The Washington, D.C., architectural firm that President Donald Trump tapped to design his White House ballroom is known for its ornamental, classical architecture, but the firm’s work is not generally known, even by design aficionados.
Crews are now demolishing the entirety of the East Wing for an expansive, $250 million new space designed by McCrery Architects, which compared to the detailed, hi-fi portfolios of today’s most prominent architectural firms, has a strikingly light online footprint.
The firm’s site shows only contact information for new commission inquiries and a slideshow of work that includes artist renderings of the planned ballroom. There’s no longer a list of its projects, but an archived list reveals a CV that leans ecclesiastical. Its Instagram account is bare. “Committed to Tradition and Excellence,” its bio reads, but there are no posts.
The firms portfolio is heavy on churches, and it’s now fast building up public-sector work, driven by a love of classical American architecture.
“The very best American architecture is classical architecture once made American,” James McCrery, the firms founder and principal, said last year during a talk at the conservative Hillsdale College. “Americans love classical architecture because it is our nation’s formative architecture and we love our nation’s formation.”
Here are some of the firms most notable projects, as its work on one of the most iconic buildings in the U.S. gets underway.
Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Knoxville, Tennessee [Photo: Nheyob/Wiki Commons]
Ecclesiastical architecture
Catholic churches are the most common building type in the firm’s portfolio.
McCrery Architects has designed several houses of worship, including the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville, Tennessee; Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh, North Carolina; and Our Lady of the Mountains in Highlands, North Carolina.
St. Mary Help of Christians, Aiken, South Carolina [Photo: Jude.anthony1972/Wiki Commons]
The firm’s design for St. Mary Help of Christians in Aiken, South Carolina, won the John Russell Pope Award in 2017 for the traditional architecture contest’s Ecclesiastical Design over 3,000 square feet category. In a 2015 reflection about the building, McCrery said the church was “designed to encourage and strengthen all in the Faith . . . [and] intentionally made to be beautiful,” which typifies his and his firm’s approach to design.
This year, McCrery Architects was awarded for the baptismal font at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Gloversville, New York.
Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, North Carolina [Photo: Farragutful/Wiki Commons]
McCrery’s work in academia
McCrery Architects designed the University Saint Mary of the Lake Feehan Memorial Library in Mundelein, Illinois, and the Saint Thomas Aquinas Chapel at the University of Nebraskas Saint John Newman Center in Lincoln.
Public-sector work
The firm’s government work has grown from designing a statue pedestal and gift shop to making one of the biggest changes to the most famous federal government building in the U.S. Here are the details.
[Photo: Architect of the Capitol]
McCrery designed the pedestal for California’s statue of Ronald Reagan for the National Statuary Hall Collection in 2009. Each state can send two statues to the collection at the U.S. Capitol, and McCrery made the Tennessee Rose marble pedestal for artist Chas Fagan’s statue of the late president and former California governor and actor. The pedestal includes concrete pieces from the Berlin Wall.
McCrery’s firm also designed the U.S. Supreme Court’s book and gift shop, and, according to the Catholic University of America, the North Carolina state legislature commissioned the firm to create a master plan for its historic State Capitol Grounds.
The White House ballroom
The firm’s White House project is now its most visible workand it’s most controversial.
[Rendering: whitehouse.gov/McCrery Architects]
The sudden demolition to make room for a privately funded addition shocked at least one former White House resident, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation asked the Trump administration and National Park Service to pause until plans can go through the legally required public review processes that it says include consultations, reviews, and public comment.
[Rendering: whitehouse.gov/McCrery Architects]
Trump’s White House makeover parallels his attempts at expanding presidential and state power, and represents an outward, physical manifestation of a wider Trump project to remake the presidency and leave a mark in his second term.
Like using emergency economic powers to impose tariffs or sending National Guard troops into U.S. cities, Trump’s power plays today feel anything but precedented or traditional. Traditional, though, is exactly what the architect who designed his grand ballroom is trained in.
Paris Hiltons been an entrepreneur, a reality TV star, a DJ, an author, a model, a singer, and an activist. But she says school felt like torture.
