EDITION 1042
21 OCTOBER 2024

On this day in 1805, the British navy, led by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, defeated the combined fleets of Spain and France at the Battle of Trafalgar. Lord Nelson was fatally shot during the battle, but his preparation and leadership delivered a triumph that allowed the Royal Navy to continue its dominance of the seas. A sword carried by an officer in the battle is set to fetch up to six figures when it goes to auction later this year.

So, as another week passes into the annals of history, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. Please feel free to share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can also subscribe, learn and engage. I would be very grateful if you did.

Just before you dive in, remember our POTENTIAL workbook [see below] is on offer for only £99. This unique workbook will help guide your organisation to its highest potential. Contact us today to start your transformation.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO of TEN

1. How to delegate. Delegating is a fundamental skill for leaders to manage people and achieve organisational goals. It can be difficult, but it's a skill that can be practiced and honed over time. Most managers complain of having too much to do, but very few of them effectively delegate work. In fact, delegation is one of the most underutilised and underdeveloped management capabilities. READ MORE

2. Last week in the city. Official figures showed that UK headline inflation fell faster than expected in September, falling to 1.7% – well below the Bank of England’s 2% target. Most significantly, services inflation (the most important indicator of domestic inflationary pressures) plummeted to 4.9%, marking the first time it has been below 5% since May 2022. The main cause was falling airfares. The figures make it more likely that the Bank will back faster interest-rate cuts, particularly given new stats showing that wages are now growing at their slowest pace since the pandemic. BBC

3. Work for 52, rest for 17. Studies have shown that our brains function best when we work in short, focused bursts. According to research conducted by the Draugiem Group, the most productive workers followed a specific pattern: 52 minutes of intense work followed by a 17-minute break. This rhythm helps maintain peak performance throughout the day, preventing burnout and fatigue. For shorter focus sessions, the Pomodoro Technique (25/5) is a great alternative, ideal for studying or tasks requiring frequent breaks to stay motivated. While 50/10 suits longer projects needing deeper focus, Pomodoro helps keep energy high with shorter work cycles. Editor

4. Global electricity demand to surge. The world needs to add the equivalent of Japan's annual electricity consumption to its supply each year to keep up with surging demand worldwide, according to a new International Energy Agency report. The IEA expects electricity usage to be 6% higher by 2035 than previously estimated, in part because higher temperatures and growing incomes in the developing world are likely to lead to a more widespread use of air conditioning. Data centres and electric vehicles are also underpinning electricity's growing role in the energy mix. New York Times

5. The potential dangers of AI. Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop non-human minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart...and replace us? Should we risk loss of control of our civilisation?” These questions, and more, have constantly been asked with regard to of artificial intelligence (AI). The rapid progress in AI continues to spark anxiety about the potential dangers of the technology. This week, we ask: Under what circumstances should AI companies be allowed to ‘scrape’ content from publishers and artists [i.e. automatically extract their content to use to teach AI models how to create similar content]? Please share your thoughts in our latest poll. VOTE HERE

6. Government to oversee HS2 build. Ministers are to take a direct role in overseeing the building of the HS2 rail line to try to "get a grip" on the rising cost of the high-speed route between London and Birmingham. The UK Transport Secretary said it had long been clear that the cost of HS2, which could reach £65bn, had been allowed to "spiral out of control". The minister said she had now seen "up close" the "scale of failure", which she described as "dire". The government says that the cost had "soared" because of factors including "poor project management, inflation and poor performance from the supply chain". BBC

7. The vapers who’ve never smoked. Vaping was hailed as a means of weaning smokers off cigarettes; but a growing number of people who vape have never been smokers, a study by University College London has found. Until 2021, it was estimated that 133,000 people in England who vaped had never smoked. Now, the figure is one million. The rise is being driven by younger people, aged 16 to 24, one in seven of whom now vape. But how serious this trend is from a public health standpoint depends on what these people would have done otherwise. It is likely that some would have smoked if vaping were not an available option. BBC

8. The cost of the war, in US dollars. At least $22.76bn. That’s how much the past year of conflict in the Middle East has set back America, according to a new study by the Costs of War Project at Brown University. This is just the direct burden on the US military budget, dating from the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023 until the end of last month. The bulk of it – $17.9bn – was spent on Israeli military aid. The sum doesn’t include indirect costs, such as increased US security assistance to neighbouring countries, nor the $1bn in US humanitarian aid to Palestinians. Reason

9. Walks with stops use more energy. Walks which incorporate rests might be more effective when it comes to burning calories, according to research. In a small study, people who walked or climbed stairs in 10- to 30-second bouts used more oxygen and had a higher metabolic demand than those who covered the same distance in one go. Volunteers used between 20% and 60% more energy doing these "micro walks". Researchers found that the amount of energy needed to maintain walking decreased after volunteers got going and had warmed up. The authors said that people with sedentary lifestyles could benefit greatly from adding small bouts of movement into their day, such as walking upstairs or going into another room while at home. The results will be used to design exercise programmes for people who have limited mobility. The Guardian

10. The bottom line. Democrat contender Kamala Harris has a 2.6 point lead over Donald Trump in the latest poll of polls from FiveThirtyEight. BBC