In the traditional corporate model, strong leaders pursued a singular vision through the strong command of an organization. Today, we live in a time of rapid change, when products and services often become obsolete overnight, and competition includes startups and companies in adjacent industries–the traditional leadership archetypes need not apply. Instead an entirely new value system is beginning to emerge for the leaders of the future, one that will continue to grow with the rise of new tools like artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation. (Fast Company)

The growth of noncompete agreements is part of a broad shift in which companies assert ownership over work experience as well as work. A recent survey by economists including Evan Starr, a management professor at the University of Maryland, showed that about one in five employees was bound by a noncompete clause in 2014. (The New York Times)

The night before an interview can be a stressful time—usually one filled with "what if’s?" What if I don’t know the answer to a question? What if I trip and fall on my way into the office? What if I sleep through my alarm and miss the entire thing and never get a job ever again? This is only normal, and you’re certainly not alone in these thoughts. But that’s why you should actually spend time the night before doing a little something called preparation! Because when you’re prepared, there’s really no reason to worry. (The Muse)

Raise your hand if you can’t say no without feeling guilty. Well here’s the thing, if you want to be successful, you have to realize this: nearly every time you say yes to someone’s request, you’re saying no to yourself. From not reaching your goals to wasting precious time that you can’t get back, there’s a high price to pay for taking the business of you off of your to-do list. Whether you’re struggling to say "no" to your friends and family or your boss who’s adding more work on your plate, here are a few ways to soften the ‘No.’ (Black Enterprise)

The truth is, achieving the best outcomes — job satisfaction, meaningful relationships, successful ventures — requires shedding our shoulds. We can do this by asking three potentially life-changing questions before pursuing a path or taking on a new commitment: (Harvard Business Review)

The signs that are telling you it’s time to hit the road are far too easy to cruise right by. In fact, they’re often missed altogether and simply written off as a normal part of being employed. What sort of cryptic hints am I talking about? Well, here are six not-so-obvious signs you should probably dust off that resume and look for something new. (The Muse)

Achieving workplace diversity is a hot topic in hiring trends. It's a goal that requires a careful balance of resources and strategy, and companies lately have been diving in. (Entrepreneur)

A close look at a new study on the state of diversity finds that our exposure to people who don’t necessarily look like us, depends on where we are at any given part of the day. The main finding? "The workplace is a far more diverse place than where people live," said Krista Jenkins, executive director of the FDU PublicMind Poll. "So New Jersey is clearly a melting pot, but when you look at the number, people are more likely to engage with people from different backgrounds, different walks of life in the workplace than they do at home." (NJTV Online)

OPEC will roll over production cuts on Thursday, an admission that an initial six months of output reductions were not enough to balance the market. The policy has failed to shrink global crude oil stockpiles to OPEC's target level, despite high compliance with a landmark deal with 11 non-OPEC members to remove about 1.8 million barrels a day from the market. The effort has been undermined by resurgent U.S. production, weak fuel demand and robust OPEC exports. (CNBC)

China's massive debt burden is back in focus. Credit rating agency Moody's downgraded China this week, warning that the country's financial health is suffering from rising debt and slowing economic growth. It's the first time the agency has cut China's rating in nearly three decades. (CNN Money)

Last year U.S. universities conferred more than 185,000 master’s degrees in business administration, more than degrees in medicine and law combined. Their popularity isn’t surprising: Business degrees still offer the best return per instructional dollar, and many students are willing to pay the $200,000 price of admission. But all is not well in the land of management education. (Bloomberg View)

While some leaders and groups associated with black colleges have welcomed the young administration’s overtures, others, notably students, remain wary of Trump and assail the White House as tone-deaf and insensitive. Those views were on display this month when Education Secretary Betsy DeVos delivered the commencement address at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla. As DeVos began to speak, students booed and turned their backs on her. (The Los Angeles Times)

Join us in Philadelphia this September for the nation's premier diversity career, education and networking event. Register now for the 2017 Annual Conference and Expo, presented by NBMBAA and Prospanica, and take advantage of early pricing discounts and best hotel locations.

