EDITION 1115
6 APRIL 2026

On this day in 1974, ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo, a song that cheekily compared heartbreak to Napoleon’s defeat. Sweden had never won Eurovision before. Within months the song topped charts across Europe, launching one of the most successful pop careers in music history.

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

1. How to live to 100. We often assume longevity is driven by diet, exercise, or genetics. Research into the world’s longest-lived communities - sometimes called “Blue Zones” - suggests something deeper. People who live the longest tend to have strong relationships, a sense of purpose, daily movement, and lower levels of chronic stress. In other words, they live lives that feel meaningful and connected. Leaders should take note. The environments we create at work can either drain people or sustain them. If leadership is about helping people thrive over the long term, perhaps the real question is not simply how to lead well, but how to build lives worth living. READ MORE

2. Jobs and good intentions. Retail leaders are warning that planned changes to employment law could put UK jobs at risk. The British Retail Consortium argues that expanding guaranteed-hours rights under the Employment Rights Act could make it harder for businesses to offer flexible and part-time roles. The reforms are designed to curb the misuse of zero-hours contracts, but retailers say the unintended consequence may be fewer opportunities for workers who rely on flexible schedules. Supporters believe the changes will strengthen job security. Critics fear they may discourage hiring altogether. Leadership insight: Well-intentioned policy often involves trade-offs. The challenge is balancing protection with the flexibility that keeps labour markets moving.

3. The return of the megadeal. Despite geopolitical tensions and rising oil prices, global mergers and acquisitions are surging. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, 22 corporate “megadeals” - each worth more than $10bn - were announced worldwide, according to the Financial Times. That surpasses the previous quarterly record set in late 2015. In total, companies agreed $1.2 trillion worth of deals in just three months, reported the The Wall Street Journal. The wave of consolidation suggests that many executives are choosing to invest and expand despite global uncertainty. Leadership insight: Periods of uncertainty often separate cautious companies from ambitious ones. Some pause and wait - others move first.

4. The price of conflict. Food inflation in the UK could rise to 9% this year, according to the Food and Drink Federation. The warning reflects growing concern that instability in the Middle East could disrupt global supply chains. Much depends on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes. If the passage remains restricted for longer than expected, the cost of transporting energy and food ingredients across Europe could climb sharply. The episode is a reminder that food prices are rarely just about farming. They are also shaped by geopolitics, logistics and energy markets. Leadership insight: In an interconnected world, local prices often reflect global events unfolding thousands of miles away.

5. The great emoji debate. Workplace communication has become a little more complicated thanks to emojis. What once seemed harmless can now carry unexpected meaning. Take the ubiquitous thumbs up. Many see it as simple acknowledgement. Yet some younger colleagues interpret it as passive-aggressive, the digital equivalent of a curt nod. Even laughter has its hierarchy. According to The Economist, the laughing face emoji is now considered the “cooler” way to signal something is genuinely funny, while the red heart can raise eyebrows in a professional context. The challenge for leaders is simple: communication evolves faster than etiquette. Is it appropriate to use emojis at work?  VOTE HERE

6. The soul singer who isn’t real. A new voice has appeared on streaming platforms: Eddie Dalton, a contemporary soul singer in the classic mould of Otis Redding. The twist? Dalton isn’t real. The gravel-voiced performer - often depicted as a grey-haired Black man singing into a vintage microphone - is entirely AI-generated. Yet the music sounds authentic enough to fool many listeners. I must confess: I’m a fan. All four of Dalton’s tracks have found their way onto my playlist. It raises an intriguing question. If a song moves you, does it matter whether the artist actually exists? The music industry may soon have to decide whether authenticity lies in the performer, or simply in the feeling the music creates.

7. Apple at 50. Few companies have shaped everyday life through technology as profoundly as Apple Inc.. Founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in a Californian garage, Apple has produced some of the most influential consumer products ever made. The iPod transformed how we listen to music. The iPhone reshaped communication. The MacBook refined personal computing, while the Apple Watch now sells more units annually than the entire Swiss watch industry. Apple has also had its share of flops, yet its genius has been the ability to sell not just devices but a vision of how technology fits into everyday life. Leadership insight: Great companies rarely win by building products alone. They succeed by shaping how people imagine the future, and then making that future feel inevitable.

8. Finland tops happiness. Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for the ninth consecutive year, according to the annual World Happiness Report compiled by the University of Oxford and the United Nations. Eight European countries appear in the top ten, with Iceland and Denmark completing the top three. The UK slipped six places to 29th. Researchers say factors such as trust, freedom and strong social support are decisive in shaping wellbeing, with reliable friendships proving just as important as income or health. The report also notes that heavy social media use has contributed to declining wellbeing among young people. Leadership insight: Prosperity helps, but trust and community are what sustain wellbeing.

9. Far side of silence. When NASA’s Artemis II spacecraft swings behind the Moon this week, its crew will experience something few humans ever have: 41 minutes of total radio silence. No contact with Earth. No messages. Just four astronauts alone on the far side of the Moon. Astronaut Victor Glover calls it a moment when humanity is both farthest from Earth and closest to itself. Sometimes progress requires leaving the noise behind - if only for a moment.

10. The bottom line. The speed reached by Artemis II was reportedly 22,509 mph as it blasted into space, roughly 22 times the speed of sound. The first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972 will send three Americans and a Canadian around the Moon, travelling nearly 250,000 miles from Earth.