. Harley recommends being both specific and explicit in what kind of feedback you want.

Instead of a vague "Let me know if I'm doing anything wrong," you could say: "Can you observe me leading the next team meeting on Thursday morning, and afterward tell me how I managed the discussion, what I missed and how the pace felt?" This specificity demonstrates seriousness and gives the feedback-giver a concrete moment and lens.

Instead of responding immediately to feedback, thank the person and let them know you'd like to consider it before answering, then follow up within a week. This can help deter any feelings of defensiveness and build trust and a sense of openness.

Asking for high-quality negative feedback requires a rhythm: invite it with clarity, create the conditions for it, receive it without defensive reaction and follow up with thoughtful reflection. That approach increases the likelihood that others will speak up, and that you will gain insights that might otherwise remain hidden.

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