Leadership is one of those semi-tangible skills that they try to teach in schools but can really only be learned in the real world. The best we can do, in my opinion, is to model ourselves after leaders who consistently inspire their people to achieve greater outcomes than they themselves could ever imagine.
I would recommend studying the work of Coach Dan Campbell, who has taken the Detroit Lions from decades of humiliation and failure to the precipice of the Super Bowl. We lead this week with NYT’s examination of how this man inspires his players, but I would be remiss if I did not shout out the team’s owner, Sheila Hamp Ford, who committed to a vision four years ago and has never wavered. I recommend the NYT’s treatment of the Ford/Campbell regime for any aspiring leader. Rowing against the grain while ignoring a chorus of critics is never easy, but it is crucial to disruptive success. Go Lions.
We have a bunch of great content outside the world of sports this week, as well. Mark Emerson’s blurb on a rogue self-driving taxi had me laughing and pondering the bumpy road toward autonomous autos; Maggie Johnston looks at some unintended consequences around the impending TikTok ban; Mike Bova takes on Jamie Dimon’s back-to-office mandate at JPM; Anne Marie Malecha unpacks some interesting data on Americans’ attitudes toward our food; and Kaci Donegan provides some cool recommendations for your next big city vacation, by bringing the “true crime” phenomenon to life.
As we finalize the presidential transition this weekend, our team is ready to move on from election-obsessed news cycles and begin impacting narratives and outcomes for our clients. It feels like 2025 begins in earnest next week, and we’ll continue to share what we’re learning and pondering throughout the year.
Thanks, as always, for reading along with us.
Here we go.
Sports.
NYT. The genius of Dan Campbell.
I’ll never forget my grandfather telling me that he had no choice but to end his status as an active fan of the Detroit Lions. “They have disappointed me for decades; I hope for the Lions’ success, but I can’t be a part of this anymore.” Note that this conversation took place in the early 1990s.
Fast forward an additional 30 years of misery, and my Lions are on the verge of a serious run at a Super Bowl. The reason for that is the leadership of Coach Dan Campbell.
NYT has a bunch of quotes from premier players talking about how Coach Campbell does what he does, but there are three key themes that are applicable to any aspiring leader of people: (tunnel) vision, commitment and authenticity.
Campbell was roundly mocked for the first 18 months of his tenure in Detroit. By completely ignoring that criticism, measuring progress internally, repetitively communicating a vision and path for his players, and wearing his heart on his sleeve, Campbell has fostered the most loyal and committed roster I have ever seen. The proof is in the pudding; they set a franchise record for wins and are the 1-seed in the NFC for the first time in the franchise’s history.
This is a guy that aspiring leaders should study. It’s not easy to chart an insanely ambitious course for your squad, especially with uninformed outsiders with massive platforms mocking your every move. But succeed or fail, no one can ever fault Coach Campbell for doing exactly what he said he would do, every step of the way.
– Josh Culling
Business.
Forbes. JPMorgan Reportedly Ending Remote Work For More Than 300,000 Employees
In a move that might officially mark the end of the COVID era in Manhattan, JPMorgan Chase is reportedly ending work-from-home for more than 300,000 employees.
This decision follows announcements from big names like AT&T, Amazon, and Walmart; the largest bank in the U.S. is “ending the hybrid-work option for thousands of staff,” according to a forthcoming announcement.
CEO Jamie Dimon is the defining force behind this move; he believes that collaboration and employee engagement are best done face-to-face. However, it might also have something to do with the nearly $300 million they spent on their Park Avenue building, which is largely vacant during the week.
This is a major shift compared to a year ago. Employers now have a lot of leverage due to the competitive job market and are demanding a return to pre-COVID protocols. This move might also be a strategic way to shed some staff without having to make layoff announcements, which every communicator dreads.
I personally don’t see a massive benefit to forcing employees to either pay higher rent to live closer to midtown or spend what could be 3 hours total each day commuting. But I guess people talking about the NFL playoff games near the communal fridge will make up for it?
As a double whammy for these folks returning to the office, they are left with the decision to either pay a congestion toll to drive into the office or return to the mass transit commute. I don’t envy either choice.
– Mike Bova
Technology.
Fortune. A Waymo passenger filmed his self-driving cab losing control and driving in circles endlessly
If you’re in California, Arizona, Texas, or Miami, you might have spotted a new kind of rideshare cruising the streets – Waymo. These self-driving cars are being marketed as a driverless tech-savvy alternative to Uber and Lyft. But, as with all groundbreaking technology, there are still a few glitches to iron out.
