The color of the summer is here, and it started with a chocolate bar. Pistachio (both the food and the color) is all the rage right now. The nut entered the limelight over the past several months after various food creators on TikTok popularized Dubai chocolate, an indulgent chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream, tahini, and shredded phyllo dough. This spring, Dubai chocolate officially made its way into the mainstream, appearing as a cookie at Crumbl, a shake at Shake Shack, a chocolate bar at Trader Joes, a donut at Krispy Kreme, and a returning latte flavor at Dunkin.
[Photo: Patislove]
Demand for Dubai chocolate has spiked so high that pistachio producers in Iran exported 40% more nuts to the United Arab Emirates in the six months leading to March 2025 than they did in the entire 12 months before. Some stores have had to limit sales of the bars due to disruptions of the global pistachio supply chain.
But it turns out that for customers in the U.S., theres a bonus to the trend besides an influx of tasty treats: The nut is relatively shielded from potential tariffs. Come what may, chances are that its about to be a very nuttyand very greensummer.
A mechanical shaker harvests pistachio nuts on a farm in Californias San Joaquin Valley. [Photo: Ed Young/Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group/Getty Images]
America dominates the pistachio market
The U.S. is the top producer of pistachios globally, accounting for about 75% of the worlds supply, according to Zachary Fraser, president and CEO of American Pistachio Growers (APG). The second-largest producer is Iran. The 2024-2025 U.S. pistachio crop harvest, Fraser says, was 1.1 billion pounds in-shellthe third-largest harvest in the history of the industry. So far, Fraser reports, the Trump administrations tariffs have not had an immediate impact on the nut’s production.
The industry is closely monitoring tariffs as the situation evolves, and we are active in the conversations with government officials to stay on top of the changing dynamics, Fraser says. Continuing to invest in market development and new countries to drive demand is part of that strategy.
From APGs perspective, theres been a marked rise in interest in pistachios over the past several months.
Recognizing the trending Dubai chocolate bar, its been exciting to see the popularity of pistachios grow across many other food and beverage products, Fraser says. Were seeing pistachios incorporated across baked goods, spreads, snacks, ice cream and more.
[Photo: Shake Shack]
Pistachio goes beyond the bar
Pistachios arent staying confined to sweet treats, either. As the nuts flavor profile has risen into stardom, so, too, has its signature sage-green hue.
In the past two months or so, pistachio green has exploded from the chocolate wrapper to fashion runways, mood boards, and even interior design. In March, Homes & Gardens called the hue designers go-to color for spring and summer 2025. In May, Harpers Bazaar noted that the gastronomic shade defined recent fashion shows by Miu Miu, Prada, Alexander McQueen, Gucci, and others.
The average American is also becoming enamored with the color. According to Pinterest global data from January to March 2025, searches for pistachio chocolate bar surged 1,989%, while searches for pistachio outfit ideas jumped 361% and those for pistachio green weddings were up 285%.
Sydney Stanback, global trends and insights lead at Pinterest, says pistachios are “having a major moment” on the app, noting, What started in the kitchen is now spilling over into style, with this earthy green inspiring everything from homemade desserts to intentional fashion choices.”
Antonia Saint Dunbar, cofounder of the period underwear brand Thinx, loves the way she feels when she’s wearing heels. “It has a divine geometry,” she says. “It creates a perfect pitch for your body, elongating your leg, creating an anatomical architectural balance.”
Saint Dunbar isn’t alone: Even as society has become more casual, making sneakers and Birkenstocks acceptable to wear in more situations, many women still love the way they look and feel while wearing heels. But sometimes this means compromising comfort for style. While running Thinx in heels, Saint Dunbar says she often had to scan the room for a place to sit because her feet hurt so much, and took cabs so she wouldn’t have to walk.
Part of the reason that heels are so uncomfortable is that many early shoe designers were men. They designed heels they believed would make women look attractive, but had no idea how the shoes would feel on the wearers feet. Today, women aren’t willing to compromise on comfort. This is particularly true after the pandemic, Saint Dunbar says. Stuck at home, women stopped wearing heels and turned to more comfortable footwear. Now painful heels feel even more unacceptable.
The good news is that there’s a new generation of shoe brands focused on designs that make them more comfortable, including Sneex, Nomasei, and Marion Parke. Saint Dunbar herself is among these founders. In 2016, while still running Thinx, she launched Antonia Saint NY, which creates more comfortable heels. She’s taken the silhouette of a classic stiletto and added a layer of padding inside to provide better arch support and toe cushioning. She’s just relaunched all of her shoes with a slimmer version of the padding to offer the same level of comfort with less bulk.
As we head into summer, we’ve been testing out the most comfortable shoes for everything from weddings to company outings. Here are five we love.
[Photo: Antonia Saint NY]
Antonia Saint NY
Vicki DOrsay, $286
This shoe has a 2-inch heel that gives you just enough lift. Its outfitted with an updated padding system called SoftSurround. There is a layer of cushioning within the entire upper, with a special focus on the toes and the back of the heels. There is also a rubberized outsole for better traction. The outer is made of a soft Nappa leather. It’s designed to help you get through a full day without any pain.
[Photo: Sézane]
Sézane
Gloria Sandals, $215
These strappy sandals offer the vintage aesthetic that Sézane is known for, featuring an elegant circle design. They’re versatile, since they can be dressed up or down, looking just as nice with jeans as with more formal summer dresses. With a 2.75-inch heel, they offer height without leaving you with achey legs or calves.
