EDITION 872
7 JUNE 2021

As another week slips by, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. This newsletter is sent to 50,000+ subscribers each Monday at 10am. Please share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can subscribe, learn and engage. I would be very grateful if you did.

1. How good leaders build trust first. Most leaders today emphasise their competence, strength, and credentials, but none of that matters if people don’t trust you. Win people over with warmth by using the right tone, by validating feelings and by smiling and meaning it. READ MORE

2. COVID-19 variants. It’s all Greek. The World Health Organization has revealed a new naming system for COVID-19 variants. The WHO will now use Greek letters in public discourse to refer to the variants, with the so-called U.K., South African, Brazil and Indian variants, for example, now labelled ‘Alpha’, ‘Beta’, ‘Gamma’ and ‘Delta,’ respectively. It comes after criticism that scientific names such as B.1.351, 501Y.V2 and 20H/501Y.V2 - all given to the so-called South African variant - were too complicated, while the tradition of naming a variant after the location of source caused stigma. BBC

3. OECD warns of uneven recovery. The OECD has sharply revised its outlook for the world economy but warned of an “uneven” recovery. The Paris-based organisation expects global growth to reach 5.8% this year - up from 4.2% previously - thanks to big government spending packages and vaccinations picking up steam in advanced economies. But some countries will bounce back sooner than others: China’s recovery could take less than a year, the US and South Korea’s 18 months, while much of Europe may need three years before living standards are back to pre-pandemic levels. For some emerging markets the recovery will take much longer. Financial Times

4. Veterans' pride as D-Day memorial opens. Sunday the 6 June marked the 77th anniversary of D-Day and the unveiling of the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer. The memorial records the names of the 22,442 people who were killed on D-Day and at the Battle of Normandy; and is the culmination of years of campaigning by D-Day veterans. As a veteran of the armed forces myself, it’s an honour to remember those who died and thank those who survived. Editor

5. The end of commuting? The past 18 months have raised profound questions about the future of rail travel. Such was the drop-off that, at one point, the taxpayer was subsidising the rail industry to the tune of £100 for every passenger journey. The Government has spent some £12bn bailing out rail franchise holders, as revenue usually generated from fares collapsed. Car journeys, meanwhile, have soared during the pandemic - even in London, which is well-served by public transport. If these drop-offs aren’t reversed in full, or by something close to it, it’s a safe bet that the costs of a comfortable commute will have to be passed on to passengers in the form of higher fares. The Economist

6. Royal Navy appoints first female Admiral. Commodore Jude Terry will become the Royal Navy’s first ever female admiral. She will take on the roles of the Navy’s director of people and training and naval secretary and will be promoted to the rank of rear admiral in August 2022. Terry, said that someone had to be the first and iw looking forward to spearheading the drive to ensure warships are not seen as an environment for men only. Navy News

7. YOLO is fueling risking career moves. The past year's devastation, including its emotional toll - fear, dread, anxiety, burnout - is fueling YOLO epiphanies among millennials who've decided to ditch their stable jobs. The New York Times reports that YOLO, an acronym for "you only live once," has pushed them to focus on side hustles or start their own businesses. And those still working are threatening to quit unless employers keep allowing flexibility. The Times reports they're emboldened and more risk tolerant because they have in-demand skills, have saved up during the crisis and their assets have soared in value. Editor

8. House prices build to seven-year high. Buyers' desire for roomier home office space and outdoor areas in regional locales has helped UK housing prices to rise at their fastest level since August 2014. The average UK house price grew by 10% in May compared with 12 months ago, with demand for family homes outside major cities spurring the biggest boom since 2014. The average house price is now a record £243,000, up £24,000 over the past 12 months according to The Nationwide Building Society’s latest price index. Daily Express

9. PM makes history with wedding. Boris Johnson became the fourth prime minister to marry while in office and the first to do so for almost 200 years. The first was Robert Walpole, who married his long-term mistress shortly after the death of his first wife in 1737. The second was the third Duke of Grafton, a man noted for his idleness and pursuit of pleasure, in 1769. In 1822, the uxorious Lord Liverpool became the third when he filled the void in his life created by the death of his first wife by marrying her best friend. Johnson is only the second PM both to divorce and remarry while at Number 10. Grafton was the first. Daily Telegraph

10. The bottom line. The RAC has said petrol prices have climbed to their highest level in two years. Pump prices fell in May 2020 to a low of 106 pence, but the average cost of a litre has since soared to 129.27 pence. “After seven consecutive months of rising prices, drivers will be wondering if the increases are ever going to end.” Daily Mail