Sitting still under fluorescent lights surrounded by beige walls made me feel trapped instead of inspired, she tells Fast Company via email. Traditional environments were too flat, too uniform, and too quiet to support the way I think.
It wasnt until after being diagnosed with ADHD in her late 20s that Hilton began to understand how to hone her energy and creativity and how the physical spaces where she worked impacted her ability to focus.
Over the years, Ive learned that when a space feels alive, so do I, she says.
Data from 2024 shows that almost a fifth of Americans are neurodivergent. According to 2023 research from Deloitte, over half of Gen Z workers identify as such. Yet even as awareness of neurodivergence in the workplace grows, most employers still struggle with fully accommodating these communities: 93% of workers in these groups say they burn out because of it. Over a third even hide their status altogether, out of fear of being stigmatized.
[Photo: Ashley Osborn]
And with ADHD specifically, recent surveys show that one in four Americans suspect they have it, but are undiagnosed (and diagnoses are rising). Studies also suggest people with ADHD are more creative, and that they also thrive as entrepreneurs.
But because of their challenges with executive functions like attention, time management and emotional regulation which can cause heightened sensitivity to stimuli like noise and light, and can be exacerbated when they feel physically constrained most workplaces still unintentionally work against them.
Hilton and her partner, the neurodivergence nonprofit Understood.org, offer valuable insights into:
The big companies already reimagining their offices to be more inclusive
What psychologists and design experts advise to best create offices for these groups
How inexpensive and low-barrier making these changes can be
As neurodivergence awareness has increased in recent years, businesspeople besides Hilton have opened up about their neurodiversity. Bill Gates opened up earlier this year about having ADHD, and Richard Branson, who is autistic, champions causes for the autism community.
But the discussion around how most workspaces arent designed to best accommodate neurodivergent workers has only gained traction relatively recently.
Thats what inspired Hilton to design one herself, collaborating with neurodivergence nonprofit Understood.org on the design of her home, and the new headquarters of her entertainment company, 11:11 Media. The neurodivergent-friendly workspace in Los Angeles features seats that enable different postures and a variety of chairs to choose from, sensory-friendly lighting designed to minimize glare and flickering, natural materials like plants and wood (which research has found effective in combating ADHD symptoms) and play areas that encourage free movement. Theres also the Sliving Sanctuary, a cozy space with weighted blankets and flicker-free lighting for brain breaks.
It was a chance to build a space that celebrates different ways of thinking and working, Hilton says.
Typical spaces constraint atypical brains
The wrong workspace can affect anyones productivity, but thats especially true among the neurodivergent, a classification that includes those with ADHD, dyslexia, autism and other cognitive differences.
Recently, more high-profile companies have taken similar steps to make their spaces more accommodating to neurodiverse workers, like Etsy, SAP and Microsoft. But theres still lots to do to help close the gap, activists argue especially since such a huge swath of the workforce is neurodivergent, and traditional offices make them distracted and unproductive at best, burnt out and underemployed at worst. And as more and more companies push for return-to-office, many workers in this group may again face the challenges of working in spaces that simply werent designed for them.
[Photo: Kevin Ostajewski]
In a lot of workspaces, we see things like open floor plans, which can be extremely distracting, says psychotherapist Sarah Greenberg, Understoods vice president of expertise and strategic design. Many workers have long found open floor plan offices noise levels and chaotic setting difficult to work in, particularly those in the deaf and autistic communities.
Greenberg adds: We see a lack of natural light, which can really halt inspiration. We see limited places to move, which can make it really hard when the neurodivergent brain needs that to bring our best selves to work. For those with ADHD, even stiff chairs can feel restrictive, making it harder for them to concentrate and ultimately perform their best.
In school we were told, stay in your chair, you need passes to use the restroom. Aspects of that culture have bled into workplaces, says Dr. Andrew Kahn, psychologist and associate director of expertise and strategic design for Understood. When neurodivergent individuals feel constrained physically, they often also feel constrained mentally, which can stifle innovation, creativity, focus and productivity.
[Photo: Kevin Ostajewski]
But this cohort has a unique way of thinking that can prove a significant asset. A new study from the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology in the Netherlands found that ADHDers tendency for their minds to wander can actually lead to more creativity and innovation. Allowing these folks to bring their gifts to the table requires spaces designed to meet their unique needs.