[Photo: Margaux]
Margaux
City Sandal, $375
As their name implies, these shoes are designed for pounding the pavement. They feature a 2.5-inch block heel that is very walkable, and crisscross straps that are placed to make your feet feel supported. The insole features foam padding for cushioning. They come in a wide range of colors to match your outfits.
[Photo: Nomasei]
Nomasei
Baghera, $450
Founded by former shoe designers at Chloe, Nomasei wants to bring comfort to the luxury shoe experience. The brands Baghera sandals are meant to provide all the leg-lengthening effects of a high heel, bu in a much more comfortable silhouette. They feature a 2.3-inch wide block heel, with an insole made of memory foam, lining made of goat leather, and an outsole made of calf leather.
[Photo: Rothy’s]
Rothys
Knot Sandal, $189
If you’re concerned about the environment, Rothy’s is a good option. The brand was first known for its flats, but it has expanded into new silhouettes, including heels. These sandals are made of eight ocean-bound plastic bottles that have been recycled into a knot material. With a 2-inch block heel and a plush footbed, they’re designed to be worn all day. And as a bonus, theyre machine washable, which extends their life.
In the neighborhoods surrounding the Santa Monica Airport, homeowners know little peace. Every few minutes, the whine of a jet engine intrudes on the suburban soundscape.
But relief is coming. In 2017, locals won a more than seven-decade fight to close the airport. It’s scheduled to shutter once and for all on Dec. 31, 2028.
Santa Monica residents voted in 2014 to build a park on the site of the airport. But as the 2028 closure date approaches, some residents, councilmembers, and pro-housing groups are calling for the construction of affordable housing on the site in addition to a park.
With an organized contingent of development opponents determined to stop them, the airport site is shaping up as the latest flashpoint in Southern Californias battles over housing construction.
Neighbors of the airport say living beneath the jets is maddening and dangerousmany of the smaller planes that land there burn leaded fuel, spraying toxins on the homes and schools below. But some of the airports neighbors are so opposed to housing construction that they would consider keeping the airport open until the threat of development is quashed.
A lot of the risk could be reduced simply by delaying closing, said Marc Verville, who lives near the airport.
To protect ourselves, we should keep the airport open until we can address the political landscape and correct it, said Tricia Crane, chair of Northeast Neighbors of Santa Monica, a neighborhood association.
The closure of an airport presents a rare opportunity in any urban environment. Spanning more than 200 acresand comprising around 4% of the citys landthe Santa Monica Airport is poised to become available for redevelopment all at once. Centrally located and publicly owned, it offers a rare chance to address the citys acute affordable housing shortage. In Santa Monica, where average rent is nearly $4,000 a month, such a moment may never come again.
Building housing would be a win for everybody, said Rev. Joanne Leslie, a Santa Monica resident and a deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. Leslie is part of a group advocating for a 3,000-unit affordable housing development on the airport site called Cloverfield Commons.
Leslies group imagines their development amidst the larger park, with buildings arranged around smaller, so-called pocket parks, connected by winding paths.
Building a large amount of housing on the site would likely require voter approval through another ballot measure, according to City Councilmember Jesse Zwick, who supports building some form of mixed use, mixed income housing on the site alongside a park.
But he says the housing crisis in Santa Monica is so great that another referendumeven if it means a difficult fightwould be worth having.
For every four or five new jobs created in Santa Monica over the past 45 years, the city added just one home, he said. The citys failure to build housing has led its population to stagnate during that time period, he added, while Californias population has nearly doubled.
Will it be a fight? Sure, he said. But is it one that I think can be won? Definitely.
Since the 1970s, anti-development groups have largely blocked the construction of new housing across the stateand especially in Santa Monica, where the city has permitted roughly 4,500 units of new housing in the last 20 years.
Given the statewide housing shortage, state officials are asking cities to build more housing than they used to. Every eight years, cities are required to submit a plan to the state showing how they intend to meet its increasingly ambitious housing development targets. If they dont adequately plan to meet those targets, they could face penalties including the notorious builders remedy, in which developers are allowed to build whatever they want, regardless of zoning, as long as 20% of the units are affordable.
Verville and Crane are worried Santa Monica will designate the airport site for housing in its next state-mandated housing plan, due in 2029.
Thats why they are floating the idea of pushing to delay the closure of the airport until after that deadline as a way to keep the airport out of conversations about meeting state housing targets.
The residents want to stop the airport conversion process until this kind of risk is addressed and mitigated, said Crane, and we can fulfill our vision of a park.
* * *
Leslie was drawn to the fight to build affordable housing on the airport site because of her work as a deacon in the Episcopal Church advocating for workers and immigrant rights. Leslie is a member of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), which recently participated in the Home Is Sacred rally in support of affordable housing development on the airport site.
In a place like Santa Monica, so much of the homelessness is directly related to the high cost of housing and rents, she said. We put people in a situation where they cant help themselves, and then we blame them for it.
Crane and Verville say theyre not opposed to affordable housing, but that the city, facing a budget deficit, cannot afford to build any and that no subsidies exist to support buildings with lower rents.
My kids want a lot of things too, said Crane. If I dont have the money for it, they dont get it.
Leslies group contends that subsidies do exist to build affordable housing on the site, including funds raised by Measure A, the countys new half-cent sales tax, approved by voters in November and aimed at funding homelessness solutions and affordable housing.
Verville and Crane think thats not realistic, and that the development at the site will be exclusively luxury apartments, which they say will make the city more expensive, not less.
They arrived for their interviews at the airport armed with more than 90 pages of readings, including an academic working paper they said debunks the idea that building market-rate housing lowers rents and home prices. (The National Bureau of Economic Research study finds that higher housing costs are tied to a regions income growth, not to how tightly its housing supply is regulated.)
