Does anyone see the iceberg ahead?
Picture this…
It’s Monday morning, and we’re on the deck of a luxurious cruise ship, drink in hand, casual conversation, sliding the shuffleboard puck with a nonchalant “everything’s fine.” And, you know it's not.
The band plays on—self-care workshops, DEI buzzwords, and LinkedIn posts dripping with “you’re amazing” vibes. It feels good…
Meanwhile, dead ahead, an iceberg looms: the erosion of purpose, execution, and accountability in our work.
We've been sailing straight for it since 2022 (or perhaps pre-2020), ignoring the warnings, which have been infrequent at best.
The top business publications in the U.S. have been complicit -
As we all have perhaps… Churning out feel-good fluff. While once-thriving companies are paying the price. It’s time to drop the drink, grab the wheel, and course-correct before we crash.
These are rough approximations due to data limitations.
Estimated Percentages by Publication- Click to view graph
Above are the estimated percentages of articles in each category, based on the publication’s focus, audience, and available evidence.
Except for a few publications, the focus on everything but doing great, high-caliber work should sound an alarm across every company in the United States.
Where are the playbooks for getting work done?
The Drift Away from Work
This isn’t an anti-everything article. This is about work—the kind that keeps companies alive. Cultures become a dirty word, a catch-all for extras like DEI and work-from-home perks that mean nothing if your organization can’t pay its bills, make payroll, or innovate.
From 2022 to 2025, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company dedicated 30–55% of their articles to DEI, workplace culture, remote work, and empathy.
While only 25–50% focused on productivity, project management, efficiency, or fiscal stewardship. These outlets, our supposed guides, have fed us fluff over substance. (And our meeting agendas and performative posts have been in lock step.)
Where are the playbooks for getting work done?
For building systems that don’t buckle under vague promises or endless Slack threads? We’re drowning in “self-care” manifestos but starving for execution and thirty for results.
Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers showed how mitigation communication (polite failures to challenge authority, instead of direct communication speaking in facts, not feelings), quite literally, crashes planes.
Most workplaces aren’t cockpits, but the stakes are real. We nod to impossible deadlines, planning the weekend while half listening, and take on projects we can’t deliver, because we don’t ask for the tools or know what tools we need. We dodge hard truths to seem “empathetic.” We let people coast because they are close to retirement, and asking them to do their job better would be “too much.” That is not leadership. It’s an academic description of co-dependency.
The result? At best, failure. At worst, a dangerous optimism rooted in wishful thinking rather than a disciplined, strategic plan executed with precision, on time, and within budget.
Even more concerning? Strong organizations with vision, purpose, and talented people are being forced to close their doors. Not from lack of potential, but from a lack of execution.
Companies that once led their industries are now scraping by because we’ve prioritized feelings over results.
Teams burn out, targets are missed, and accountability’s a ghost that slipped around the corner.
The Grown-Ups Are Done
This week, Jamie Dimon, the forthright CEO of JPMorgan, underscored a critical disconnect: corporate rhetoric has become increasingly detached from reality. The Wall Street Journal, in its May 2025 report, echoes this sentiment, highlighting a widening rift between executives and employees over workplace culture that has drifted far from effective execution. (Links for both below).
Initiatives such as remote work, unlimited paid time off, and equity grants—once heralded as catalysts for productivity—have, in many cases, fostered complacency among a significant portion of the workforce. The promise of flexibility and fairness has not translated into the expected gains, leaving many organizations struggling to maintain momentum.
In the realm of retained search, true leadership recruitment demands agility. We must pivot swiftly and evaluate candidates not merely on their resumes but against the real-world complexities of the roles they are poised to assume.
Can they map revenue cycles? Define an AI policy? Lead an Agile sprint or construct a GANTT chart? Pitch a new client? Complete great work before the deadline? These are no longer niche competencies—they are the new baseline for leadership.
Equally critical is discerning whether a candidate seeks a portfolio career or a traditional one, and which aligns best with our clients’ needs.