It can be the difference between needing to stay home in order to get anything done, or actually being able to be [productive] in that shared space, Greenberg says. It can be game-changing.
Low-lift changes that make a big difference
Creating a more inclusive space, however, doesnt necessarily require the resources of an heiress or celebrity. Research suggests many of the most impactful accommodations cost $500 or less.
For example, standing desks and tactile items like fidget toys have been proven effective in enabling those with ADHD to channel their excess energy without breaking concentration. Noise-cancelling headphones can help block out distractions for those with sound sensitivity. Research also suggests offering a variety of chairs like bean bag chairs, couches and even yoga mats or chairs that can be used in a multitude of positions can make them feel less constrained, both physically and mentally.
For the ADHD brain if you cant see it, it doesnt exist, Greenberg says. For example, in your office supply area, using clear bins that are clearly labelled takes away that cognitive load. Greenberg explains that short-term memory and organization are both challenges for people with ADHD, and that a little extra support with both can go a long way.
When it comes to design, it’s not about having interior decorating skills, its about understanding the neurology of brains that think differently and then applying those best practices to the physical container in which we do our work, Greenberg says.
Hiltons workspace takes into account things like noise control, natural lighting, visual stimuli and textures. Standing desks and alternative workspaces are available throughout the office, and staff are encouraged to move to the workstation that best suits the task at hand.
The 25-person staff of the LA-based media company, which promotes customer brand voices and social causes through film, TV and other media, are also surrounded by natural materials, like plants, flowers, wood, and a living wall.
Hilton says that the effort she put into creating the space isnt just about enabling herself and her staff to do their best work. Its about pushing a bigger conversation forward.
I want 11:11 Media HQ to be a model for whats possible when we prioritize the needs of those who are neurodivergent, she says.
People with ADHD or other neurodivergent traits are often some of the most imaginative thinkers in the room.
Hurricanes are Americas most destructive natural hazards, causing more deaths and property damage than any other type of disaster. Since 1980, these powerful tropical storms have done more than US$1.5 trillion in damage and killed more than 7,000 people.
The No. 1 cause of the damages and deaths from hurricanes is storm surge.
Storm surge is the rise in the oceans water level, caused by a combination of powerful winds pushing water toward the coastline and reduced air pressure within the hurricane compared to the pressure outside of it. In addition to these factors, waves breaking close to the coast cause the sea level to increase near the coastline, a phenomenon we call wave setup, which can be an important component of storm surge.
Accurate storm surge predictions are critical for giving coastal residents time to evacuate and giving emergency responders time to prepare. But storm surge forecasts at high resolution can be slow.
As a coastal engineer, I study how storm surge and waves interact with natural and human-made features on the ocean floor and coast and ways to mitigate their impact. I have used physics-based models for coastal flooding and have recently been exploring ways that artificial intelligence can improve the speed of storm surge forecasting.
How storm surge is forecast today
Today, operational storm surge forecasts rely on hydrodynamic models, which are based on the physics of water flow.
These models use current environmental conditionssuch as how fast the storm is moving toward shore, its wind speed and direction, the timing of the tide, and the shape of the seafloor and the landscapeto compute the projected surge height and determine which locations are most at risk.
Hydrodynamic models have substantially improved in recent decades, and computers have become significantly more powerful, such that rapid low-resolution simulations are possible over very large areas. However, high-resolution simulation that provide neighborhood-level detail can take several hours to run.
Those hours can be critical for communities at risk to evacuate safely and for emergency responders to prepare adequately.
To forecast storm surge across a wide area, modelers break up the target area into many small pieces that together form a computational grid or mesh. Picture pixels in an image. The smaller the grid pieces, or cells, the higher the resolution and the more accurate the forecast. However, creating many small cells across a large area requires greater computing power, so forecasting storm surge takes longer as a result.
Forecasters can use low-resolution computer grids to speed up the process, but that reduces accuracy, leaving communities with more uncertainty about their flood risk.
AI can help speed that up.
How AI can create better forecasts
There are two main sources of uncertainty in storm surge predictions.
