David Kahn

Thrilled to announce that my new book is officially out! Check out #DontDrinktheKoolAid, a recovery guide for toxic work environments, leaders, and career paths. Order your copy now! #BookLaunch shorturl.at/m9koN

Why is it so hard to speak up and productively disagree at work? #BetsyKauffman shows how to bring the candid conversations that usually happen at the watercooler out into the open with four practical strategies. ted.com/talks/betsy_ka…

The #MagicBullet is a widespread belief that organizational success requires leaders to master the latest leadership style-specific framework. Does the newest leadership fad truly lead to increased effectiveness, or is there a simpler way? fisher.osu.edu/blogs/leadread…

A company’s future depends on the new directions it explores and develops today — and that requires different structures and capabilities from incremental innovation. sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-ei…

If you're the always-reliable team member others look to in a crisis, you're courting disaster, writes #LuisVelasquez. Break the cycle by shifting from being the crutch to empowering others and establishing healthier, more resilient teams. hbr.org/2026/02/when-b…

Growth requires the right mix of outlook, strategy, and capabilities. Top leaders achieve their goals by turning five mindsets into action. mckinsey.com/capabilities/g…

#AvaniPrabhakar explains how flexibility and asynchronous collaboration in a distributed workplace can unlock global talent, level the playing field for introverts and increase productivity ted.com/talks/avani_pr…

A culture of accountability is shaped by the structures, systems, and support of leadership. With a feedforward approach and a growth mindset, leaders shift accountability from blame to development. psychologytoday.com/us/blog/our-in…

According to @Gallup’s Q4 2025 data: women lead men by 6 percentage points in workplace engagement, and 31% of women (vs 23% of men) say they “very often” or “always” feel burned out at work gallup.com/workplace/7028…

If you want to improve your mental health, should you exercise more, spend more time in nature, take up meditation, etc? Good news, according to new research, there are many different effective approaches to improving wellbeing. bps.org.uk/research-diges…

Too many growth strategies stall because leaders don’t treat them with the same rigor they apply to other long-term investments. Here’s how to avoid that trap. mckinsey.com/capabilities/g…

We all have bias - especially the unconscious kind - and it prevents us from doing our best work. It makes employees feel resentful, frustrated and silenced. Check out three key ways to reduce bias at work ted.com/talks/kim_scot…

New research finds that firms led by CEOs who grew up amid severe disasters — floods, hurricanes, earthquakes — reported significantly fewer workplace injuries than comparable firms (about 24% less). theconversation.com/ceos-who-exper…

U.S. workers’ sense of accountability for customer experience exceeds their confidence in their organizations’ ability to deliver on customer promises as staffing levels decline, finds @Gallup gallup.com/workplace/7023…

Leaders often face a dilemma when acting on employee feedback: Rapid changes can be perceived as inauthentic, while gradual changes are seen as more genuine. Research finds the importance of pausing hbr.org/2026/02/leader…

The @McKinsey State of Organizations 2026 report highlights sharper focus on performance at a time of tech innovation, economic disruption, and changing workforce structures mckinsey.com/capabilities/p…

Want to be a better leader? Learn from the worst so you don't repeat their unethical ways #DontDrinktheKoolAid koolaidculture.com

Why is everything so much funnier when you're not allowed to laugh? #MichaelSpear explains the neuropsychology, from autonomic functions to contagion and lack of release theconversation.com/why-its-funnie…

A new paper outlines our obsession with morbid curiosity, and how it drives us to explore ambiguous situations bps.org.uk/research-diges…

A few months ago I submitted, "Don't Drink the Kool-Aid! Recovering from Workplace CULTures" to Publisher's Weekly for a book contest. It was a long shot, but not as long as I thought--found out last night that it placed in the semifinals! Quarterfinalists, here we come!

Misperceptions about the reach and durability of competitive advantage are hurting many companies’ profits. Five rules from @McKinsey can help organizations maximize their edge over peers mckinsey.com/capabilities/s…