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The latest thinking from across business, in brief.
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What Is Included

Hot Topic
& Checklist

A key topic for great leadership, right now.

High performance
management

The latest ideas and fresh thinking from around the world.

Innovation
leadership

New findings on building the innovative enterprise.

Expert
Viewport

Guest expert shares their latest insights on the future of leadership

Recent Hot Topics
Research

Global Inequalities and the Social Protection Floor

Global inequality has reached alarming levels, with the richest 1% of the world’s population now owning 40% of all global financial and non-financial assets (Zucman, 2019). The Social Protection Floor (a framework of minimum social security guarantees adopted by the International Labour Organization in 2012) represents the international community’s response. This Hot Topic explores what these issues mean for CR&S delivery across industries and why they cannot be treated as distant concerns.

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KnowledgeBrief

Global Inequalities and the Social Protection Floor

The Role of CR&S in Organisations and Governance
Research

The Role of CR&S in Organisations and Governance

Where CR&S sits in an organisation, determines whether it shapes decisions or reports on them retrospectively. This research article explores how governance structures influence what a CR&S function can achieve. Understanding this relationship is essential for any practitioner who wants to build a CR&S capability that creates lasting impact rather than one that operates at the margins of organisational life.

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KnowledgeBrief

The Role of CR&S in Organisations and Governance

Responsible Corporate Approaches and Societal Value
Research

Responsible Corporate Approaches and Societal Value

What does it mean for a business to be genuinely responsible, and does responsibility have to come at the cost of commercial success? This Hot Topic explores the relationship between responsible corporate approaches and societal value, drawing on research to show how organisations that align business goals with wider social benefit are building more resilient, trusted and competitive enterprises for the long term.

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KnowledgeBrief

Responsible Corporate Approaches and Societal Value

CR&S, Reputation, Branding and Talent
Research

CR&S, Reputation, Branding and Talent

A credible CR&S strategy does not only reduce harm, but most importantly it actively shapes how an organisation is perceived, how it presents itself, and who chooses to work for it. In this hot topic, we will examine the evidence for how CR&S strategy influences organisational reputation, branding and talent management, and what this means for CR&S practitioners making the case for responsible practice in their own organisations.

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KnowledgeBrief

CR&S, Reputation, Branding and Talent

Responsible Corporate Approaches and Mutual Benefit
Research

Responsible Corporate Approaches and Mutual Benefit

Responsible corporate approaches are not simply the right thing to do; they create genuine, mutually compatible benefits for organisations and the societies they operate within. This Hot Topic explores how responsible practices generate organisational value and societal benefit simultaneously and help CR&S practitioners evaluate the range of approaches available to their own organisations.

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KnowledgeBrief

Responsible Corporate Approaches and Mutual Benefit

Understanding Organisational Direction and Priorities
Research

Understanding Organisational Direction and Priorities

Organisational direction explains why work matters, what is changing and which priorities should guide daily decisions. This research introduces purpose, stakeholders, external pressures, internal capability and performance measures. It helps learners connect their role to organisational goals, recognise competing priorities and make better choices when supporting change, service quality and improvement.

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KnowledgeBrief

Understanding Organisational Direction and Priorities

Personality Awareness and Communication Style
Research

Personality Awareness and Communication Style

Personality awareness helps leaders understand how their natural preferences may affect communication, relationships and decision making. This research explores how personality, emotional intelligence and communication style interact in everyday leadership. It encourages leaders to recognise their own patterns, avoid labelling others and adapt messages so they are clear, respectful and suitable for the person, purpose and situation.

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KnowledgeBrief

Personality Awareness and Communication Style

Understanding Leadership Styles
Research

Understanding Leadership Styles

A leadership style is the way a person influences, supports and directs others. Different styles affect confidence, motivation, decision making and performance. This research introduces common leadership styles and explains why effective leadership is rarely about choosing one fixed approach. It encourages leaders to understand their natural tendencies, read the situation and adapt their behaviour ethically to the people, task and context.

