Leaders around the world have never had so many dilemmas to navigate and contradictions to reconcile. Indeed, successful leaders today must embody and negotiate a set of apparent contradictions in order to thrive in a rapidly changing world. In this article, Blair Sheppard and Susannah Anfield of PwC lay out the six paradoxes of contemporary leadership. And they explain why, as the world seeks systematically to repair and reconfigure from the collective trauma and damage suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need for leaders to understand, accept, and embrace these paradoxes.

As the novel coronavirus forces people into a digital-only way of life, it’s important for businesses to infuse virtual experiences with a human touch. For more insights, read “Redefining customer experience: Connecting in the time of COVID-19.”

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing B2B companies to focus on experiences their clients expect, while mobilizing them to accelerate product and service innovation. For more insights, read “Redefining B2B experience: COVID-19 catalyzes big changes”

One symbol of prosperity in the U.S. and China is the rise of unicorns: startups that are valued at US$1 billion or more. Now India is catching up. More than 25 companies in the country have reached this status since 2014, and more will follow. As they mature, the Indian startup culture is maturing with them, and these changes in the country’s economy will affect the world around them. For more insights, read “India’s new unicorns.”

Technology is evolving so fast that your biggest challenge is developing a knowledgeable, strategically adept, skilled workforce. Unfortunately, in nearly every industry, the best talent is in perilously short supply. You can’t hire a new workforce. You need to transform the one you have by upskilling, rethinking the jobs you offer, and instilling your enterprise with opportunities for self-renewal, so that becoming adept in new technologies is just part of everyday life.

The industrialized world is facing a skills crisis. Automation is threatening many existing jobs, but at the same time, jobs requiring knowledge of artificial intelligence, robotics, and other new digital technologies are going unfilled in ever-greater numbers. …

A selection of books perfect for your commute — or the beach. See the list here.