Its becoming a city of rich people, Crane sighed.
Santa Monica City Councilmember Zwick says that building housing, including luxur housing, does lead to lower rents and housing prices in the surrounding community.
About 80% of the time, new apartments are filled by people already living nearby, he said.
And when those people move into those new housing units, they open up housing in the spaces where they used to live, creating more available supply and creating downward pressure on prices.
Every credible study Ive read indicates that thats how it works, he said, speaking with Capital & Main in an empty office at UCLA, where he is studying for a masters in urban planning.
Besides, Zwick argued, parks and housing belong together. Apartments lacking backyards need open, public space. And parks need those who live nearby to use them.
A lot of people like to say we need our Central Park, he said. But if Central Park in Manhattan had a perimeter entirely of single family homes, it wouldnt function and be as great as it is.
Jack Ross, Capital & Main
This piece was originally published by Capital & Main and KCRW.
As the Trump administration funnels money into fossil fuels and the country largely retreats on climate efforts, New York City is trying to ensure its pension funds take the climate into consideration.
In 2021, New York City officials announced that the citys pension funds divested an estimated $4 billion from fossil fuel companies, a landmark move in the effort to divest money from polluting industries. But divesting directly from these companies only covers a small portion of how the markets support the continued development of oil, gas, and coal. Major asset managers like BlackRock still invest in fossil fuels; so if a pension fund is invested in BlackRock, its still essentially funneling money into oil, gas, and coal.
Now, those asset managers will have to show the city that their investments align with New Yorks climate goals, or they could risk losing the pension funds business.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander recently announced new climate standards for pension fund asset managers, including clear net-zero goals that decrease their scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Asset managers have until June 30 to submit their climate strategies to the city. Officials will evaluate those net-zero plans to ensure that they’re “real and actionable.” If an asset managers plans fail to meet those climate standards, theyll be sent to a rebid process, meaning theyll have to bid again for the pension funds business, and the funds could then move their money to a different, cleaner asset manager. As part of any new bidding process, Lander will recommend evaluating an asset manager’s corporate-level climate behavior as well.
What were doing is getting the New York City pension funds to use their buying power to shift money from dirtier money managers like BlackRock, who are bad on climate, to cleaner money managers, says Pete Sikora, climate campaigns director with New York Communities for Change, a nonprofit that campaigned for these new standards. Activists hope that by taking business away from the less climate friendly asset managers, those companies will be forced to clean up their portfolios in order to get back the pension funds business.
New York Citys five pension funds have nearly $300 billion worth of investments, with a few hundred asset managers. The largest is BlackRock, which holds nearly $60 billion of the funds investments. (In total, BlackRock has more than $11 trillion in assets under management.) The citys pension funds include the New York City Employees Retirement System (NYCERS), Teachers Retirement System (TRS), and Board of Education Retirement System (BERS), which have all historically been progressive on climate action; TRS is also the largest investor with $109 billion in assets. (The other two funds are the New York City Police Pension Fund and the New York City Fire Pension Fund.)
Already, since 2019, New York Citys pension system has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 37%. It aims to be net-zero by 2040. This move to require climate plans from asset managersand to stop investing with them if their climate plans arent strong enoughis crucial to reaching that goal, Sikora says. Its a more impactful move than just divesting directly from fossil fuel companies, he notes, because it pushes the entire financial industry to be cleaner. Theres no way to stave off global climate catastrophe unless finance as a whole flees from oil, gas, coal, and deforestation, he says.
The move is also a direct response to the Trump administrations efforts to funnel money into the fossil fuel industry, and to push back the entire countrys climate progress.
We will not retreat from our strong climate action, a position that remains consistent with our fiduciary duty. Climate risk is financial risk, Lander said in a statement. Some may cave to the Trump administration and reverse their climate commitments, but we will not be deterred from jointly prioritizing our climate goals and financial responsibilities. (Lander is running to be the Democratic candidate in New York City’s mayoral race, and has made standing up to Donald Trump a tenet of his campaign.)
New York Communities for Change has been advocating for these climate standards for years, Sikora says, and was talking to Lander about the possibilities before he was even elected as comptroller in 2021. Before that role, Lander was on the city council, where he sponsored a resolution calling on BlackRock, JP Morgan Chase, Liberty Mutual, and other financial institutions to stop lending to and investing in the fossil fuel industry. That hinted to activists that he would be supportive of these efforts.
Though this effort was years in the making, it’s becoming more urgent as the financial industry backslides on climate commitments at large. In January 2025, weeks before Trump took office, six major banks left the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, a group that was setting net-zero targets for the financial world. Still, some funds are trying to hold banks to account. In February, the People’s Pension, one of the United Kingdom’s largest pension funds, said it was “prioritizing sustainability” by pulling a majority of its money out of State Street; the fund moved 20 billion to a different asset manager, Amundi, which it says has stronger climate standards.
Changes to New York City’s pension funds wont happen immediately, though. After asset managers submit their climate plans to the city, officials have to review them before they make recommendations on whether to put the business up for rebid; those recommendations will likely start to happen in the summer or early fall.
New York Citys move to divest its pension fund from fossil fuels did face a lawsuit from oil and gas companies in 2023; in 2024, the city won. These additional climate requirements may also face criticism or legal pushback, particularly from the Trump administration, but Sikora is confident it will hold up in court. Investing in fossil fuels is no longer a sure route to profitability; thousands of oil and gas assets are at risk of becoming strandedmeaning they would be unprofitable or forced to shut down years before plannedbecause of the impacts of climate change.