Understanding a candidate’s or employee’s current SEC proposition—whether they are focused on saving, earning, or creating (or all three) is essential. And as leaders, we must also reflect on our own SEC proposition to keep our seats at the head of the table.
The retained recruitment industry, meanwhile, is expanding at a pace reminiscent of speculative markets, with new firms proliferating and offering unsustainably low fees alongside compromised standards. This is a stark departure from the profession’s storied past, where it played a pivotal role in assembling the brightest minds for monumental endeavors like the Manhattan Project during World War II. Today, much of the industry has devolved into transactional, contingency-driven practices marked by inconsistent execution. Even within retained search, misaligned expectations among vendors, clients, and candidates often result in a lack of cohesive alignment, undermining the ability to deliver sustainable results in an era that demands mutual honesty of skills, vision, and deliverables.
Regrettably, LinkedIn has evolved into a platform dominated by self-aggrandizement, ambiguous leadership platitudes, political discourse, and melodramatic narratives of being “overwhelmed yet thriving”—all of which eclipse substantive discussions on strategy and results.
While LinkedIn offers valuable tools, such as its newsletter publishing feature, there is a pressing need to recalibrate its algorithm away from the superficial dynamics reminiscent of other social media platforms.
In contrast, X has seen its membership surge by 40% in 2024, outpacing LinkedIn. This shift reflects X’s emphasis on authentic, unfiltered ideas over polished, curated statements.
Consequently, those driving revenue and managing lean organizations are gravitating toward platforms that prioritize substantive work over superficial noise.
Over 400 million people apply for jobs across LIZ (LinkedIn, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter) each month, while less than 7 million people start a new job in the United States.
The Job Market’s Wake-Up Call
The U.S. labor market remains a dynamic engine of opportunity, with approximately 6.5 million Americans transitioning into new roles each month—a testament to its resilience and vitality.
Yet, this number is dwarfed by the sheer volume of job applications submitted monthly, estimated at over 400 million across LIZ (LinkedIn, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter. And, statistically,80% of those who find a new job don’t find it on a job board. The amount of time wasted on applying for jobs by people who have a job, and worse, those who need a job but aren’t finding one, is nothing short of tragic.
For those already employed, this reality demands a shift in perspective. Do not contribute to the noise of undirected ambition. Instead, focus on excelling in your current role, where true value is created. Engage with purpose: seek out challenging assignments, invest in continuous learning, and demonstrate leadership through action.
Treat your current position as the cornerstone of your career trajectory, not merely a stepping stone. Your organization depends on your full commitment, not on your distracted pursuit of the next opportunity.
In an era where companies prioritize results and accountability, your dedication to mastery and execution will set you apart.
It will not only secure your place but also position you for future advancement when the right moment arrives.
True professional growth is not measured by the number of applications sent but by the depth of impact made in your current role.
What is your ideal outcome?
The Iceberg Is Here—Let’s Shift to Action
The iceberg—complacency, distraction, and a lack of accountability—isn’t on the horizon anymore. It’s at the bow. Whether you're new to a role or a seasoned leader, the grace period is over. Organizations are under pressure, and survival now hinges on focused execution, not commentary.
If you want to stand out, start with what’s in your control.
Build a reading list that sharpens your critical thinking.
Volunteer for the hard project. Ask your leader directly: “Where’s our biggest gap—and how can I help close it?”
Learn to run a project, whether it's Agile or a Google doc. Became a master project manager - There are amazing tools, most free, as a solid starting point.
Understand your department’s numbers and find ways to improve the KPI’s and the bottom line.
Train your team on AI for measurable results, not because it’s trending.
Talk to strangers. At least three each week.
Act like your competition is right next to you—because they are.
Talk to your boss. Ask them where they see opportunity for you, and what support you need to get there.
Be honest about where you're stuck. And when someone gives you feedback or direction, treat it like the gift it is.
The grown-ups—clients, managers, and the high performers holding things together—are no longer interested in noise. They want outcomes.
This week, this month—show up like your future depends on it. Because it does.
View this on LinkedIn to like, comment and share.
Enjoy the week. Nicole Barbano - Principal
Hunter Ambrose Int. Founded 2006
