#ICYMI: What keeps CEOs up at night?

Kick back, relax and get caught up with the latest news everyone will be talking about at happy hour. In case you missed it (ICYMI), here are three articles covering cringe-worthy leadership styles, the things that CEOs worry about the most and how to apologize without looking weak or rude.

What keeps CEOs up at night?

Do you know what keeps CEOs up at night? A new study by IBM points to disruption. Digital startups like Uber that has turned the taxi industry upside down has CEOs worried. Now, more than ever, they are looking over their shoulders anticipating disruption from an unlikely source. Another rapidly growing worry is cybersecurity. Just two years ago IT security was hardly a concern of top executives, but now 68% of CEOs surveyed said it’s their top risk. In fact, it has become a concern for most people who are operating their entire business online or just some part of it. To say, Cybersecurity for dentists or schools or colleges is equally a matter of concern as much as it is for the CEOs in mainstream business. Apparently, the study will be widely released on Tuesday, but The Washington Post got a sneak peak of the findings this week.

Check out the full article for some more interesting findings.

How to apologize without looking weak

It’s close to impossible to escape the opinions on the pros and cons of apologizing. Pro: you look accountable. Con: you look weak. This week, Time published a fantastic article on the theory behind apologizing and the actions you should take in certain situations. The article takes us back to two infamous corporate apologies, Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs and Tony Hayward of BP. The article states:

Blankfein steadfastly denied that his company did anything wrong, looking puzzled when a Senate committee demanded an explanation for his employer’s actions during the financial crisis; Hayward apologized during BP’s hearing before a House of Representatives committee, but didn’t take responsibility.

“Most viewers like Hayward’s contrition and are repelled by Blankfein’s arrogance,” Pfeffer writes. “But Blankfein still has his job (and some large bonuses) and Hayward is long gone.”

Why? Because we tend to perceive people who express anger as having more status than those who express sadness. In other words: an abject apology might come off as an admission of weakness.

So, does this just mean we should be jerks and not apologize? No. You just need to apologize carefully. Check out the full article for three things to keep in mind before you say “I’m sorry!”

Confession: People share the most corrupt thing their bosses have ever done

Prepare to be mortified. ICYMI, Whisper is a confessions app that lets people post their thoughts on issues anonymously. This week, disgruntled employees published the “20 Corrupt Things Employees Have Seen Their Bosses Do: Make the rules; break the rules,” and it is cringe-worthy. There’s everything ranging from classic restaurant scenarios like, “pull food that fell in the trash can out, put it back on a plate, and serve it to a guest,” to situations more startling like, “asked me to hack into his partner’s account to see if he was planning on leaving the company.” You can find the full list of confessions on Business Insider. Warning: some of them are pretty bad!

What did you think? Leave a comment below if you saw any other good articles!