Welcome to the latest edition of the Social Capital Newsletter. Social Capital is an intangible asset at the heart of a new and dynamic view of success, one that is changing business and the world as we know it during one of the most difficult and turbulent times in recent history. Leadership is more important than ever in today's business environment. To create this week's lead feature, "Leaders' Picks For Best Leaders of 2021," we turned to Social Capital leaders such as executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, Hologic CEO Steve MacMillan, and Proteus CEO Lisa Marrocchino. And we won't ruin the suspense, but the list that resulted is guaranteed to get you inspired to take your own Social Capital leadership to new heights. 

We honor 10 Social Capital business dynamos nominated by other Social Capital honorees.

Former UKG CEO reveals how he empowered his team by letting go.

Information As An Economic Power
Lose The Sale, Not Your Integrity
The Secret To Becoming A Caring Leader

Garry Ridge served as CEO of WD-40 for more than 40 years. In this collection of essays, he tracks how the company's culture and engagement shifted during the pandemic, underlining how the company's values served as a touchstone for critical decisions. Although the pandemic has passed, The Unexpected Learning Moment has many lessons that Social Capital CEOs will find perfectly suited to the current business environment--like how not to be a soul-sucking CEO, how to build a fearless tribe, why it is important to rank values so they can become a more useful guide for decision-making, the power of gratitude and more. If you're looking for a great airplane read, make sure to tuck this one in your overnight bag. And for more ideas on how to lift up your team, see "The Un-Leader In Action."

Looking for a holiday gift idea that your whole family will enjoy? The Worm Factory 360 ($176.75) could be just the idea you're looking for. It relies on worms to recycle scraps from your kitchen, paper waste and cardboard--into compost you can use in your garden. You can use it year-round and harvest compost monthly. If you're looking for ideas on how to build a culture at your company that supports families, check out "Family Still Matters: CEOs Who Support Our Most Important Institution."

Alan Mulally Says All You Need Is Love – And A Great System: Ford Motor’s Turnaround from a $17B Loss Was "Not Complicated"

Nearly one in five U.S. workers say their mental health is "fair" or "poor," according to new Gallup research. These employees take 12 unplanned days off each year, on average--costing $48 billion in lost productivity per year. Data like this reminds us of why Social Capital practices like investing in benefits to support employees' mental health are so important--not just to companies but to society as a whole. Learn how Chipotle is supporting team members' mental health in "Chipotle's Recipe For A Better World," Part I and Part 2. 

Gallup is known for verifying and fact-checking its work to an extent that would put some of the best journalists in America to the test. In our feature "Gallup Knows Why Your Employees--And Everyone Else--Is Unhappy," CEO Jon Clifton explains the reason: "We believe that leaders need to get their assumptions right first, before they start on whatever it is that they're working on because oftentimes whatever their assumptions are, whatever their beliefs, they may be wrong. And the single best way to uncover those things is just by talking to people." That's what a Social Capital company does. Hopefully, whoever gets elected next week will pay as much attention to what they say as Gallup does to studying public opinion. Our democracy depends on it. 

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