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If youre a manager today, your job may well be changing. That is, if it hasnt already. As companies continue to compress their org charts and axe layers of middle management, a new role is emerging: the supermanager. Leaders are finding themselves responsible for significantly more direct reports and broader responsibilities. And in many industries, the trend shows no sign of slowing. A Gallup survey published in January, citing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, found that the average number of reports managers have increased from 10.9 in 2024 to 12.1 in 2025. The share of managers overseeing 25 or more employees has also grown in the past year, with 13% now supervising teams that large. This long-term increase in managerial span of control has been described as part of the Great Flattening. It is being driven by several forces, including leadership churn, layoffs targeting middle management layers, and the AI boom, and organizations increasingly see fewer reasons to maintain multiple management layers. Some workplace experts argue the shift is overdue, pointing to years of bloated management structures. Others warn the trend is backfiring, leaving employees lost in the noise and saddled with unrealistic demands. Either way, the supermanager is becoming commonplace across countless industries. When bigger teams lead to burnout and turnover The role is changing, Jennifer Dulski, the CEO and founder of the AI-assisted team performance platform Rising Team, tells Fast Company. Every manager can now become a supermanager. Michele Herlein, a former senior HR leader turned leadership expert who holds a doctorate in business administration, tells Fast Company that slimming down an organization can have immediate benefits, like reducing costs, and speeding up decision-making. But when organizations increase spans of control without redesigning the role itself, the consequences ripple quickly. When people are reactive instead of proactiveputting out fires instead of preventing themchaos follows, Herlein says. When one megamanager is burnt out, the entire department feels it. Leena Rinne, vice president of leadership, business, and coaching at Skillsoft, tells Fast Company that companies are effectively creating a new leadership role without acknowledging it. If you’re going to have a flat organization and a lot of direct reports, you better be thinking about what the skills are that that leader needs and equipping them with those skills, Rinne says. She believes the supermanager era can workbut most organizations are skipping that step, she says. Rinne experienced the shift firsthand, managing 80 direct reports in one previous role. It was very different from managing eight: She needed absolute clarity on her vision and strategy rather than filling her time with individual one-on-one meetings. The problem, she argues, is that many organizations are flattening their structures, but not evolving how they support managers. Organizations think, oh, if we just put more pressure on them, they’ll figure out how to do it more effectively, she says. Then they don’t give them the training, the tools, the skills, the clarity, the visionall of these things that should come from higher levels of leadership. The model isnt necessarily brokenbut the support often is Dulski, who previously held leadership roles at Yahoo, Google, and Facebook, agrees that the supermanager era can work if companies rethink what management is for. Before the flattening, she argues, many managers oversaw too few people. My personal view is that five to seven has been the right zone, she says. And with the right tools, we can probably get to 10 or 12 fairly easily. But the benefits arent automatic. To make it work, supermanagers should spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on what Dulski calls the two Cs: clarity and compassion. That means prioritizing fewer, clearer goals and using systems to replace constant supervision and micromanagement, which some have relied on to climb the traditional career ladder. Great managers are like great sports coachesthey show clearly what winning looks like, have everybody clear on what their role is, and then they step back, she says. Managers are not doing a good job when you put very little support into helping them understand their role and training them to be good at it. AI can help with this, but technology alone wont solve everything, Dulski warns. Its counterintuitive to a lot of people, Dulski says, but the success of future managers and leaders lives at the intersection of deep human connection and AIone without the other will no longer be enough. When a supermanager hasnt been given the time and resources to develop those skills, burnout follows. Gallup data has already shown that the workforce is disengaged, so piling additional responsibilities on top of people and expecting them to simply deal with it is only going to compound the problem. As Rinne says: You cant flatten your way to growth. How to survive and succeed as a supermanager The Great Flattening is likely to continue, fueled by hybrid working, cost pressures, faster decision cycles, and the reduced need for oversight enabled by AI tools. It looks like supermanagers are becoming the norm as a result, so those suddenly thrust into this role should try to make it work, but only if their organization is implementing the model thoughtfully and intentionally, rather than out of panic. The supermanager era will be defined about leading differently, with clear goals, transparent communication, and leadership development to make it a sustainable one, experts say. I think most organizations don’t invest in their leaders enough, period, Rinne says. Herlein agrees, adding that a lot of supermanagers are stuck on a hamster wheel, not advancing, because theyre running on fumes. It’s not that the model is broken, Herlein says. They just can’t do it without the broader organizational support and resourcesthey cant do it alone. Thriving as a supermanager means distinguishing between the two paths ahead: embrace this new way of leading, or recognize when the environment isnt sustainable, and jump ship.
