Leadership Briefing: 9 November 2026
What this week's policy thinking means for leaders
This week’s reports highlight some familiar challenges, including the continued conversation about the importance of developing skills, preparing for changes in the workplace and building responsible businesses. Yet the evidence suggests that access to learning remains uneven, employers are not investing as much in training as they once did, and some sectors may struggle to find the people they need.
There are also signs of change in the expectations placed on employers, from greater pay transparency to the way organisations use technology.
Reports and publications worth exploring
1. What does it mean to be a business that does good?
The Institute of Directors published its 2026 Commission report, Business. A Force for Good?, which looks at how businesses can create value for society while remaining commercially successful.
The report sets out a seven-part framework for boards, covering purpose, accountability, ownership, incentives, impact and relationships with customers and other stakeholders. It also found that 88% of IoD members and 78% of non-members believe businesses have a responsibility to contribute positively to society beyond making a profit.
The report brings into focus the fact that purpose needs to mean something in practice. It should influence how decisions are made, how people are treated and what an organisation chooses to prioritise. The framework offers a useful prompt for boards to consider whether their values are reflected in the way the business is actually run.
Read more: Business. A Force for Good?, Institute of Directors
2. Adult learning has barely grown in 30 years
The Learning and Work Institute’s Adult Participation in Learning Survey 2026, looks at how participation in adult learning has changed over three decades.
Its headline finding is that 43% of adults are currently learning or have done so in the past three years. That is only slightly higher than the 40% recorded in 1996, and well below the 52% reached in 2024. Participation also varies significantly by social class, age and previous education. The Institute estimates that more than three million additional adults would have been learners if all social grades participated at the rate of the highest. The report also found that employer training investment per employee is also a third lower than it was in 2005.
The findings are a reminder that access to development needs to look at who takes up learning opportunities, who misses out and whether organisational approaches to development is reaching the people who need it most.
Read more: Adult Participation in Learning Survey 2026, Learning and Work Institute
3. Skills shortages could put net zero ambitions at risk
A report from the Learning and Work Institute, commissioned by NOCN Group, warns that the UK may not have enough skilled workers to deliver its net zero ambitions.
The Road to Net Zero: How Far Have We Come?, highlights gaps in areas such as construction, clean energy and transport. It projects a shortfall of more than 43,000 electric vehicle technicians by 2035. The research also found that 52% of adults had not heard of green skills.
The report makes a straightforward point which is true across all industries, not just net zero - investment in new technology and infrastructure will only get us so far if we do not have the people with the skills to make it work. Workforce planning and skills development need to be part of the conversation from the outset, rather than an afterthought when shortages start to bite.
Read more: The Road to Net Zero: How Far Have We Come?, Learning and Work Institute
4. Employers could soon have to include salaries in job adverts
The Government has announced plans to require employers to include salary information in job advertisements. The proposed change, described as “say what you pay”, is intended to improve transparency and help tackle pay inequalities.
The Government says that only 41% of employers always publish salary ranges, while 18% always publish a specific salary. It plans to bring forward legislation, although the detail and timing of implementation are still to be confirmed.
This is a good prompt for leaders to take a look at their organisations own approach to pay. Where salary ranges are unclear or decisions have been made inconsistently over time, greater transparency could raise questions from both prospective and existing employees and put the organisation at risk. This announcement makes it even more important that organisations have a clear and explainable approach to pay and progression.
Read more: Announcement on "say what you pay", GOV.UK
5. Changes to settlement rules could affect workforce planning
The Home Secretary has set out the Government’s earned settlement policy to Parliament. Under the proposed model, the standard qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain will increase from five to ten years, although shorter routes will remain for some groups.
The Government estimates that more than 500,000 people will wait longer than five years to settle in the UK. The changes will have implications for some employers who rely on international recruitment, particularly in sectors where overseas workers make up a significant part of the workforce.
The practical impact will depend on the final rules and individual circumstances, but employers should understand where their workforce plans rely on sponsored employees. Changes to settlement routes may influence people's decisions about whether to stay in the UK and their longer-term career plans.
Read more: Home Secretary's statement on earned settlement, GOV.UK
6. IPPR calls for stronger accountability for technology companies
A paper published by The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) argues that individuals and civil society organisations face significant barriers when trying to hold technology companies to account for harm.
Empowering People to Hold Tech Accountable looks at issues including the misuse of AI and the impact of unreliable technology. It proposes changes to civil procedures, including making it easier for organisations to bring public-interest cases and for groups of people to pursue claims collectively. These are recommendations for reform, rather than changes to the law already in place.
As more organisations adopt AI and rely on digital platforms, questions about responsibility and accountability become harder to ignore. Leaders need to think carefully about how technology is selected and used, the risks it creates for employees and customers, and who is accountable when things go wrong.
Read more: Empowering People to Hold Tech Accountable, IPPR
Leadership takeaway
There is a common thread running through this week’s evidence: organisations need to be more deliberate about how they prepare for change. We know that skills are important, yet participation in adult learning has barely moved in three decades. We recognise the opportunities offered by new technology, but the people, safeguards and accountability needed to make the most of it do not always keep pace.
The same applies to how organisations approach pay, recruitment and their wider responsibilities. These are often treated as separate operational issues, but they all influence whether people feel valued, whether they can see a future with an organisation and whether it has the capability to deliver its ambitions.
Good leadership means being prepared to look honestly at the gap between what an organisation says it wants to achieve and what its decisions actually make possible. That is where the work of building a more capable, responsible and resilient organisation begins.