EDITION 1109
23 FEBRUARY 2026

On this day in 1455, the first copies of the Gutenberg Bible were completed by Johannes Gutenberg. It did not trend. It did not dominate headlines. Yet movable type quietly shifted power from gatekeepers to the public, accelerating literacy, reform and scientific progress for centuries. The lesson? Transformation is often incremental before it is obvious. Leadership, too, is rarely about noise; it is about building systems that outlast us, and believing improvement, however gradual, remains possible.

Last week we asked whether you’d work four days for full pay. A clear majority (58%) said “absolutely”, though more than a quarter insisted output must stay the same. Productivity, it seems, still matters. This week we move from hours to habits and ask: have you ever softened or changed your accent at work?

With that in mind, here are ten things you didn’t know last week. As ever, feel free to share it on social media or forward it to colleagues and friends who might appreciate a sharper take on leadership and life.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO

1. How to Develop Strategic Restraint. In leadership, the instinct to press on can be powerful. Yet not every challenge merits escalation. Strategic restraint is the discipline of knowing when to persist, when to negotiate and when to disengage. It protects credibility, preserves energy and prevents disproportionate risk. Developing this capability requires conscious habits - not reactive emotion. READ MORE

2. When I’m Sixty-Four. Last week I turned 64. In my lifetime, Britain has quietly improved in ways we rarely acknowledge. We live longer; cancer survival rates have more than doubled since the 1970s. Crime is a fraction of what it was in the 1990s. Even the air in our cities is cleaner than when I was born in Liverpool. Yet the prevailing narrative is one of decline. I was born on 17 February 1962, the Year of the Water Tiger: courage shaped by calm. This year, Chinese New Year again coincides with my birthday, ushering in the Year of the Fire Horse. Energy meets experience. Perhaps that is the lesson at 64. Optimism is not denial; it is perspective. Leadership, too, is a choice - to recognise progress, however imperfect, and to believe that hope is still the best of things.

3. Reforming in the Shadows. Nigel Farage has unveiled the first four members of Reform UK’s front bench, including Conservative defectors Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman. In a Reform government, Jenrick would be chancellor, Braverman education secretary, and deputy leader Richard Tice would oversee a combined business, energy and trade brief. Zia Yusuf would lead on home affairs. Reform has just eight MPs, yet has topped national polls in recent months. Still, YouGov finds 64% of voters view Farage unfavourably, while only 27% approve. Even Keir Starmer’s ratings remain deeply negative. Momentum builds attention. Governing requires broader trust.

4. Storm on the Moors. I went to see Wuthering Heights last week and found it visually arresting, if emotionally unrelenting. The moors dominate the screen - bleak, windswept and unforgiving - almost a character in their own right. The performances are intense and deliberately raw, resisting any temptation to romanticise Heathcliff and Catherine. Audiences have embraced it, with an $82m global opening despite sharply divided critics. At times I admired it more than I enjoyed it. But perhaps that is the point. It lingers, like the rain we cannot quite escape.

5. The Sound of Leadership. New research suggests many people with different accents feel judged at work - and some even change how they speak to sound “more professional”. In the Royal Navy, I had elocution lessons. Clarity mattered at sea; misunderstanding orders was not an option. But clarity is not conformity. When people worry more about how they sound than what they’re saying, teams lose ideas, confidence and trust. Accent bias is rarely overt - more often a raised eyebrow, a joke, a subtle correction. Leaders set the tone. If people feel safe to speak in their own voice, performance improves. Have you ever softened or changed your accent at work? VOTE HERE

6. Crown at a Crossroads. The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has reignited debate about the future of the monarchy. The King has pledged full cooperation with any lawful investigation, while commentators are divided over whether the institution can withstand further reputational strain. Some argue the monarchy has already distanced itself sufficiently from the former prince’s actions. Others believe public trust is more fragile than the palace admits. The deeper issue is institutional resilience. Can a centuries-old constitutional role remain insulated from individual controversy? History suggests institutions survive scandal when transparency, accountability and reform outpace defensiveness. The monarchy’s future will depend less on shock headlines and more on sustained public confidence.

7. Beyond Compliance. At the current pace, the UK gender pay gap will not close until 2056. Women effectively worked the first 47 days of this year “for free”, with the average gap at 12.8% - around £2,548 a year. The disparity is widest in finance and insurance, but it persists even in female-dominated sectors. Reporting rules mean large employers must publish pay data. Transparency is progress. But progress is slow. For leaders, the issue is less about compliance and more about credibility. Culture is revealed in pay packets. If fairness feels distant, engagement follows.

8. A Talent Warning. UK unemployment has risen to 5.2%, its highest level in five years, while wage growth has cooled and hiring activity weakened. Economists expected some softening, but the slowdown has been sharper than forecast. Almost one million young people are now not in education, employment or training - a stark reminder that behind every percentage point sits real potential waiting for direction. For leaders, this is not just an economic signal; it is a talent signal. When confidence dips, organisations freeze recruitment. The risk? A lost cohort of early-career experience. Economic cycles turn. Skills gaps, once created, last far longer.

9. First Among Equals. The UK has appointed its first female cabinet secretary in 110 years. Antonia Romeo becomes the most senior civil servant in the country - a landmark moment in public leadership. She steps into the role after previous bullying allegations were dismissed and succeeds Chris Wormald after just 14 months. Firsts matter. They signal progress. But symbolism alone does not deliver performance. The real test of leadership is trust - inside the organisation and across government. Titles open doors. Conduct keeps them open. In any system, public or private, credibility is earned daily, not inherited with promotion.

10. The bottom line. The share of 16–24-year-olds out of work in the final three months of 2025 is 16.1%, according to the Office for National Statistics. The overall UK unemployment rate stands at 5.2%. Its highest level in nearly five years.