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E-Commerce
Ive worked remotely since 2006 (way before it was common). However, my days were filled with calls to colleagues and DMs to chat about everything from work to what we had planned for the weekend. Now Im a solopreneur. I have occasional calls with clients, but theyre rare. Most of my days are spent working alone. In many ways, this is great since I have the freedom to work however and whenever I want. But staying motivated when its just me requires being really thoughtful about how I work. According to a 2025 report by Leapers, nearly half of self-employed professionals feel lonely occasionally or some of the time. One in five feels lonely or isolated often or always. It can be really hard to stay motivated when youre working in isolation. You have to create your own structure and find ways to keep going without other people around. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/work-better-1.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/work-better-mobile-1.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to Work Better\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"Thoughts on the future of work, career pivots, and why work shouldn\u0027t suck, by Anna Burgess Yang. To learn more, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.workbetter.media\/\u0022\u003Eworkbetter.media\u003C\/a\u003E.","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"SIGN UP","ctaUrl":"https:\/\/www.workbetter.media","theme":{"bg":"#f5f5f5","text":"#000000","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#000000","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91457605,"imageMobileId":91457608,"shareable":false,"slug":""}} Design your own workday Traditional 9-to-5 hours don’t always make sense when you work alone. You don’t have to start at 8 a.m. just because that’s when your clients start working. You can work when you’re most productivebut you have to make sure you actually get stuff done during that time. For example, I still mostly follow a traditional workday schedule because I have kids, and thats when theyre in school. However, I also find that Im incredibly productive early in the morning, before anyone else is awake. I have the least energy in the evenings, so my day often ends at 3:30 or 4 p.m. Time-blocking helps create structure, even when no one is holding you accountable. I block off chunks for deep work, admin tasks, and meetings. Seeing my calendar filled in is like making an appointment with myselflike I have somewhere to be (even if that somewhere is my home office). If you’re not sure when you do your best work, track it for a week. Note when you feel focused versus when you’re dragging. Then build your schedule around when you have the most energy, not traditional working hours. Create a work mode environment When your home is also your office, it’s really easy to blur boundaries. The dishes and laundry are right there. Creating separationeven artificial separationcan help signal to your brain that it’s time to focus. Small rituals work surprisingly well. For me, its making a cup of coffee, closing the door to my home office, and putting on a specific playlist to start my morning. These are my mental switches to get into work mode. I do work only at my desk (unless Im traveling). If you don’t have a dedicated workspace, find other ways to create that boundary. Some solopreneurs work in a specific corner of a shared room or use only certain apps during work hours. You can use headphones to block distractions. The ritual is the important part, not the specifics. Work alongside other people When you work for an employer, you have some outside accountability to get your tasks done. Whether its your manager or a teammate, you know that other people are watching you (either in an office or metaphorically). When you work alone, you have to actively find ways to be around other people. Working with others can improve your focus, increase your motivation, and reduce procrastination (a concept known as body doubling). If you find it hard to stay on task while running your solo business, body doubling can make a huge difference. Virtual coworking has become popular for this reason. Platforms like Flow Club or FLOWN let you work alongside other people on video for a specific period of time (one hour, two hours, etc.). I’ve also done casual video calls with fellow solopreneurs where we just work together silently. If you join a virtual coworking session, come with a specific project or task that youd like to complete during the allotted time. If virtual coworking isn’t your thing, try working from a coffee shop, library, or coworking space occasionally. Even once a week can break up the isolation and give you a change of scenery. You still get the benefit of body doubling when youre in a room with other people, even if theyre not connected to you in any way. Make working alone work for you Working solo means you dont have a lot of external cues. You dont realize how much you rely on other people and your work environment to keep you motivated until youre on your own. Suddenly, its a random Tuesday at 10 a.m. and you have no desire to workeven with a looming client deadline. When you intentionally design your workday and find small ways to simulate accountability, motivation will follow. Youll realize that you dont need a boss, coworkers, or an office to stay on track. You just need systems that work for you. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/work-better-1.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/work-better-mobile-1.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to Work Better\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"Thoughts on the future of work, career pivots, and why work shouldn\u0027t suck, by Anna Burgess Yang. To learn more, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.workbetter.media\/\u0022\u003Eworkbetter.media\u003C\/a\u003E.","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"SIGN UP","ctaUrl":"https:\/\/www.workbetter.media","theme":{"bg":"#f5f5f5","text":"#000000","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#000000","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91457605,"imageMobileId":91457608,"shareable":false,"slug":""}}
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E-Commerce
The business worlds most exclusive club has always been the boardroom. For decades, it has operated as a roped-off circle of experience, where pattern recognition, war stories, and collective gut instinct guided the biggest decisions. But the most recent quarterly earnings calls and 2026 spending projections across industries from tech to finance make it clear: That era is ending. As business complexity explodes and competitive cycles compress, those old methods are showing their limits. Artificial intelligence is exposing blind spots, surfacing inconvenient truths, and rewriting how boards govern, challenge, and lead. The transformation goes beyond adding new tools and technologies to the boardroom playbook. AI is changing how directors think, what they question, and how they hold management accountable. And as AI matures, its transforming boardrooms from bastions of intuition into engines of continuous intelligence. Here are three ways that shift is unfolding, and how forward-thinking boards are adapting. Data Finally Beats Anecdotes In my experience doesnt cut it anymore. AI can process customer behavior patterns, market signals, and competitive shifts faster and more accurately than any human can. When a director recalls how a similar situation played out 15 years ago, AI can instantly test whether that approach worked then, and whether it would still work today. Leading boards are now requiring management to back up claims with AI-driven analyses alongside traditional reports. Gut instinct still has a role, but its being paired with evidence-based validation. Boards and leaders must learn to partner with AI’s analytical horsepower, even (or especially) when it feels unnatural or risk being left behind. Predictive Intelligence Forces Long-Term Thinking Boards often fall into the trap of short-termism, reacting to the last quarter rather than anticipating the next disruption. AI changes that. Predictive models can now forecast churn months in advance, identify market shifts before they appear in analyst reports, and simulate how strategic moves might play out under different scenarios. This pushes boards to engage in true foresight: asking whats next, not what happened. It extends the time horizon of governance from postmortem analysis to strategic anticipation. New Skills Are Redefining Who Belongs in the Boardroom Board composition must evolve. The traditional mix of former CEOs, financial experts, and industry veterans, valuable as they are, is no longer sufficient. Boards now need directors who understand data governance, algorithmic bias, and digital operating models. That doesnt mean replacing experience with youth, but pairing wisdom with fluency. Forward-thinking boards are addressing this through structured approaches: creating dedicated AI oversight committees, partnering long-serving directors with AI-savvy advisors, and requiring all directors to complete AI governance education programs. The goal isnt to turn every director into a technologist, but ensure that every director can think critically about AIs strategic and ethical implications. Whats Next? Boards have always made decisions based on databut until now, that data arrived slowly, selectively, and often filtered through human bias. AI changes the tempo and texture of governance. It challenges assumptions in real time. Companies whose boards resist this shift will find themselves making yesterdays decisions about tomorrows challenges. Those who embrace it will lead with sharper foresight, faster adaptation, and deeper accountability. The choice isn’t whether to embrace AI in governanceit’s whether boards will use it to lead or follow.
