Between the swirling news headlines and the busyness of everyday life, it’s an all-too-common occurrence that we put our own interests on the back burner. In an effort to combat this, The Work Wife team is sharing some of the stories we’ve read recently that stuck with us for a variety of reasons, and that we think you’ll find interesting, too.
From the rise of the chief of staff to Gen Z myth-busting to efficient packing tips for your next work trip, here’s some suggested reading.
“Managers Are Struggling to Keep Up with the AI Productivity Boom” – Harvard Business Review
“AI has dramatically accelerated the pace of work, allowing employees to execute ideas, produce deliverables and launch projects far faster than traditional management systems were designed to handle. As a result, many managers are becoming the new bottleneck, overwhelmed by the volume of decisions, reviews,and feedback now required. To keep pace, leaders must shift away from overseeing every task and toward setting strategic direction, clarifying priorities and enabling faster decision-making.”
“The Slacker Gen-Z Myth Is Busted — What They Do on Vacation Proves It” – Inc.
“Far from shirking their duties, nearly half of Gen-Zers work every day of their vacations just to keep up with heavy workloads and combat the slacker stereotype.”
“Here’s What Nobody Tells You About Finding the Right Business Partner” – Create Cultivate
“If I could go back and hand myself a checklist before we signed anything, this is what would be on it.”
“The Great CMO Rebrand: How Top Marketers Outgrew Their Own Title” – Campaign
“From managing P&Ls to leading investor relations, executives explain why the traditional CMO role no longer fits what they actually do.”
“What is ‘Rust Out’? The Burnout Alternative You Might Be Experiencing at Work” – The Everygirl
“Feeling bored, unmotivated or unfulfilled at work? Learn what ‘rust out’ is, how it differs from burnout and signs you’re experiencing it.”
“Why So Many C.E.O.s Are Getting a Chief of Staff” – The New York Times
“The position as a trusted sounding board is in high demand as business gets more complex — and everyone wants to get in on the latest bureaucratic fad.”
All about “sudoku packing” on The Natalie Way Substack
“The goal is not endless choice. It is zero negotiation at 8 a.m. in a hotel room.”
“The Empathy Tax Female Leaders Pay” – MIT Sloan Review
“Leaders do an increasing amount of work helping employees deal with stress and change. But the burden is unevenly distributed between men and women.”
“Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life” by Emma Grede
“Ultimately, this is a book for everyone tired of feeling like a bystander or passenger in their own life. Grede offers tangible and applicable-right-now solutions to create a mindset, an overall system of thought to manage emotions, clarify ideas and illuminate the right next step — while always staying positive.”
“The Menopause Transition: When Biology and Ambition Collide” – Chief
“Two in five women consider leaving work during menopause. Dr. Carol DerSarkissian shares advice for women leaders navigating the collision between this hormonal shift during their peak-career years.”
“The Best Brand Campaigns of H1 2026 Sold Honesty. Are Consumers Buying?” – Marketing Dive
“As fake news, fake feeds and fake AI proliferate, Coca-Cola, Dove, Anthropic and other brands tried to leave a real mark in the first half.”
“How Women Entrepreneurs Are Redefining Generational Wealth” – Forbes
“When women invest, they invest their whole selves. This creates a flywheel that the traditional write-a-check-and-walk-away model cannot replicate.”
“Marketers Keep Conflating Gen X With Boomers — And It’s Costing Them” – Adweek
“Brands are alienating an entire generation with $5 trillion in US spending power.”
“Women Are Losing Ground in Corporate Leadership. This Comic Explains Why” – Bloomberg
“The so-called ambition gap is really a support gap.”
“The Science of Scaling: Grow Your Business Bigger and Faster Than You Think Possible” by Benjamin Hardy and Blake Erickson
“This is not a book about incremental growth. If you’re trying to optimize what you’re already doing, this isn’t for you. But if you’re ready to eliminate what’s holding you back and build something that can truly scale, this is where everything changes.”
And of course, there’s always The Work Wife archives. Happy reading.
