Been scrolling through yet another online discussion about AI lately, and something struck me about how we react when public figures weigh in on technology. Pope Francis recently made some comments about AI needing to help rather than hinder young people’s development, and predictably, the internet had thoughts.

The responses were fascinating in their predictability. Someone immediately cracked wise about wanting to hear what Ariana Grande thinks about AI next, another person questioned whether anyone actually cares what the Pope says, and then came the inevitable historical whataboutism – bringing up Galileo and the Inquisition like it’s some kind of gotcha moment.

The other day, I stumbled across an online discussion about management that really resonated with me. Someone shared their experience of receiving high engagement scores from their team, and their “secret” was refreshingly simple: treat people well and give them autonomy. It brought back memories of my early days in tech leadership, where I encountered both brilliant mentors and, well, absolute dropkicks.

The discussion took a humorous turn when they suggested writing a straightforward management book with a rather colorful Australian title that basically amounted to “don’t be a terrible person.” While the language might have been a bit crude, the sentiment hit the nail on the head.

The news about ANZ’s CEO Shayne Elliott voluntarily forfeiting his $3 million bonus has sparked quite a discussion in business circles. It’s refreshing to see a top executive actually taking responsibility for their company’s performance, even if some skeptics suggest there might be more to the story.

Let’s be real here - when was the last time we saw an Australian corporate leader genuinely own up to their mistakes? Looking at you, Qantas and Telstra. The standard playbook usually involves blaming external factors, market conditions, or some other convenient scapegoat while pocketing massive bonuses regardless of performance.