New York City pension funds have an interest in a healthy world, he says. You dont have New York City pension funds in a dead New York City that is submerged under rising seas. . . . On a basic, prudential level, you shouldnt be furthering your own destruction with your investments.
Perus decision to shrink its archeological park home to the famous Nazca Lines by around 42%an area roughly the size of 1,400 soccer fieldshas sparked alarm among conservationists, archaeologists and environmental advocates.
Critics say the rollback paves the way for informal mining and weakens decades of cultural and ecological protection, while the government says the adjustment reflects updated scientific studies and does not compromise the UNESCO World Heritage status or the sites core protections.
The reduction not only removes protectionsit does so precisely where extractive activity is expanding, said Mariano Castro, Peru’s former vice minister of the environment, adding that the decision could cause very serious risks and cumulative damage, as it excludes zones with active or pending mining claims.
Castro added that safeguards for archaeological heritage during the formalization of artisanal mining are already limited.
This is made worse by the ministry of cultures failure to consider the cumulative impact of dozens or even hundreds of mining operations on sensitive archaeological zones, he said.
The area in question forms part of a UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site, home to the Nazca Linesmassive geoglyphs etched into the desert thousands of years agoand one of Perus most fragile desert ecosystems.
Peruvian environmental lawyer César Ipenza, who has closely followed the decision, said the resolution has already been approved and that it reduces the Nazca zone by more than 1,000 hectares.
This is a weakening of both environmental and cultural protections, Ipenza said. The state should be upholding its commitments under international agreements, not yielding to private interests.
Ipenza and others say the rollback reflects a pattern of regulatory concessions to mostly informal gold miners.
Theres an alliance between the current government and informal mining sectors, he said. The legal framework continues to be relaxed to benefit them.
Peru’s ministry of culture, which decided on May 30 to reduce the Nazca reserve from about 5,600 square kilometers to roughly 3,200 square kilometers, declined to answer specific questions from the Associated Press. Instead, it sent a press release saying the adjustment was based on updated archaeological studies and does not affect the UNESCO World Heritage designation or its buffer zone.
The ministry said it remains committed to preserving the sites cultural heritage through regulated management.
A day after the May 30 decision, Fabricio Valencia, Peru’s minister of culture, acknowledged that illegal mining exists within the reserve.
Unfortunately, informal mining is an activity present in this area, but the measure we have taken does not mean it will be encouraged, nor that the likelihood of any harm from informal mining will increase. That will not happen, Valencia said on RPP, one of Peru’s largest radio programs.
When asked for more details about the presence of illegal activity in the reserve, Valencia said, there are some mining deposits, but I dont have exact information on what type of mineral is there.
UNESCO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Castro, the former vice minister, warned the move could violate Perus own laws.
It contravenes Article 5(h) of the Environmental Impact Assessment Law, which mandates the protection of archaeological and historical heritage, he said.
Ipenza said the government is enabling illegality under the guise of technical adjustments.
It is shameful to forget our ancestors and our heritage, and to disguise decisions that pave the way for sectors seeking to impose illegality, such as illegal and informal mining,” he said. “This decision benefits those groups and harms all Peruvians.
The Associated Presss climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
By Steven Grattan, Associated Press
Self-awareness is often referred to as the foundation of emotional intelligence, and its a requirement for exceptional leadership. When leaders understand their emotions, recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and hone their decision-making and communication skills, they build trust and foster better collaboration within their teams.
This leads to better performance all around. But here’s the catch: Developing self-awareness isn’t a onetime achievement. It’s a continuous, evolving process that requires intention and reflection.
Leaders who actively cultivate this skill dont just improve their own effectiveness, they also create a healthier, more productive organizational culture. In fact, research from the Corporate Executive Board (now part of Gartner), reveals that leaders with high self-awareness are 10% more effective in their roles than those who rank lower. It’s a simple truth: Self-awareness isn’t just a personal assetits essential for any leader looking to drive success.
Defining Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and understand your emotions, thoughts, and behaviorsand to see how they influence your decisions, relationships, and leadership style. It involves identifying what drives you, understanding your strengths and weaknesses, and being honest with yourself about areas for improvement.
Self-aware leaders do more than just understand themselves. They also recognize how their actions are perceived by others, which is essential for cultivating trust within a team. Its a skill that evolves over time, meaning leaders must regularly pause and reflect on their actions and their impact.
The Role of Feedback in Self-Awareness
Feedback is one of the most powerful tools for cultivating self-awareness. However, many leaders shy away from it due to fear, pride, discomfort, or uncertainty about its reliability. Avoiding feedback, though, can significantly hinder both personal and professional growth.
Often the best feedback comes from those who report to you. For instance, one experience that was a turning point for me was when one of my direct reports pointed out one of my unconscious biases. Eight years ago, I was preparing to head home after a long day at work when I heard a knock on my office door. It was Katherine, one of my team members. She asked if she could give me some feedback about that morning’s team meeting.
Katherine shared something that left me stunned: Are you aware that you tend to listen more to the people who are the most vocal, and that they tend to be men? I had always thought I was an inclusive leader, so I was shocked to hear this. I responded honestly, I had no idea.
Katherine explained that this was something she had wanted to bring up for a while but didnt feel comfortable doing so until now. I immediately apologized, thanked her for sharing this with me, and asked for specific examples. She provided them, and I made sure to listen attentively.
This interaction caused me to change how I lead. I decided to ask myself before every meeting what biases I need to check myself on. I also talked with the people on my team who were less vocal and asked if it would be okay for me to call on them during meetings to help them share more of their ideas. Katherines feedback offered valuable insights into how my behavior affects others, uncovering a blind spot that might have otherwise remained hidden.