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E-Commerce
At its core, public health is about driving healthy behavior changes by building awareness, meeting people where they are, and offering solutions that are accessible and grounded in evidence. Throughout my career, I have worked on issues ranging from foster adoption and drunk driving prevention to tobacco prevention and cessation, always with science as our foundation. But the media landscape, and how people engage with information, has changed dramatically. To remain relevant and effective, public health must evolve. That means rethinking not just what we communicate, but how we motivate, engage, and sustain healthy behaviors. WHY ITS IMPORTANT TO LEAN IN Gamification, using elements of game design in an existing digital product or intervention to engage users and change behavior, has become an increasingly common approach in public health. It can reframe intimidating goals like exercising more, managing stress, and quitting nicotine into smaller, achievable steps that feel tangible and motivating. When implemented effectively, gamification can improve user engagement by supporting intrinsic motivation, learning and skill development, social interaction, and a sense of accomplishment. In many ways, public health cant afford to ignore gamification. Addiction is already gamifiedand its winning. As one example, smart vapes now feature screens, rewards, animations, and puff tracking. These high-tech devices have become top-selling products, with 32% of youth and 33% of young adults reporting using vapes with screens, games, or Bluetooth connectivity in the past month. These products are applying the same engagement strategies used in consumer tech to drive repeat use and ultimately sustain addictive behavior. WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS Mounting evidence supports gamification use in public health. As an example, some randomized trials show that socially incentivized gamified interventions can significantly increase physical activity, compared with non-gamified approaches. Similar approaches have been used to improve medication adherence, chronic disease management, and preventive health behaviors. Participants assigned to team-based challenges or friendly competition sustain healthier behaviors longer than those receiving traditional prompts alone. Progress you can see becomes behavior you repeat. Interventions using gamification share some core principles: making health interactive, trackable, or social. Many effective gamified health interventions align with self-determination theory, which identifies three drivers of motivation: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE BACKING IS NEEDED Well-designed programs dont just reward outcomes; they reward effort, consistency, and resilience. In public health, that distinction matters, because change rarely happens all at once. It happens through daily re-commitments. Public health succeeds when it rewards persistence and practicenot perfection. Campaigns, which often complement an intervention, can also be gamified. The campaign itself can inspire behavior change, while also encouraging sign-up for the specific health intervention. The collective result: stronger outcomes. The approach can be especially relevant for younger generations, who may expect things like daily check-ins, streaks, and digital accountability as part of their digital experiences. We are infusing some gamified elements into EX Program from Truth Initiative, our free, digital nicotine-cessation resource developed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic. By implementing elements that mirror gamification principles like check-ins, milestones, progress encouragement, virtual rewards, and social reinforcement, we help participants stay engaged with quitting behavior. These features are designed to reward effort and participation rather than outcomes alone. We know that every try makes you stronger the next time. APPLY GAMIFICATION BEYOND TRADITIONAL HEALTH TOOLS We have also tested creator-led digital experiences that reflect how young people already motivate one another online. As part of You Got This Day, a national moment designed to reframe Quitters Day as an opportunity to recommit after relapse, Truth Initiative worked with Gen-Z creators to create and launch a Snapchat augmented-reality lens called 30 Day Challenge. Developed through Snap Academies, the lens encourages young people trying to quit nicotine to focus on making it one more day without using nicotine, through visual progress tracking, supportive messaging, and social accountability. Rather than relying on financial incentives or competition, the experience emphasizes encouragement, persistence, and community, reinforcing evidence-based support through EX Program. For Gen Z, platforms like Snapchat and TikTok arent channelsthey’re cultural fluency. Designing health interventions that live there brings gamification to young consumers where it already resonates. REASONS FOR CAUTION Evidence points to important caveats to consider when moving toward a more gamified public health approach. Over-reliance on competition can discourage people who fall behind. Extrinsic rewards can crowd out internal motivation, or risk trivializing an important topic for participants. And without strong privacy protections, data-driven health tools can run the risk of eroding trustparticularly among individuals who are already wary of surveillance and misuse. Theres also a risk of superficial engagement. Points without purpose dont change lives. The most effective interventions are grounded in evidence, are culturally relevant, and are responsive to users real-world challengesnot just their attention spans. THE PROMISE Despite these challenges, the promise of gamification in public health is real. This novel approach for public health can become a catalyst for measurable health behavior change. By recognizing how people already engage with technology and then designing public health tools that feel supportive, human, and achievable, were turning participation into progress. In a world where screens dominate attention and traditional health messaging can struggle to break through, gamification can complement proven public health strategies that support sustained behavior change. The future of public health isnt louder messaging, its smarter engagement. Kathy Crosby is CEO and president of Truth Initiative.