One involves the data fed into the computer model. A hurricanes storm track and wind field, which determine where it will make landfall and how intense the surge will be, are still hard to forecast accurately more than a few days in advance. Changes to the coast and sea floor, such as from channel dredging or loss of salt marshes, mangroves or sand dunes, can affect the resistance that storm surge will face.
The second uncertainty involves the resolution of the computational grid, over which the mathematical equations of the surge and wave motion are solved. The resolution determines how well the model sees changes in landscape elevation and land cover and accounts for them, and at how much granularity the physics of hurricane surge and waves is solved.
AI models can produce detailed predictions faster. For example, engineers and scientists have developed AI models based on deep neural networks that can predict water levels along the coastline quickly and accurately by using data about the wind field. In some cases, these models have been more accurate than traditional hydrodynamic models.
AI can also develop forecasts for areas with little historical data, or be used to understand extreme conditions that may not have occurred there before.
For these forecasts, physics-based models can be used to generate synthetic data to train the AI on scenarios that might be possible but havent actually happened. Once an AI model is trained on both the historic and synthetic data, it can quickly generate surge forecasts using details about the wind and atmospheric pressure.
Training the AI on data from hydrodynamic models can also improve its ability to quickly generate inundation risk maps showing which streets or houses are likely to flood in extreme events that may not have a historical precedent but could happen in the future.
The future of AI for hurricane forecasting
AI is already being used in operational storm surge forecasts in a limited way, mainly to augment the commonly used physics-based models.
In addition to improving those methods, my team and other researchers have been developing ways to use AI for storm surge prediction using observed data, assessing the damage after hurricanes, and processing camera images to deduce flood intensity. That can fill a critical gap in the data needed for validating storm surge models at granular levels.
As artificial intelligence models rapidly spread through every aspect of our lives and more data becomes available for training them, the technology offers potential to improve hurricane and storm surge forecasting in the future, giving coastal communities faster and more detailed warnings about the risks on the way.
Navid Tahvildari is an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Florida International University.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Job interviews are nerve-wracking at the best of times. But for those who see themselves as introverts, they can be extra intimidating.
Its not due to a lack of skill. The ability to think on your feet and sell yourselfno doubt important in the interview processtends to come more easily to those who go through life a little more extroverted.
And yet more Americans see themselves as introverted than extroverted. Contrary to conventional wisdom, thats not necessarily a bad trait in the workplace: Research has found that introverted leaders outperform extroverts by 28%, driving higher productivity from their teams.
Connar Walford, student success lead at the U.K. jobs and career advice website TargetJobs, offers five strategies that introverts can utilize to ace a job interview.
The Energy Anchor
The idea of being put on the spot in an interview is enough to make any introverts heart race and palms sweat. That’s why thorough preparation is essential for anyone, but for introverts in particular.
Walford suggests identifying up to five “energy anchors” before even setting foot in the interview room. These are previous work wins that you can recall with ease. These can be anything from receiving a compliment from a peer to working on a successful project, he says. These anchors help to regulate the nervous system and maintain your confidence throughout the interview.
The Power of Silence
While some extroverts might dominate conversations, introverts can be skilled listeners, giving them an edge over the competition. Those pauses to compose your thoughts before speaking? Theyre not awkward. In fact, they can be a superpower.
People often feel that they need to fill a silence. However, instead of rushing to speak, utilize it, Walford says. A calm pause can signal authority, thoughtfulness, and composureall great working traits.
Reframe the interview
Rather than regarding the interview as your one shot to impress the hiring manager, heightening an already intimidating situation, you could flip the script. Look at it as an opportunity to determine if the role is the correct fit on both sides of the coin.
This reframes the power dynamic from performing to connecting, eliminating the fear of being judged,” Walford says.
The interview doesnt end when the door closes
Many introverts might be tempted to run from the room as fast as possible and wipe it from memory before the overthinking kicks in. Remember, although the interview itself may have ended, the process hasnt.
Always send an email post-interview thanking those present, including any info that may have slipped your mind, and ask any additional questions, Walford says. This shows professionalism, gratitude, and a strong interest in the role.