So make sure you solicit feedback regularlywhether its from a childhood friend, trusted colleague, mentor, or direct report. Once youve identified someone you trust, clarify the type of feedback youre seeking. For example, you could ask for input on your biases, or a recent project, an interaction with a colleague, or how others perceive your leadership style.
Mindfulness as a Self-Awareness Tool
Mindfulness is a powerful tool for developing self-awareness. It involves staying fully present in the moment, which helps leaders become more attuned to their emotions, thoughts, and reactions. Simple mindfulness exercises, such as focused breathing or short reflection breaks during the day, can greatly improve emotional awareness.
In my work with clients and the workshops I facilitate, I guide participants through breathing exercises. Many share that integrating mindfulness into their daily routines has helped them be more fully present. For example, some clients now begin their team meetings with breathing exercises to help themselves and their teams stay focused and engaged during discussions. These practices support clearer decision-making and improved emotional regulation. I also use these exercises myself to ensure Im fully present before coaching a client or facilitating a workshop. They help me stay grounded and attentive.
In addition to breathing exercises, I recommend a few other strategies to help leaders remain present. One is to put cellphones away during meetings. This reduces the temptation to check your phone, which can signal to others that you arent fully engaged or listening. I also suggest creating a 10-minute buffer between meetings. This allows leaders time to reflect on the meeting they just attended and prepare for the next one. Without this space, leaders often rush from one meeting to the next, missing the opportunity to reflect and be fully present.
Leveraging Self-Assessments
Self-assessments can also play a crucial role in developing self-awareness. One tool I frequently use with my coaching clients and the teams I work with is the CliftonStrengths finder from Gallup. This assessment, grounded in positive psychology, has been around for more than 20 years. It was developed based on research that asked, “What would happen if we studied what was right with people, rather than focusing on whats wrong?” The result is an assessment that identifies a leader’s strengths, allowing them to build on what they do well, rather than focusing on fixing weaknesses.
It also highlights how each strength, when pushed to an extreme, can hinder success. For instance, a leader with the strength of being an “achiever” works hard and possesses a great deal of stamina. They take immense satisfaction in being busy and productive. However, when taken too far, this strength can lead to burnout or cause frustration among those being led, potentially resulting in high turnover if team members feel overwhelmed.
Developing a Growth Mindset
Self-awareness is closely linked to a growth mindset, or a belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed over time through effort and learning. Leaders who embody this mindset inspire their teams to continually improve, fostering a culture of resilience and adaptability. This mindset not only benefits leaders but also empowers teams to take risks, learn from mistakes, and grw.
The key to fostering a growth mindset is to view feedback as an opportunity for self-improvement, as I mentioned earlier. When receiving feedback, ask questions such as: “How can I improve?” or “What specific actions can I take to do better?” This approach transforms feedback into a valuable tool for personal and professional growthand makes it more likely that people will approach you with this feedback in the first place.
Developing your leadership
Self-awareness is not a destination, but an ongoing journey that requires dedication and intentionality. For leaders, cultivating self-awareness is crucial to becoming more effective, empathetic, and emotionally intelligent. By consistently reflecting on your behavior, seeking feedback, practicing mindfulness, and leveraging self-assessments, you will improve your leadership skills and create a positive environment for your team.
The Little Engine That Could wasnt the most powerful train, but she believed in herself. The story goes that, as she set off to climb a steep mountain, she repeated: I think I can, I think I can.
That simple phrase from a childrens story still holds a lesson for todays business worldespecially when it comes to artificial intelligence.
AI is no longer a distant promise out of science fiction. Its here and already beginning to transform industries. But despite the hundreds of billions of dollars spent on developing AI models and platforms, adoption remains slow for many employees, with a recent Pew Research Center survey finding that 63% of U.S. workers use AI minimally or not at all in their jobs.
The reason? It can often come down to what researchers call technological self-efficacy, or, put simply, a persons belief in their ability to use technology effectively.
In my research on this topic, I found that many people who avoid using new technology arent truly against itinstead, they just dont feel equipped to use it in their specific jobs. So rather than risk getting it wrong, they choose to keep their distance.
And thats where many organizations derail. They focus on building the engine, but dont fully fuel the confidence that workers need to get it moving.
What self-efficacy has to do with AI
Albert Bandura, the psychologist who developed the theory of self-efficacy, noted that skill alone doesnt determine peoples behavior. What matters more is a persons belief in their ability to use that skill effectively.
In my study of teachers in one-to-one technology environmentsclassrooms where each student is equipped with a digital device like a laptop or tabletthis was clear. I found that even teachers with access to powerful digital tools dont always feel confident using them. And when they lack confidence, they may avoid the technology or use it in limited, superficial ways.
The same holds true in todays AI-equipped workplace. Leaders may be quick to roll out new tools and want fast results. But employees may hesitate, wondering how it applies to their roles, whether theyll use it correctly, or if theyll appear less competentor even unethicalfor relying on it.
Beneath that hesitation may also be the all-too-familiar fear of one day being replaced by technology.
Going back to train analogies, think of John Henry, the 19th-century folk hero. As the story goes, Henry was a railroad worker who was famous for his strength [as a steel driver]. When a steam-powered machine threatened to replace him, he [competed against] itand won. But the victory came at a cost: He collapsed and died shortly afterward.
Henrys story is a lesson in how resisting new technology through sheer willpower can be self-defeating. Rather than leaving some employees feeling like they have to outmuscle or outperform AI, organizations should invest in helping them understand how to work with itso they dont feel like they need to work against it.
