Steve Dennis, a strategy consultant and author of "Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption," advises business leaders to learn the value of uncertainty and let go of ego. "Embracing uncertainty creates a sense of wonder, of discernment, of curiosity -- all incredibly valuable skills for driving creativity and seeing a wider range of options and actions," Dennis writes.

Inshal Khawaja, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, was encouraged by a faculty member who gave a speech at business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi to pursue a career in sales rather than marketing. "A career in sales allows me to grow alongside my clients, becoming a partner in their success stories," Khawaja says.

Retail sales climbed more than expected in March, rising 0.7%, according to the Commerce Department. An increase in February has been revised upward to 0.9% from 0.6%, marking the largest gain in over a year. A 2.7% increase in online sales aided March spending, while sales at gas stations increased 2.1%.

Leadership confidence is about improving yourself, but not on the backs of others. Confidence comes from within and is "an unshakeable sense of self, which requires consistent and continued dedication to your values, goals and personal self-worth," writes executive coach Joel Garfinkle, who offers five ways to build your confidence without throwing your weight around.

The US dollar index is up 4.6% so far this year and is near its highest level since November 2023. Last week the index, which compares the dollar against six other major currencies, climbed 1.7%, the biggest weekly gain since September 2022. The dollar has rallied on expectations interest rates will remain higher for longer given hotter than expected inflation figures.

An overwhelming sense of "been there, done that" in your job is a sign that you need to actively grow your skills, writes Jason Evanish, CEO of Get Lighthouse. Evanish recommends "supercharging" your growth in seven different ways, such as becoming a force multiplier for your team as well as reflecting on and learning from past failures.

Leena Nair, the Global CEO of Chanel, had to overcome self-doubt to assume the leadership role at the iconic fashion house. After talking to her mentor, former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, Nair made a list of leadership qualities she could bring to the role after decades at Unilever.

Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu in Tokyo has introduced the Japan Airlines Cockpit Room, a guestroom designed by flight crew members to resemble the cockpit of a Boeing 767-300 airplane. The room, which starts at $230 per night, has a view of the runway at Haneda Airport and features two actual pilot seats and a replicated cockpit panel.

Companies can boost sales through a better understanding of what makes their customers happy, writes Pohan Lin, senior web marketing manager at Databricks. Use metric tools such as the Customer Satisfaction Score, Net Promoter Score and Customer Effort Score to gain insight on what customers really think about a company's products or services, Lin advises.

A school of seven fish can be as quiet as a single fish if the animals flap their fins at alternate times rather than in unison, a behavior that also lets them use less energy and swim faster. "A predator, such as a shark, may perceive it as hearing a lone fish instead of a group," says mechanical engineer Rajat Mittal, an author of the study in Bioinspiration & Biomimetics that used 3D models of swimming mackerel.