Navigate Energy
The interview process can be draining for anyone, but particularly for introverts who typically lose energy during social interactions.
Remember to manage your energy pre-interview by fitting in quiet time, Walford says. This helps navigate potential overstimulation, buildup of nervous energy, and fatigue.
Afterward, schedule some well-deserved alone time, and reward yourself with whatever fills your cup back up. Perhaps that’s coffee and a sweet treat.
Or a glass of wine in the bath. Youve earned it.
One minute, you’re watching a hilarious or even completely bland YouTube short. The next? You realize you’ve just lost an hour of work time or managed to stay up way too lateagain. Losing track of time when watching shorts is not an uncommon experience.
But now, YouTube wants to help you set limits to stay on task, hit the hay, or just, ya’ know, not lose precious hours of your life to Shorts.
On Wednesday, the video streaming giant rolled out a new timer feature on its mobile app. When users log on, they can go into their settings and click on “shorts feed limit” to set a timer that will remind them to stop scrolling. Once users hit their time limit, the app will send them a notification letting them know they’ve reached their limit. Of course, it’s not hard to dismiss the timer and keep on watching Shorts. Still, the feature may help to nudge users to get back to work.
Shorts are a core part of the YouTube experience, YouTube said in its announcement. Setting a scrolling time limit on the Shorts feed allows for this exploration while helping users be more deliberate about their viewing habits and manage their time effectively.
When it comes to setting time limits for scrolling, this isn’t YouTube’s first effort. The company has already had both “Take a Break” and “Bedtime” features in its mobile app settings. And while other social media platforms, like Instagram and TikTok, have since added similar features, YouTube was one of the first streaming platforms to help users put their phones down.
Earlier this year, YouTube announced it was doubling down on its bedtime reminder feature for teens, which became automatic in 2023. At the time, Jon-Patrick Allen, a professor of social and behavioral sciences at Rutgers School of Public Health, told Fast Company that users will still have to exercise some self-restraint. It will be effective for a small proportion of people, but the onus is still on the user to turn it off.”
Allen added, “These are all cosmetic things that may work for some people, but arent really going to shift user behavior.
Either way, the move feels like an invaluable one. According to YouTube internal data, per Sprout Social, last year, YouTube Shorts averaged 70 billion views a day. And it’s not just Gen Alpha and Gen Z who are endlessly watching YouTube hijinx: 25-to-34-year-oldsa combination of both Gen Z and millennialsare the platform’s most diligent viewers. No wonder workers are distracted and groggy.
Venture capital powers innovation, yet investment decisions still favor the familiar. From the original design of the industry to the women reshaping its future, the patterns that drive investment may be poised for change. Is venture capital ready for a new outfit?
On October 25, 1988, the Womens Business Ownership Act (H.R. 5050) was signed into law, granting women the right to own and operate businesses without a male cosigner. This landmark legislation was a breakthrough for womens economic independence. Yet by that time, generations of deal making had already embedded a pattern of men investing in men.
Pattern matching is woven into the fabric of venture capital itself, such that investment in women-led startups has been stagnant at only 2% for more than 15 years, dropping even below that percentage in 2025. Venture capital, founded by men, invests in the familiar. Whether you mark the birth of the industry in 1946 on the East Coast with the establishment of the American Research and Development Corporation, or in 1961 on the West Coast with Davis & Rock and the rise of Silicon Valley, there is one truth: Men invested capital in men for decades before women could even own a business.
PATTERN MATCHING AND THE SCIENCE OF RETURNS
Fast forward to 2013, and pattern matching had become part of the investors craft. In a New York Times profile, a partner at Y Combinator (YC) described reviewing video interviews with founders applying to the accelerator to identify predictors of failure: When you have to talk yourself into something, its a bad sign. Such rapid assessments may well have relied on pattern matching. With YC partners predominantly male, could this instinct have influenced cohort selection?
The stakes are high: In the Winter 2024 batch, YC admitted just 260 companies from more than 27,000 applicationsan acceptance rate under 1%. Based on self-reported data, only 21% of those companies had a woman founder, and just 11% of the founders were women.