Recently, a Waymo passenger documented his autonomous taxi spiraling into chaos, driving in circles for several minutes in a Hertz parking lot as he panicked about missing his flight. Customer support couldn’t immediately intervene, leaving him stuck until the system resolved itself. Ultimately, the Waymo got back on track, and he made his flight.
Now, even given that slight hiccup, I personally couldn’t be more excited about driverless innovation. Over the holidays, I had the chance to try a Waymo ride. The Waymo Jaguar arrived on time, spotless, and gave me full control over temperature and music – all without the distraction of a chatty driver pitching his YouTube channel or comedy career. It’s the future. While some of my colleagues might disagree, I’m here for it. Next up: pilotless airplanes.
– Mark Emerson
Policy.
NYT. Americans’ Petty Protest… and a National Security Nightmare
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deliberating banning TikTok, citing national security concerns due to its parent company, ByteDance, based in Beijing, China.
In protest, hundreds of thousands of Americans are turning to Xiaohongshu—known in the U.S. as RedNote, a Chinese-owned version of TikTok. For many, the shift to RedNote isn’t about the app itself but rejecting government control over their digital lives.
Ironically, RedNote poses a greater risk to national security than TikTok. As a fully Chinese-owned app, it’s more likely to share user data with the Chinese government. What many Americans see as a petty protest is actually a gift to the Chinese government.
From the U.S. government’s perspective, this is a nightmare. Efforts to ban TikTok have been delayed for years due to legal challenges, and the same would likely happen with RedNote. In the meantime, vast amounts of sensitive data—like location tracking and browsing habits—could be collected.
The irony isn’t lost on Americans, with many joking about “welcoming the Chinese spies” as they make the switch. But what they may not realize are the consequences. Knowingly supporting China could mean landing on watch lists, being blocked from security clearances, or failing background checks (it might sound paranoid, but it’s not out of the question).
In the end, the RedNote migration is a dangerous game of chicken with serious national security risks.
– Maggie Johnston
Culture.
WaPo. The next phase of the true-crime boom? Themed tours.
True crime is a cultural obsession. From documentaries on Netflix to the thousands of podcasts, people cannot seem to get enough of the stories behind some of the most infamous criminals and unsolved cases. So much so that some major cities are giving fans a new way to experience some of history’s most notorious crimes.
Offering guided tours that take you through the actual crime scenes of America’s most well-known criminals, these cities are capitalizing on the true crime fascination. In New York, these tours explore everything from the roots of organized crime to the city’s most popular unsolved mysteries. Chicago’s tour takes you into the Prohibition era, highlighting the reign of gangsters like Al Capone. And Los Angeles offers a look into the darker side of Hollywood – where celebrity scandals and horrific crimes have shaped the city’s history.
While I will never be one of those people who needs to listen to the stories of violent crimes to fall asleep at night – there is no doubt something intriguing about stepping into the stories of America’s most famous criminals. For anyone fascinated by the true crime phenomenon, these tours provide a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the history behind the headlines.
– Kaci Donegan
Health.
CNN. The US is in a steep decline of food enjoyment – which has impacts on health, data shows
Both eating healthy and food satisfaction are on the decline in the United States and in other Western countries, according to new research from Gallup. Participants from more than 140 countries were queried as to how they think about what they’re eating, how healthy they consider their food, how much joy they got out of eating it, and how much food choice was available to them.
By the numbers, globally, 81 percent of people said in 2023 they enjoyed their food in the past week, down from 87 percent the year before. And about 75 percent of people said they ate mostly healthy, compared with 82 percent in 2022.
While Gallup and CNN seem to be surprised by this, I am not. While we have more choices than ever before with fast casual, grocery delivery, etc., food has become about convenience rather than enjoyment. Fewer and fewer find pleasure in cooking, and that’s if they know how to cook at all. That’s before factoring in rising costs. It seems like on every trip to the grocery store, you spend more and take home less.
In my experience, memorable, savored meals happen more at restaurants or at home on holidays. Everything in between is about fuel and function. This article suggests that’s not good, and we should stop doom scrolling or watching TV while we eat. Meanwhile, you can find me eating Trader Joe’s latest and greatest prepared meal option while catching up on British crime dramas on BritBox.
– Anne Marie Malecha