Relevant and role-specific training
Many organizations do offer training related to using AI. But these programs are often too broad, covering topics like how to log in to different programs, what the interfaces look like, or what AI generally can do.
In 2025, with the number of AI tools at our disposalranging from conversational chatbots and content creation platforms to advanced data analytics and workflow automation programsthats not enough.
In my study, participants consistently said they benefited most from training that was district-specific, meaning tailored to the devices, software, and situations they faced daily with their specific subject areas and grade levels.
Translation for the corporate world? Training needs to be job-specific and user-centerednot one-size-fits-all.
The generational divide
Its not exactly shocking: Younger workers tend to feel more confident using technology than older ones. Gen Z and millennials are digital nativestheyve grown up with digital technologies as part of their daily lives.
Gen X and boomers, on the other hand, often had to adapt to using digital technologies mid-career. As a result, they may feel less capable and be more likely to dismiss AI and its possibilities. And if their few forays into AI are frustrating or lead to mistakes, that first impression is likely to stick.
When generative AI tools were first launched commercially, they were more likely to hallucinate and confidently spit out incorrect information. Remember when Google demoed its Bard AI tool in 2023, and its factual error led to its parent company losing $100 billion in market value? Or when an attorney made headlines for citing fabricated cases courtesy of ChatGPT?
Moments like those likely reinforced skepticismespecially among workers already unsure about AIs reliability. But the technology has already come a long way in a relatively short period of time.
The solution to getting those who may be slower to embrace AI isnt to push them harder, but to coach them and consider their backgrounds.
What effective AI training looks like
Bandura identified four key sources that shape a persons belief in their ability to succeed:
Mastery experiences, or personal success
Vicarious experiences, or seeing others in similar positions succeed
Verbal persuasion, or positive feedback
Physiological and emotional states, or someones mood, energy, anxiety, and so forth
In my research on educators, I saw how these concepts made a difference, and the same approach can apply to AI in the corporate worldor in virtually any environment in which a person needs to build self-efficacy.
In the workplace, this could be accomplished with cohort-based trainings that include feedback loopsregular communication between leaders and employees about growth, improvement, and morealong with content that can be customized to employees needs and roles. Organizations can also experiment with engaging formats like PricewaterhouseCoopers prompting parties, which provide low-stakes opportunities for employees to build confidence and try new AI programs.
In Pokemon Go!, its possible to level up by stacking lots of small, low-stakes wins and gaining experience points along the way. Workplaces could approach AI training the same way, giving employees frequent, simple opportunities tied to their actual work to steadily build confidence and skill.
The curriculum doesnt have to be revolutionary. It just needs to follow these principles and not fall victim to death by PowerPoint, or end up being generic training that isnt applicable to specific roles in the workplace.
As organizations continue to invest heavily in developing and accessing AI technologies, its also essential that they invest in the people who will use them. AI might change what the workforce looks like, but theres still going to be a workforce. And when people are well trained, AI can make both them and the outfits they work for significantly more effective.
Greg Edwards is an adjunct lecturer at Missouri University of Science and Technology.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Ive been curious lately: How might AI help my former studentsand so many others looking for new jobsin a challenging and complicated market?
My conclusion: AI tools can serve as patient assistants. They can help you organize your search, reflect on career goals, and convey your strengths persuasively. Whether you’re pivoting careers or moving up in your field, here’s how to leverage AI to stand out and land a great opportunity.
1. Explore career directions
Recommended tool: Googles Career Dreamer
What it is: A career visualization tool. See a map of professional fields related to your interests. (See video demo below.)
How to use it: Start by typing in a current or previous role, or a type of job that interests you, using up to five words. Then optionally add the name of an organization or industry.
The free service then confirms job activities of interest and shows you a variety of related career paths. Pick one at a time to explore. You can then browse current job openings, refining the search based on location, company size, or other factors you care about.
Example: Im not job hunting, but I tested out the service by typing in journalist, writer, and educator as roles and then journalism and education as my industries of interest. See my quick video demo below to see the result.
Why its useful: I appreciate that Career Dreamer not only suggests a range of relevant fields, but also summarizes what a typical day in those jobs might be like. It also suggests skills youll develop and other jobs that might follow on that career path.
Next step: After exploring potential career paths and looking at available jobs, you can jump into GeminiGoogles equivalent of ChatGPTfor further career planning.
Career Dreamer helpfully enables you to copy your career interests and skillsas a summary prompt to your clipboard. You can then jump to Gemini to paste that into a chat about your career plans.
2. Clarify your career priorities
Recommended tool: Gemini GemCareer Guide
What it is: Gemini Gems are customized AI assistants. They are AI models tailored to be helpful in a specific context. One of the template Gems that Google created is a career guide. You can copy the Career Guide gem and edit it with your own professional interests.
How to use it: Start by conducting a thorough “soul-searching” reverse interview with Gemini. Rather than Gemini answering your questions, task it to ask you the questions. Have it consistently nudge you to dig deeper into your own preferences, attitudes, objectives, and needs. Then have it summarize what youve said. Youll get better at understanding and articulating your own career perspectives.
Try this career self-interview prompt: Give this prompt to Gemini or another AI tool of your choice to conduct a reverse interview. As Geminior another AI assistantinterviews you, youll develop a richer understanding of your own job preferences.
Next steps: Use your Gemini Gem AI assistant throughout your job search to help clarify your own objectives and strengths, and to support you in developing your job search strategy.