If decision making in venture capital were driven by data rather than psychology, more women-led startups would be funded. Women-led startups generate more revenue per dollar raised than their male counterparts, and companies with a female founder have outperformed all-male founding teams by 63%. Morgan Stanley estimates that investors lose $4.4 trillion each year by underinvesting in women and people of color. Yet year after year, only about 2% of venture capital dollars flow to women-led startups.
DISRUPTING AND UNRAVELING THE PATTERN
To address the lack of access to capital, organizations are working on multiple fronts: expanding the pipeline of women entering venture capital, accelerating the career growth of emerging fund managers, and providing mentorship to empower female founders. A systemic issue requires multiple points of disruption to effect a systemic shift.
Sourcing is a pivotal leverage point, influencing which founders are included in the consideration set of strategically aligned, high-potential deals. Twenty-eight percent of venture capitalists are women, and many of themanalysts, associates, and principals in male-led firmsare responsible for sourcing startups as part of the deal flow process.
What if women sourcing deals were able to more efficiently identify women-led startups aligned with the investment thesis of the venture capital firm, expanding the consideration set and unraveling the threads of pattern matching?
Efficiency means moving beyond the familiar networksthe same elite schools, the same geographic hubs, the same social circlesthat reinforce pattern matching.
MOVE THE NEEDLE
Thank you to the women, and especially the National Association of Women Business Owners, who advocated and lobbied for this landmark legislation. And to the women entrepreneurs and the women invested in them who still persevere, knowing that progress may not be fully realized in their lifetimes.
Shannyn A. Smith is founder of The Capital Boutique.
Social media platform Reddit sued the artificial intelligence company Perplexity AI and three other entities on Wednesday, alleging their involvement in an industrial-scale, unlawful economy to scrape the comments of millions of Reddit users for commercial gain.
Reddit’s lawsuit in a New York federal court takes aim at San Francisco-based Perplexity, maker of an AI chatbot and answer engine that competes with Google, ChatGPT, and others in online search.
Also named in the lawsuit are Lithuanian data-scraping company Oxylabs UAB, a web domain called AWMProxy that Reddit describes as a former Russian botnet, and Texas-based startup SerpApi, which lists Perplexity as a customer on its website.
It’s the second such lawsuit from Reddit since it sued another major AI company, Anthropic, in June.
But the lawsuit filed Wednesday is different in the way that it confronts not just an AI company but the lesser-known services the AI industry relies on to acquire online writings needed to train AI chatbots.
Scrapers bypass technological protections to steal data, then sell it to clients hungry for training material. Reddit is a prime target because its one of the largest and most dynamic collections of human conversation ever created, said Ben Lee, Reddits chief legal officer, in a statement Wednesday.
Perplexity said it has not yet received the lawsuit but will always fight vigorously for users rights to freely and fairly access public knowledge. Our approach remains principled and responsible as we provide factual answers with accurate AI, and we will not tolerate threats against openness and the public interest.
SerpApi’s customer success director, Ryan Schafer, said in an email: We strongly disagree with Reddits allegations and intend to vigorously defend ourselves in court.
Oxylabs didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. AWMProxy could not immediately be reached for comment.
Reddit compares the companies it is suing to would-be bank robbers who can’t get into the bank vault, so they break into the armored truck instead. The lawsuit alleges they are evading Reddits own anti-scraping measures while also circumventing Googles controls and scraping Reddit content directly from Googles search engine results.”
Lee said that because they’re unable to scrape Reddit directly, they mask their identities, hide their locations, and disguise their web scrapers to steal Reddit content from Google Search. Perplexity is a willing customer of at least one of these scrapers, choosing to buy stolen data rather than enter into a lawful agreement with Reddit itself.
Reddit made a similar argument in its lawsuit against Anthropic, alleging that the company ignored Reddit’s appeals to cease using its content. That case was initially filed in California Superior Court but was later moved to federal court and has a hearing scheduled for January.
Along with digitized books and news articles, websites such as Wikipedia and Reddit are deep troves of written materials that can help teach an AI assistant the patterns of human language.
Reddit has previously entered licensing agreements with Google, OpenAI, and other companies that are paying to be able to train their AI systems on the public commentary of Reddits more than 100 million daily users.