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KnowledgeBrief

Understanding Leadership Styles

Technology-Task Fit (TTF) Theory
Research

Technology-Task Fit (TTF) Theory

Technology-Task Fit (TTF) theory helps organisations choose technology that suits the work, rather than choosing a tool because it is new or popular. It asks three practical questions: What task needs improving? What can the technology reliably do? What support do people need to use it well? This hot topic explains how organisations can use TTF to assess AI and automation opportunities, reduce poor-fit decisions and build stronger evidence for a business case.

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KnowledgeBrief

Technology-Task Fit (TTF) Theory

Models of AI Integration and Adoption
Research

Models of AI Integration and Adoption

AI adoption is easier when organisations choose the right model for decisions. The Prosci AI Integration Framework identifies which tasks should remain human, be supported by AI or be automated. McKinsey's Rewired framework considers the wider conditions needed to create value. The Double Diamond and Design Thinking Loop help teams understand needs, develop ideas and test solutions. Together, these models offer a practical route from opportunity to responsible AI at scale.

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KnowledgeBrief

Models of AI Integration and Adoption

How we can help

Become a Leader Your Employees Want To Follow

Become a Leader Your Employees Want To Follow

What makes a great leader?

Creating a Happier and Healthier Workforce

Creating a Happier and Healthier Workforce

Sustain a positive and psychologically healthy workforce

Better Management Training, Better Results

Better Management Training, Better Results

Our professional development courses are available to individuals or teams. Funded via the apprenticeship levy, the UK’s government apprenticeship scheme.

Essential Training to Grow Your Small Business

Essential Training to Grow Your Small Business

You can now get the same leadership, management and customer service training as the world’s most successful companies – funded via the government apprenticeship levy.

Maximise your Apprenticeship Levy

Maximise your Apprenticeship Levy

The Apprenticeship Levy, now in its third year, can on the face of it appear complex and inflexible and is often overlooked as a solution to recurring HR and L&D challenges. The good news is, the Levy doesn’t have to be disruptive at all.

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“The quality of support I have received from my coach has been extremely high. His coaching is considered, tailored and aligned to my personal experience, career stage as well as my day-to-day balancing of responsibilities. My apprenticeship has helped to bolster my confidence that I am taking a reasonable approach with some challenging clients.”

“The apprenticeship with KnowledgeBrief was transformative, improving my leadership, strategic decisions, and confidence. I gained skills in planning, change management, financial acumen, and stakeholder engagement. Completing with distinction, I secured a new contract and expanded my consultancy.”

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“KnowledgeBrief has great content and is detailed in the area I am developing in. The system is very clear and easy to use and navigate. Thanks to my Skills Coach for his support and guidance. I apply my course knowledge and experience, such as team performance, leadership styles, and the Eisenhower Matrix, to manage tasks effectively.”

“The apprenticeship has greatly enhanced my understanding of strategic work and how different areas of the organisation operate. It has boosted my confidence to ask questions and take on senior-level tasks. Studying has pushed me out of my comfort zone, showing me my capabilities and improving my overall performance.

“The support has been timely and professional and, since starting, I have increased my knowledge through the online platform and workshops. I'm covering subjects like business understanding, communication, and operational plans - which has boosted my confidence. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend it.

“As a result of this apprenticeship, I have gained confidence at work. I've developed key skills in project management, communication, and technical processes, and have improved my performance through focused feedback. I am now better prepared to contribute to the team's goals and tackle future challenges.”

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“This journey has strengthened my strategic vision, stakeholder management, team and organisational influencing skills, and, most importantly, my confidence in communication. The structured learning and the tailored guidance has proven invaluable in giving me direction and purpose as a senior leader.”

“This course improved my performance by helping me create strategies, demonstrate values, develop my team, identify growth areas, and gain leadership principles like communication, conflict resolution, and strategic thinking. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to strengthen their leadership abilities and make an impact.”

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