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E-Commerce
If you haven’t read the book The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman, youre probably at least familiar with the idea behind it: that people give and receive care in different ways. Some value words, others actions. Some want quality time; others want gifts or closeness. Problems arise when two people in a relationship give and receive care differently. Even the best intentions dont land if theyre expressed in a way the recipient doesnt recognize. This dynamic is well-established in personal relationships, but I’ve also seen a version of it play out between leaders and their teams. Very often, what leaders see as performance issues are really a mismatch in leadership languages. As a leader, I consider it my job to enable people around me to be their bestboth at work and beyond. Applying the idea of leadership languages to these relationships gives me a practical framework for doing that. LEADERSHIP IS EXPERIENCED, NOT DECLARED Just as in personal relationships, leadership is not measured by what you mean to convey, but by what the other person experiences. As leaders, we care deeply about our teams. Yet even the best intentions can get lost in translation when theres a leadership language mismatch. Like there are leadership styles, there are followership preferences. Some people want clear guardrails; others want autonomy. Some value frequent feedback; others prefer independence. When leadership and followership styles align, work feels energizing. When they dont, even talented people struggle. These disconnects often show up as performance problems. But at a deeper level, they are translation problemsmoments when a leaders way of showing support or direction doesnt align with what a team member needs to do their best work. Ive seen this pattern repeatedly, and Im sure you have too: A strong hire struggles. Communication becomes tense. Projects and initiatives stall. Often, a leaders instinct is to treat the problem as a performance issue and institute more structure, clearer expectations, and tighter oversight. But that makes the situation worse, because the problem isnt capability. Its that the leader and team member speak different leadership languages. 5 LEADERSHIP LANGUAGES Every leader Ive met has a unique leadership style, but Ive seen common patterns that lead me to believe we all default to one of these five leadership languages. They all have their advantages, but they also all have the potential to be misunderstood by people who work best with a different leadership language: Direction and controlCharacterized by: Centralized decisions, detailed guidance, and close involvement. How its received: For some, this creates clarity and confidence; for others, it feels like micromanaging. Inspiration and visionCharacterized by: Emphasis on purpose, narrative, and momentum over day-to-day execution. How its received: Motivating for mission-driven teams, but frustrating for those who want clear direction. Empathy and presenceCharacterized by: Leading through listening, availability, and emotional attunement. How its received: Builds trust and a sense of belonging but can slow decision-making. Results and accountabilityCharacterized by: Relentless focus on outcomes, metrics, and performance. How its received: Drives excellence in some people and burnout in others. Servant leadershipCharacterized by: Prioritizing growth and enablement. How its received: Builds long-term capability but requires clarity and boundaries to work well. None of these approaches is inherently good or bad. It’s important for leaders to understand that their preferred style may not match what their team members need. CLARITY IS A LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITY Before diagnosing an issue as a performance problem, ask: Has this person succeeded in similar roles before? Does the friction feel procedural? Or does it feel more personal? Are you responding with more of what isnt working? Would this person describe your leadership the way you intend it? Do you see a pattern across multiple people you manage? Taken together, these questions help distinguish true performance gaps from leadership that’s lost in translation. Its on us as leaders to be explicit about how we lead. People should not have to figure out our leadership styles through trial and error. That clarity starts in the hiring process. I’m direct with candidates about how I lead. I even encourage them to talk with people who have worked for me to learn about my leadership style. A leadership language fit is too important to leave to assumption. It may seem like this level of transparency could limit the candidate pool or make people feel excluded, but my goal is to give them agency. My primary leadership language is servant leadership. That works wonderfully for a lot of people. But for people who want more direction and control, Im probably not the best fit. And thats okay. Better to know early on and make decisions accordingly. WHAT TO DO MONDAY MORNING Of course, no organization can have only one leadership language. There will always be mismatchesand leaders can address them with clear assessment and communication: Name your default leadership style. Be explicit about how you lead when youre not consciously adjusting. Ask your team what they need. Ask what helps them do their best work and what gets in the way. Create a simple translation guide. Note how each direct report prefers to communicate, receive feedback, and operate day to day. Revisit strained relationships. Before escalating performance concerns, have a direct conversation about working styles and expectations. Make alignment part of onboarding. Share your leadership language early and invite new hires to do the same. Small moves like these wont change who you are as a leader, but they can change how people experience your leadership. Leadership alignment is one of the most underutilized tools in building high-performing teams. You may be the worlds best leader, but that doesnt mean much unless the way you lead helps the people around you do their best work. Chris Ball is the CEO of 6sense.
Category:
E-Commerce
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