The licensing deals helped the 20-year-old online platform raise money ahead of its Wall Street debut as a publicly traded company last year.
Matt O’Brien, AP technology writer
In todays world, where success is often tied to financial accomplishments, status, and impressive job titles, Warren Buffett offers a refreshing perspective: True success is about the love we share.
Yes, love.
Buffett once said, Basically, when you get to my age, youll really measure your success in life by how many of the people you want to have love you actually do love you.
Buffetts wisdom gets to the core of what matters, reminding us that, ultimately, lifes real currency is the relationships we nurture that lead to two-way love.
Who do you want to have love you?
Are you a leader, manager, founder, or CEO with scores of people looking at you for guidance, support, motivation, and leadership? I have news for you: Love, in the right business context, does indeed matter for leadership. Thats the premise for my book, which will be released in March of 2025. The big idea behind the chapters I wrote may challenge your belief system.
Lets do a quick thought exercise. When we loosely throw the word “love” around in casual conversation, its perfectly natural to express it regarding certain people, places, and things. Think about it. Its acceptable to profess love for a favorite sports team. I have no problems sharing with others that I love my Los Angeles Dodgers and bleed Dodger blue.
Professing love for the college or university we attended is acceptable. Its even perfectly acceptable to proclaim our love for a special pair of jeans we might wear only a few times a year.
In the workplace, we may go home and proudly tell our loved ones, I love my job, or I love my coworkers. But leaders arent always comfortable expressing love for a team of people they oversee. They may spend nearly half their waking hours with their employees doing good work to the satisfaction of customers, yet they find it hard to infuse the word love into the business lexicon.
To me, that type of thinking is bizarre. For every leader ashamed of or fearful of mixing love with work, I point to 10 others whose leadership behaviors unabashedly demonstrate love for their team, company, customers, culture, and everything they contribute to the world.
While Im certainly an idealist, Im far from depicting the workplace in some Utopian, Norman Rockwell-portrait of the perfect corporate life. You must do your part by stretching your thinking to reimagine the possibilities for a more loving, human-centered, and humane workplace that results in profitable outcomes.
As a leader, you have the power to create a workplace where love and care are not just words but guiding principles. Let me ask you: What if you saw your colleague, coworker, or direct report as a real person with real hopes, dreams, and fears as crucial as your own? And what if, one day, you decided to connect to the heart of people at work as you would a good friend, as one human being caring for another? This is the power and responsibility of leadership in creating a loving workplace.
As you imagine being in this frame of mind, let me ask you another question: How would the dynamics change in the workplace as you encountered new challenges and solved complex business problems with the very folks you are kind to and care about? I believe the workplace and how we conduct business as usual would radically differ.
This is especially true if youre in a leadership role, whether youre the shift lead supervisor of five people on the manufacturing floor, the founder of a 50-person startup, or a Fortune 500 company CEO.
People also want to experience purpose, growth, and success in their jobs and feel their leaders are doing their best to care for them. Thats the bottom line: People want to feel cared for. But I call it for what it really is.
In this age of toxic polarization, finger-pointing, and looking after No. 1, that, right there, is the new measure for your success. As Buffett said, when its all said and done and you reflect on your achievements in life, it would be great if you could confidently say to yourself, Because of my willingness to care for and serve others, and because I put people first, I am loved.
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Marcel Schwantes
This article originally appeared on Fast Companys sister publication, Inc.
Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.
General Motors just offered a glimpse into an AI-powered future in which drivers read a book or answer texts while their cars whisk them to their destinations.
On Wednesday, the company announced its plans to introduce a suite of advanced software systems into its vehicles, bringing the traditional automaker up to speed on in-vehicle technology. At its GM Forward media event in New York, GM outlined its near-term plans for reimagining cars as intelligent assistants that drive their owners around.
The company announced a major update to its driving assistance system that would bring hands-free, eyes-off highway driving to vehicles, starting with the Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028. The technology will rely on integrated lidar, radar, and cameras, and a new internal and external turquoise lighting system to signal that the self-driving tech is active. The new eyes-off driving technology will push beyond the limits of GMs existing Super Cruise system, which offers hands-free highway driving but requires a drivers attention.