An entrepreneur and co-founder of the Black Founders has launched HBCU.vc, a new program to teach students at the nation’s black colleges and universities how to become tech investors. Hadiyah Mujhid, founder and executive director of HBCU.vc, is partnering with several black investors who run some of Silicon Valley’s top venture firms to back the program. (Black Enterprise)

In a commencement speech at Harvard Graduate School of Education on Wednesday, Saujani remarked that while white men may have led the past major revolutionary moments of U.S. history, the tide needs to start turning. "The culture is the problem. And the solution, graduates, is you," she added. said Saujani, whose nonprofit organization Girls Who Code gives middle- and high school girls access to coding education. (CNN TECH)

Picture the "average" entrepreneur. How old is this person? What does he or she look like? The statistics can be misleading. The average age for a startup founder is 26, but the most successful entrepreneurs tend to be older -- with founders over the age of 55 more than twice as likely as 20-to-34-year-olds to be in high-growth startups. (Entrepreneur)

Alarmingly, women entrepreneurs are increasingly being turned away by banks for small-business loans. Thankfully, they have other options, given the rise of technology-driven financial lending sources, such as online loans, peer-to-peer loans and crowdfunding. (Entrepreneur)

Freelancers can present your company with a valuable opportunity: the ability to select a person with exactly the right skill set for a specific project, and who is available whenever the need arises. But finding the right person can be challenging. There are a lot of different sites where various talent pools congregate and, as with any employee, there's a wide range of skills and abilities. After all, not every skill set is the right fit for every project. So where should you turn when looking for the people you need, when you need them? And if you're searching on a hiring site, which one is best? (Business.com)

Federal Reserve Board officials said at a meeting early this month that they wanted to see evidence of stronger economic growth before continuing to increase the Fed’s benchmark interest rate, according to minutes of the meeting published on Wednesday. But the account presented in the minutes did not shake a widespread conviction that the Fed will raise rates at its next meeting, which is scheduled for mid-June. Analysts said recent economic data was strong enough to reassure the Fed, and investors increased their bets on a June rate hike. (The New York Times)

Mortgage rates sank to their lowest levels of the year this week but remain well above where they were six months ago. According to the latest data released Thursday by Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate average dropped to 3.95 percent with an average 0.5 point. (Points are fees paid to a lender equal to 1 percent of the loan amount.) It was 4.02 percent a week ago and 3.64 percent a year ago. It is only the second time this year the 30-year fixed rate has dipped below 4 percent. (The Washington Post)

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose less than expected last week and the four-week moving average of claims fell to a 44-year low, suggesting further tightening in the labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 234,000 for the week ended May 20, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The increase followed three straight weeks of declines. (CNBC)

Women are now the majority on college campuses across the United States—representing 56% of all students enrolled as of fall 2016. And according to a new report, they're also shouldering the lion's share of the nation's student debt problem. (Fortune)

Most personal finance pros advise U.S. workers to save as much as they can by stashing money in 401(k) retirement accounts, which lower taxable income and shelter investment earnings from the IRS. But there's a downside to tying up too much cash in these accounts: it could leave you without enough money for unexpected bills. (USA TODAY)

The government is not keeping up with the demand for clearances. As of last month, the National Background Investigations Bureau within the Office of Personnel Management -- which performs 95% of federal background checks -- had accumulated a backlog of 570,000 applications. Delays in granting initial Top Secret clearances are averaging over 500 days. Average time required to receive an initial Confidential/Secret clearance, one of the least demanding in terms of required background checks, is 262 days.These delays have been particularly hard on industry, because it is difficult to attract and retain talent when new employees may have to cool their heels for a year or longer before beginning work on classified programs. (Forbes)