Emily Field, Bryan Hancock, and Bill Schaninger page 061Organizations have long seen middle management as ripe for cutting whenever times get tight, and the current moment is no exception. The authors believe that this is a costly mistake. Human capital, they say, is at least as important as financial capital, and middle managers, who recruit and develop an organization's employees, are the most important asset of all—essential to navigating rapid, complex change. They can make work more meaningful, interesting, and productive, and they're crucial for true organizational transformation. But if managers are to fulfill this promise, leaders must reimagine their roles, push to more fully understand their value, and train, coach, and inspire them to realize their potential as organizational linchpins.

无论性别如何，幽默都能传达热情和能力。因此，幽默可以帮助女性演讲者摆脱阻碍自己在专业环境中发挥影响力的 “热情 - 能力” 双重束缚。总的来说，热情的女性管理者被认为能力较弱，表现得有能力的女性则被认为不够热情，在很多专业环境中，既热情又有能力对于发挥影响力至关重要。

人，到底是根本还是成本？在很多公司高管那里，似乎是视经济景气程度、竞争格局、盈利状况而更改定义的。从硅谷到国内，全球市值最高的科技公司这两年来陆续大幅裁员的消息令人瑟瑟发抖。但是，新冠疫情、经济低迷、行业格局剧变，是过去几年各行各业、所有企业都经历的挑战。从本期封面专题（P046）我们能看到，同样的逆境求生、削减成本、提升运营效率、确保增长，不同企业的具体操作大为不同。