3. Research target companies
Recommended tool: ChatGPT Deep Research
What its useful for: Unlike typical AI chat queries, Deep Research requests enable an AI model to autonomously develop an exhaustive report after searching the Web, examining hundreds of sites and other research resources, and completing a detailed, multistep analysis.
You can use these personalized reports to learn more about industries of interest and specific aspects of companies that intrigue you.
How to use it: Toggle on the Deep Research button in the ChatGPT box. Type a detailed query with your specific interests, skills, and the types of organizations you’re curious about. Request a comprehensive table of relevant companies with detailed information about culture, growth trajectories, or whatever else.
Benefits: Learn valuable context about companies you may apply toand discover new organizations you werent aware of. Use this research to tailor your applications and to prepare for interviews by understanding industry trends.
Pricing note: You get five free Deep Research queries a month on ChatGPTs free plan, as of May 2025, or more on a paid plan. Gemini offers a good free Deep Research alternative. Perplexity also offers free Deep Research reports, though theyre not as thorough.
Alternative tools: Exas Websets is a powerfuland priceynew pro AI search tool that organizes results into a detailed table. It can draw on datasets like these, helping you identify great companies to target based on your own criteria.
4. Organize your search
Recommended tool: ChatGPT Projects
What it does: Lets you set up a dedicated AI folder for your career search. You can provide instructions and resource files so that every chat you have in this project takes into account the relevant context of your job search.
How to use it: Provide detailed instructions for how youd like the AI assistant to help. Try having it guide you in building a realistic timeline for preparing applications, sending follow-ups, and reaching out for informational interviews. Ask it to assist you in designing a structured daily job search agenda. If youre applying to many different positions and have lots of tasks to juggle, it can help to organize your plans.
Advanced tactic: You can upload examples of your past outreach messages or other writings as project resources. That will enable the AI assistant to help you draft new emails in your own style, whether youre letting people know youre open to new opportunities or reaching out to new contacts.
Organize our job search tasks: ChatGPTs Scheduled Tasks” feature can help by sending you custom reminders. That could include an automated daily reminder of specific tasks to complete to maintain momentum. You can even ask it to periodically send encouraging messages to keep you inspired throughout what can be a lengthy, stressful process.
Free alternative: ChatGPTs Projects require a paid plan, which starts at $20 per month. For a free alternative, create a Gemini Gem with similar functionality.
5. Polish your job application materials
Recommended Tool: Claude Projects
What it does: Gives you personalized AI assistance to help polish any materials youre creating. Give it specific instructions and upload background documents to ensure that it understands your preferences, strengths, and style.
I have Claude Projects set up to assist with most of the things I work on, from new classes Im developing to volunteering projects. Heres why I recommend this.
How to use it: Upload past cover letters, résumés, lists of accomplishments, awards, vision statements, or anything else youve created that you might want to build on for a new application.
In your project instructions, guide the AI to maintain your authentic voice as represented in your prior writings.
Ask for feedback on writing youre submitting, with prompts that specify the kinds of input that will be most usefulfrom grammar, spelling, and syntax suggestions to warnings about exaggerations, clichés, jargon, or redundancy.
Request suggestions for additional information to include, based on the job descriptions you’re targeting. Using the personalized AI assistant for feedback allows you to highlight your unique human value, avoiding generic AI-generated content.
Alternatives
ChatGPTs Projects and Custom GPTs have similar functionality. You can add resource files and instructions to adjust how the AI assistants support you.
Perplexity Spaces also allow you to organize prompt threads and add custom documents and instructions.
Gemini Gems, noted above, offer a free alternative. I prefer the quality of Claudes responses and some of its features, like a custom editing style Ive trained it to use.
6. Practice for interviews
Recommended tool: ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode
How to use it: Brainstorm interview questions specific to your target role, industry, and even the particular company you’re applying to. Then practice answering these questions using voice mode for a realistic simulation. Build your confidence by practicing how youll answer various questions. Read more about seven ways to use Advanced Voice Mode.
Ask for detailed feedback on your responses. Prompt your voice assistant to highlight strong points and suggest areas for improvement. Ask it to be as specific as possible and to help you practice strengthening your responses.
Ask it to help you prepare for whatever interview context you expect to encounter, from technical questions and case studies to fact-based questions or casual, open-ended lunch conversations.
Pricing: Full access to ChatGPTs Advanced Voice Mode requires a paid plan, but free users can access a daily preview of advanced voice mode powered by a model slightly less advanced than the top paid models.
Alternatives
Microsoft Copilot Voice is now completely free. Choose from eight voices. You can even adjust the voice speed. I like Wave, with his British-sounding accent, at 1.25 speed.
Gemini Live from Google is also an excellent voice AI assistant. Like ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode, it can even use computer vision to comment on something you show it. Initiate a conversation while pointing your phone camera at a companys leadership org chart, for example, or public balance sheet, or a list of questions youve handwritten.
Bonus tip: If your job search involves speaking or understanding multiple languages, you can use these voice models to practice speaking or listening in any number of tongues. Its a great way to practice live language skills.
7. Negotiate your salary
Recommended tool: Deep Research (from Perplexity, Gemini, or ChatGPT)
How to use it: Research average salaries for similar positions in your industry, accounting for variables like location, company size, and experience level. Generate comprehensive salary data in table format so youre ready to offer a data-backed rationale for your negotiating points. You can also research relevant benefits, company culture, and other factors. Im not actually looking for a job, but I generated these reports so you could compare real Deep Research results.
Compare the Deep Research salary reports:
Perplexity Report + original Perplexity thread
ChatGPT Report
Gemini Report
Practice negotiating: Use the aforementioned voice AI tools to role-play negotiations or to prepare for difficult benefits conversations. Practice responding to everything from a surprise dream offer to one thats below your market value.
