In the news. Companies are investing heavily in AI, but the promised productivity boom hasn’t arrived for many. Business Insider reports that while individual workers—especially software developers—often complete tasks much faster with AI, that isn’t enough for measurable enterprise-wide productivity gains. Most organizations still face challenges integrating AI into workflows, training employees, and measuring outcomes beyond efficiency. Ultimately, AI’s value depends on organizational change, not just technology adoption. Businesses that take a long-term approach to implementation and rethink how work gets done could be better positioned to realize significant returns. [Business Insider]

The symbiotic enterprise is not simply a technology shift. It is a fundamental redesign of how enterprises create value, organize work, and compete.

On McKinsey.com. To capture AI’s full value, companies need to create a “symbiotic enterprise” built on human–AI collaboration. According to McKinsey’s Christian Jansen, Daniele Chiarella, Kim Baroudy, Lari Hämäläinen, Lieven Van der Veken, Ruben Schaubroeck, Sébastien Lacroix, Stéphane Bout, and Guillaume Dagorret, advances in agentic and physical AI make close to 60% of work hours theoretically automatable, yet few companies have achieved meaningful P&L impact. The authors argue this gap exists because most organizations embed AI into existing processes rather than reinvent the operating model. The symbiotic model uses technology as its main cost driver, enabling faster innovation, greater adaptability, new revenue opportunities, and software-led growth. A clear strategic vision and scalable technical foundations are among the factors that can help drive success.

Discover drivers of the symbiotic enterprise

In the news. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo reached a record-breaking milestone by appearing in their sixth FIFA Men’s World Cup tournaments. What’s driving their longevity? Advances in sports science. Improved individualized training, recovery, nutrition, and performance monitoring are enabling athletes to compete at the highest level well into their late thirties and beyond, with FIFA reporting that the World Cup 2026 has an unprecedented number of long-career players. These veteran athletes aren’t simply leaning on their experience and muscling through. Their sustained high performance increasingly depends on investment in data, recovery, and personalized development. [FIFA]

On McKinsey.com. CEOs looking to perform at their best have much to learn from elite athletes, argue McKinsey’s Global Managing Partner Bob Sternfels and Senior Partner Daniel Pacthod. Their habits apply equally to executive effectiveness: managing time deliberately, prioritizing recovery, learning continuously, relying on data, and building resilience. As the authors note, the demands of modern leadership are more intense and complex than ever. Business leaders who embrace disciplined behaviors that strengthen their physical, mental, and emotional performance are more likely to thrive.

Step up your leadership game

A changing consumer landscape

In the news. The resale market is moving to the center of luxury retail, with shoppers increasingly using it to discover pieces they can’t find anywhere else, Vogue Business reports. Once seen only as a source of budget alternatives, secondhand marketplaces are increasingly being used by consumers to seek out pieces valued for their provenance, craftsmanship, and long-term appeal and worth. Nearly one in five luxury shoppers surveyed purchased through resale platforms in the past six months, with younger consumers leading adoption. AI is accelerating this shift by automating listings and improving product discovery and pricing guidance. But AI alone isn’t enough: Credibility in high-value resale still hinges on human interactions that create trust in the authenticity of the products. [Vogue]

On McKinsey.com. Changing consumer behaviors and expectations are widespread, with technology and sustained price pressures leading to four global trends in the sector, according to McKinsey’s latest State of the Consumer report by Anna Pione, Clarisse Magnin, Danielle Bozarth, and coauthors. “The health revolution” and “the experience economy” trends track consumers’ growing focus on products and experiences that support healthier lifestyles and memorable moments, broadening expectations of what brands deliver. Along with the rise of the “resourceful consumer” and an AI- and social-media-based “new tech-driven path to purchase,” these trends suggest that relying solely on scale or brand equity isn’t enough: To differentiate themselves, brands need stronger value propositions, omnichannel engagement, and more personalized offerings.

Understand today’s consumer