Honoring 6 CEOs for Distinguished Leadership | C-Suite Insights 10.8.25
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COMMITTEE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT »
Tonight: Honoring 6 CEOs for Leadership in Challenging Times
Tonight, the Committee for Economic Development (CED), the public policy center of The Conference Board , will host its 2025 Distinguished Leadership Awards Celebration.
The event will honor six CEOs and their companies that have demonstrated exceptional leadership in challenging times:
The TCB take: By showcasing the bold, innovative leadership of these six honorees, CED inspires the business and policy communities to address the most consequential economic and geopolitical issues of our time.
This year's honorees have navigated these transformational times with agility, ingenuity, integrity, and a deep sense of responsibility for the far-reaching impact of their leadership. Their influence has driven lasting change within their companies, in their communities, across the nation, and throughout the world.
Number of the Week: +7.8%
In September’s Consumer Confidence Survey, the job market differential stood at +7.8%: 26.9% of US consumers said jobs were currently “plentiful,” 7.8 percentage points above the 19.1% of consumers who said jobs were “hard to get.” This measure of job availability is down sharply from +11.1% in August and a high of +22.2% in December 2024.
In fact, the job market differential has now fallen nine straight months to a new multiyear low. The drop in this measure is consistent with the recent decline in job openings.
Younger generations face tough job search: Baby boomers are still thriving in today’s workforce, with a job market differential of +14.9% in September. By contrast, the differential was +4.7% for Gen X, +3.6% for millennials, and just +2.1% for Gen Z.
Likewise, the job market has turned negative for those earning less than $35,000.
The TCB take: Overall, the Consumer Confidence Index® fell 3.6 points in September to 94.2 (1985=100), the lowest level since April. A sharp deterioration in consumers’ views of the current economic situation drove down the Present Situation Index by 7.0 points—its largest one-month drop in a year.
QUOTABLE »
Robin Erickson, PhD, on AI's Importance at Work
“I think that AI is the most important issue right now that's going to be reshaping the workplace. Because immigration and trade matter in terms of what work is done. But AI will change how the work is done at many, many levels.”
— Robin Erickson PhD , Head of Human Capital Research, The Conference Board
Listen to the podcast “The Workplace in 2025: More Hybrid Work, More Layoffs.”
GOVERNANCE & SUSTAINABILITY »
Report: 7 in 10 Large-Cap US Companies Report Material AI Risks
Nearly three-quarters of the S&P 500—72% of companies—now flag AI as a material risk in their public disclosures, according to this report produced with ESGAUGE - ESG Intelligence & Analytics . That’s up from just 12% in 2023.
This drastic increase underscores how rapidly AI has moved from experimental pilots to business-critical systems—and how urgently boards and executives are bracing for reputational, regulatory, and operational risks.
Top risks:
The TCB take: For business leaders, the imperative is twofold:
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS »
Authentic Leaders Can Ease Transformation Fatigue and Quiet Crashing
At a recent joint meeting of the Internal Communications Council and the Employee Engagement & Experience Council, one big theme that ran through two days of sessions was change and transformation.
Economic uncertainty is weighing on employees: Rising fears of recession and FOBO—fear of being obsolete in an age of AI—are fueling stress and anxiety.
Indeed, workforce well-being is now a business issue. Some employees are disengaging at work (“quiet crashing”) while seeking psychological safety and stronger mental health support. As employees may not raise concerns, leader check-ins are even more vital.
The TCB take: Companies expect learning agility—the ability to adapt and grow amid constant change. But transformation fatigue is real, and organizations need to balance change with stability. For leaders, the key is modeling trust and transparency.
Authenticity and consistent messaging create psychological safety. Leaders who invite feedback, ask for expert help to leverage new business opportunities, and model collaborative behaviors set the tone for resilience and performance in rapidly changing times.