Future Ready Leadership With Jacob Morgan Layoff Chaos, AI Irrationality, Gen Z's Double-Major Gamble, and the Global RTO Divide
Nov 19, 2025
Recent layoff tactics at major companies have sparked debates about humane offboarding practices. Sundar Pichai raises alarms over potential irrational exuberance in the AI boom, urging a balance between technology and human judgment. There's a notable divide in return-to-office strategies between U.S. and European banks, with distinct benefits for each approach. Alarmingly, foundational math skills are collapsing on college campuses, while some companies outsource performance reviews to AI, raising concerns. Finally, Gen Z's trend of double majors may be less important than their actual skills and projects.
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Humiliating Layoffs Leave Lasting Scars
- Jacob Morgan recounts his wife's layoff where an HR manager fired her on Zoom while wearing a headset, leaving a lasting negative impression of the company.
- He warns mishandled offboarding creates permanent brand damage and harms future rehiring and retention.
AI Frenzy Risks Becoming A Bubble
- Sundar Pichai warns the AI boom shows signs of irrational exuberance similar to the dot-com bubble.
- Jacob Morgan adds that the next bottleneck for AI growth will likely be energy and infrastructure, not algorithms.
Two Successful Paths For Return-To-Office
- U.S. banks largely mandate more in-office days while European banks emphasize hybrid as a competitive advantage.
- Morgan argues both approaches can succeed depending on strategy, culture, and talent priorities.