More ways to use AI in your job search
Put together a video reel: Eddie AI can streamline how you create a highlight reel where you need visuals showing how you stand out. Heres why I like it.
Make a great deck: Gamma, Beautiful.ai, Pitch, and the brand-new Chronicle are great tools for turning talking points into polished slide presentations.
Others Im learning about: Check out Aakash Guptas list of AI job search tools, including Poised (interview feedback).
This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here.
Liquid Death isnt just water, its a master class in disruptive branding. In this explainer, we break down how the company built a reputation by launching bizarre, unforgettable collabs. Learn how it became the king of viral marketing one stunt at a time.
When powerful storms hit your city, which neighborhoods are most likely to flood? In many cities, theyre typically low-income areas. They may have poor drainage, or they lack protections such as seawalls.
New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward, where hundreds of people died when Hurricane Katrina broke a levee in 2005, and Houstons Kashmere Gardens, flooded by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, are just two among many examples.
With those disasters in mind, the Federal Emergency Management Agency made a big change to its Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide in 2023. The agency began encouraging cities, towns and counties to address equity in their hazard mitigation plans, which outline how they will reduce disaster risk.
Local governments have an incentive to follow those federal guidelines: Those that want to receive FEMA hazard mitigation assistance money which can be used to repair aging infrastructure like roads, bridges and flood barriers or funding from other programs such as dam rehabilitation have to develop local mitigation plans and update them every five years.
The new guidance required cities to both consider social vulnerability among neighborhoods in their disaster mitigation planning and involve socially vulnerable communities in those discussions in ways they hadnt before.
However, as the U.S. heads into what forecasters predict will be an active 2025 hurricane season, June 1 through Nov. 30, that guidance has changed again. The Trump administrations new FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide 2025 talks about public involvement in planning but strips any mention of equity, income or social vulnerability. It mentions using projections for the future to plan but removes references to climate change.
Who is most at risk in hurricanes, and why
Hurricanes and other storms that cause flooding dont affect everyone in the same way.
A legacy of redlining and discrimination in many U.S. cities left poor and minority families living in often risky areas. These neighborhoods also tend to have poorer infrastructure.
In the past, local mitigation plans just focused on fixing roads or protecting property in general from storm damage, without recognizing that socially vulnerable groups, such as low-income or elderly populations, were more likely to be hardest hit and take much longer to recover.
Low-income neighborhoods in Puerto Rico have been slow to recover from 2017s Hurricane Maria. [Photo: Ivis Garcia]
The FEMA 2023 guidance encouraged communities to consider both the highest risks and which neighborhoods would be least able to respond in a disaster and address their needs.
The equity requirement was designed to ensure that local plans didnt just protect those with the most wealth or political influence but considered who needs the help most. That might mean providing information in multiple languages in emergency alerts or investing in flood prevention in neighborhoods with aging infrastructure like roads, bridges and flood barriers.
How New York Citys 2024 plan helped
New York Citys 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan, for example, included a thorough social vulnerability assessment to identify neighborhoods with high percentages of people who were living in poverty or were older, disabled or werent fluent in English.
Knowing where disaster risk and social vulnerability overlapped allowed the city to boost investments in flood protection, emergency communication and cooling centers during summer heat in neighborhoods such as the South Bronx and East Harlem. These neighborhoods historically faced some of the greatest risks from disasters but saw little investment.
The NYC Mayors Office of Climate and Environmental Justice mapped the risk of storm surge flooding in the 2020s (purple) and 2080s (dark blue), and neighborhoods that fall under the citys disadvantaged communities criteria. A 1% risk means a 1% of chance of flooding in any given year, also referred to as a 100-year flood risk. [Image: NYC Mayors Office of Climate and Environmental Justice]
Further, New Yorks plan calls for expanding outreach and eary warning systems in multiple languages and enhancing infrastructure in areas with high concentrations of Spanish speakers. These kinds of changes help ensure that vulnerable residents are more likely to be better protected when disaster strikes.
Why is FEMA dropping that emphasis now?
FEMAs reasoning for the guidance change in 2025: make it quicker and easier to get plans approved and unlock federal funding for projects like flood barriers, storm shelters and buyouts in areas at high risk of damage.
Its a pragmatic move, but one that raises big questions about whether residents who are least able to help themselves will be overlooked again when the next disaster strikes.
And FEMA isnt alone other agencies, like the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and its Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program, have made similar changes to their own disaster planning rules. Community Development Block Grant funds for disaster recovery are flexible and can be used for things like rebuilding homes and businesses, restoring infrastructure and helping local economies recover.
What this means for low-income areas
Some experts worry that the changes might mean low-income and other at-risk communities will be ignored again when cities develop their next five-year mitigation plans. Research from the Government Accountability Office shows that when something is required by law, it gets done. When its just a suggestion, its easy to skip, especially in places with fewer resources or less political will to help.
But the short-lived rules may have already helped in one important way: They made cities and states pay attention to social vulnerability, climate change and the needs of all their residents.
Many local leaders have learned the value of using data to understand where socially vulnerable residents face high disaster risks. And they have a model now for involving communities in decision-making. Even if those steps are no longer required, the hope is that these good habits will stick.
Where and how communities invest in disaster protection affects who stays safe and who faces higher risks from flooding, hurricanes and other disasters. When government policy shifts, its not just about paperwork its about real people.
Ivis García is an associate professor of landscape architecture and urban planning at Texas A&M University.
Shannon Van Zandt is a professor of landscape architecture and urban planning at Texas A&M University.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