Next year, GM also plans to add Googles Gemini AI into its vehicles, making it possible to talk to your car as naturally as you would to a fellow passenger. Down the road, GM plans to introduce its own AI assistant tied into OnStar, its subscription service that offers safety, security, and navigation features. The company says its future custom AI could be useful for explaining one-pedal driving in your new vehicle, spotting a maintenance issue early, or finding the perfect place for dinner.
In a controversial move, GM apparently plans to abandon support for connecting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto through a smartphone in all of its vehicles, pushing an in-house custom infotainment system instead. For potential car buyers already accustomed to phone projection systems, the decision sounds like a nonstarter. On The Verges Decoder podcast, GM chief product officer Sterling Anderson likened the decision to Apple removing the disk drive from its laptopsa strange analogy and a risky bet, considering CarPlays popularity and ease of use.
GM also announced plans to debut its own centralized computing platform that will run under the hood in both its gas and electric vehicles. The platform will weave together disparate systems like propulsion, steering, safety, and infotainment, uniting them on a single, high-speed computing core that is set to debut in the 2028 Escalade IQ. In other high-tech investments, GM will expand its program for home energy capture and storage, and integrate more collaborative robots to supplement its human workforce.
GMs outlook brightens
Looking forward, we believe our investments in advanced technologies, manufacturing, and talent will build on our solid foundation and make GM even more innovative, resilient, and capable of leading through change, GM CEO Mary Barra said in the companys earnings call this week.
GMs stock popped on Tuesday, jumping the largest amount in almost six years after the company adjusted its expected annual profits upward. The automaker attributed the positive outlook to new policies meant to lighten the impact of tariffs on U.S. car makers and its own plan to reduce its losses on electric vehicles, which have taken a hit under Trump.
With the evolving regulatory framework and the end of federal consumer incentives, it is now clear that near-term EV adoption will be lower than planned, Barra said. That is why we are reassessing our EV capacity and manufacturing footprint. . . . By acting swiftly and decisively to address overcapacity, we expect to reduce EV losses in 2026 and beyond.”
In spite of lapsing EV tax credits and an administration steering in the opposite direction, GM still calls electric vehicles its North Star.
This year has not been a great one for grocery stores, with chains like Kroger and Safeway closing locations in recent months.
Now, the Southeastern grocery chain Winn-Dixie appears to be following in their footsteps, with its parent company planning to sell or possibly shutter 32 Winn-Dixie stores by the end of 2025 as its focus shifts to its home state of Florida.
It will also transition or close eight Harveys Supermarket locations. The 40 stores impacted span Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Southeastern Grocers (SEG), the Jacksonville, Florida-based company that owns both chains, posted a list of stores that it will transition, with some identifying new operators such as Piggly Wiggly and Super 1 Foods, and others marked “pending.”
It’s unclear which of the pending stores will close and which will transition to new ownership. Reached for comment by Fast Company, SEG reiterated that it has “reached agreements or is advancing plans with multiple grocers.” It said store closures are expected by the end of the year, but did not elaborate.
SEG further noted that southern Georgia will maintain stores in Brunswick, Folkston, Lake Park, St. Simons Island, and Valdosta. The company expects the transitions will be completed by early 2026.
A new name for a new era
SEG announced the transitions and closures alongside news that it will rebrand as the Winn-Dixie Company. The new name will roll out by early 2026.
The change honors Winn-Dixies century-long legacy while positioning the grocer for growth through investments designed to modernize stores, enrich the customer experience, and reimagine the neighborhood grocer for the next 100 years, the soon-to-be Winn-Dixie Company stated in a press release.
The company is also expanding, despite the divestitures. Its acquiring Hitchcocks Markets in three Florida cities: Alachua, Keystone Heights, and Williston. Each will become a Winn-Dixie, with the Williston location expected to open by the end of the year and the other two locations slated for summer 2026.
These new stores and transitions will leave the company with about 130 grocery stores and 140 freestanding liquor stores.
SEG is also moving forward with dozens of remodels while growing its liquor store portfolio and its own product offerings. Plus, it will be piloting tools such as third-party delivery and return kiosks.
