EDITION 1097
24 NOVEMBER 2025

On this day in 1998, Queen Elizabeth II announced one of the most significant constitutional changes of the modern era: the end of automatic voting rights for hereditary peers in the House of Lords. It was a moment of quiet but profound reform; a reminder that even long-standing traditions sometimes need boundaries, renewal, and a fresh start.

Just as institutions evolve, so do people. Every so often we reach a point where persistence stops serving us, and clarity arrives instead. Occasionally the bravest move isn’t pushing harder, but stepping back with purpose, resetting our energy, and choosing the places - and the people -that help us flourish.

So, as another week joins the history books, here are 10 things that caught my eye - and may have slipped past yours. As ever, feel free to share them on social media or forward to colleagues and friends who could use a sharper take on leadership and life.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO of TEN

1. How to reset your week. A strong week rarely happens by accident. It comes from small resets: drawing clearer boundaries, choosing where your energy goes, and stepping back long enough to see what actually matters. Leaders don’t power through; they pause, recalibrate and then move with intention. READ MORE

2. A shameful failure of leadership. The Covid Inquiry’s £200m, 760-page report makes brutal reading for Boris Johnson and his top team. February 2020 was “a lost month”: Covid was accelerating, yet the Cabinet didn’t meet and Johnson skipped every Cobra meeting, delaying lockdown and costing thousands of lives. Downing Street’s culture was “toxic and chaotic”, with dissent - particularly from women - routinely ignored. The devolved nations acted slowly too, leaning heavily on Westminster. Public trust was further damaged by Partygate, where rule-breaking inside No.10 undermined national compliance. Ministers also struggled with scientific advice, with Johnson repeatedly described as “bamboozled”. For leaders, the shame is unmistakable: families lost loved ones unnecessarily. Culture, clarity and speed aren’t luxuries - they’re obligations when people’s lives depend on you.

3. Is the UK heading for recession. Unemployment has risen to 5% - the highest since 2016 once the pandemic distortions are stripped out - and wage growth is slowing. GDP barely moved in the last quarter, inching up just 0.1%, prompting fears that the UK is now flatlining. Some business leaders warn recession is looming; others argue the doomsaying is overstated, pointing to Britain’s enduring strengths in finance, universities and innovation. Yet inflation remains sticky, public finances are strained, and major infrastructure and housing projects keep stalling. Recessions usually need a trigger, but today’s concern is a slow drift rather than a sharp shock. For leaders, it’s a reminder that uncertainty is not an excuse for inaction; when the numbers blur, resilience is built through preparation, not prediction.

4. Britain’s uneasy future. With Cop30 now concluded in Brazil, the UK faces a sobering climate outlook. The world has already warmed more than 1°C, and current policies put us on course for 2.5–3°C by 2100. For Britain, that means hotter summers, wetter winters and far more extreme weather - the kind now flooding homes like that of a friend in Stratford-upon-Avon. The Met Office expects rising sea levels, drier summers that strain crops, and storms fierce enough to buckle infrastructure and render some properties uninsurable. Health risks, food pressures and economic losses will all intensify. For leaders, the message is clear: resilience begins long before crisis hits. Those who plan early, adapt systems and invest in robustness will fare far better than those waiting for the next storm to arrive.

5. A new global warning. A major new Lancet study by 43 international experts has issued the strongest assessment yet of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). From ready meals and biscuits to cereals and ice cream, UPFs now make up more than half of all calories consumed in some countries - and the researchers link them to obesity, cancer and damage across multiple organ systems. The evidence suggests we may not be biologically adapted to process them properly, prompting calls for tighter advertising rules, school bans and limits on sales. Some statisticians still urge caution, but the authors argue the case for action is already compelling. As ever, leadership is about acting before the damage is irreversible. Do share your thoughts in our latest poll. Do you think ultra-processed foods (UPFs) should be regulated more strictly? VOTE HERE

6. Momentum builds for men's health. Men consistently come off worse than women on almost every health measure, yet we’re still far less likely to ask for help when something isn’t right. The government’s first men’s health strategy aims to shift that, with the health secretary noting that simply getting men through the door is half the battle. The workplace plays a part too. Zurich UK – the first major firm to advertise every role as flexible - has seen a 48% rise in men choosing part-time work, a small but encouraging sign that balance matters. And with Movember in full swing, it’s good to see more people sharing what’s helped them take that first step. Sometimes progress begins with a conversation - and the courage to start it.

7. The neighbour you should avoid. I watched The Beast in Me last week, an unsettling psychological drama that seeps under the skin. Claire Danes is terrific as Aggie, a Pulitzer-winning author frozen by grief and hiding away on Long Island, until a deeply unpleasant neighbour - played with cold, coiled brilliance by Matthew Rhys - draws her into a dangerous fascination. The suspense doesn’t always detonate, but their scenes crackle with unease. What stayed with me is Aggie’s pull towards someone she knows she shouldn’t trust. It echoed my own experience: sometimes the biggest threat isn’t the conflict itself but the lure of engaging with the wrong people. For leaders, it’s a quiet reminder that judgement is often about knowing which doors to close, and which neighbours to avoid entirely.

8. Why a daily walk protects your brain. New research from Harvard Medical School, published in Nature Medicine, shows that even modest walking can slow cognitive decline. In a nine-year study of 300 older adults with high levels of amyloid-beta - the protein linked to Alzheimer’s - those who remained inactive saw marked deterioration in memory and thinking. But those who walked 3,000–5,000 steps a day experienced significantly slower decline, with further gains up to 7,500 steps. Walking activates navigation, balance, coordination and a stream of micro-decisions that keep neural pathways stimulated. For leaders, it’s a reminder that small, consistent habits protect long-term capability. The brain thrives on rhythm, not intensity, and daily steps may be one of the simplest safeguards we have.

9. The Notting Hill incident. It’s not often a former Cabinet minister, EU commissioner and self-styled grandee of global affairs ends up making headlines for… relieving himself in Notting Hill. Yet Peter Mandelson, after a cosy evening with George Osborne, was filmed discharging more than political wisdom onto a London street. Local residents were reportedly less than impressed. Mandelson apologised, blaming an urgent need and poor judgement - two qualities he arguably honed long before this incident. Given his long-documented circle of “interesting acquaintances” (yes, including the late Jeffrey Epstein), you might think he’d aim to avoid further PR puddles. But politics is full of surprises - some wetter than others. A reminder: leadership is about setting standards, not lowering your zip.

10. The bottom line. Nearly half (47%) of voters who plan to back Reform at the next election - or are considering it - say millionaires should be taxed more. Just 19% believe they’re taxed too much. And only 2% of 3,035 adults surveyed by YouGov think their own taxes are too low.