Our latest research at The Harris Poll UK highlights a growing expectation that future leadership will be shaped not only by knowledge and experience, but by human understanding, ethical judgment and the confidence to navigate uncertainty.

It reflects something I’ve increasingly recognised in my own work. In the insights industry, we are often asked to provide certainty. Clients want clarity, leaders want confidence, and organisations want to know what happens next.

The longer I spend in research, leading teams and partnering with organisations through rapid change, the more I have come to value something I once tried hard to avoid: ‘not knowing’.

As the school summer holidays begin across the UK, the excitement from children is palpable – and so is the pressure on working parents. Between coordinating childcare, managing workloads, and trying to squeeze in a bit of family time many parents enter this season already stretched thin.

But this isn’t just a parenting issue. It’s a culture issue. And the organisations that get it right – those that embrace empathy, flexibility and trust – don’t just support families. They build better workplaces for everyone.

Customer expectations have changed when it comes to home deliveries, and smart brands are delivering more to cater for the increasingly complex logistics in their customers lives. 

Half of UK consumers say that real-time, accurate delivery updates are more important to them now than before the pandemic, and perhaps surprisingly this is significantly higher amongst those with a hybrid working arrangement. Maru have undertaken research to better understand what’s driving this change, and to identify the make-or-break experiences within this crucial touchpoint.