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Iranians have been struggling for nearly two weeks with the longest, most comprehensive internet shutdown in the history of the Islamic Republic one that has not only restricted their access to information and the outside world, but is also throttling many businesses that rely on online advertising. Authorities shut down internet access on Jan. 8 as nationwide protests led to a brutal crackdown that activists say has killed over 4,000 people, with more feared dead. Since then, there has been minimal access to the outside world, with connectivity in recent days restored only for some domestic websites. Google also began partially functioning as a search engine, with most search results inaccessible. Officials have offered no firm timeline for the internet to return, leading to fears by businesses across the country about their future. One pet shop owner in Tehran, who spoke on the condition of anonymity like others for fear of reprisals, said his business had fallen by 90% since the protests. Before that, I mainly worked on Instagram and Telegram which I dont have access to anymore. The government has proposed two domestic alternatives. The point is our customers are not there they dont use it. Internet outages are the latest squeeze on businesses The internet outage compounds economic pain already suffered by Iranians. The protests, which appear to have halted under a bloody suppression by authorities, began Dec. 28 over Irans rial currency falling to over 1.4 million to $1. Ten years ago, the rial traded at 32,000 to $1. Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, it traded at 70 to $1. The currencys downward spiral pushed up inflation, increasing the cost of food and other daily necessities. The pressure on Iranians pockets was compounded by changes to gasoline prices that were also introduced in December, further fueling anger. Irans state-run news agency IRNA quoted a deputy minister of communications and information technology, Ehsan Chitsaz, as saying the cut to the internet cost Iran between $2.8 to $4.3 million each day. But the true cost for the Iranian economy could be far higher. The internet monitoring organization NetBlocks estimates each day of an internet shutdown in Iran costs the country over $37 million. The site says it estimates the economic impact of internet outages based on indicators from multiple sources including the World Bank and the International Telecommunication Union, which is the United Nations specialized agency for digital technology. In 2021 alone, a government estimate suggested Iranian businesses made as much as $833 million a year in sales from social media sites, wrote Dara Conduit, a lecturer at the University of Melbourne in Australia, in an article published by the journal Democratization in June. She cited a separate estimate suggesting internet disruptions around the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests cost the Iranian economy $1.6 billion. The 2022 internet disruptions’ “far-reaching and blanket economic consequences risked further heightening tensions in Iran and spurring the mobilization of new anti-regime cohorts onto the streets at a time when the regime was already facing one of the most serious existential threats of its lifetime, Conduit wrote. More than 500 people were reportedly killed during that crackdown and over 22,000 detained. Prosecutors target some businesses over protest support Meanwhile, prosecutors have also begun targeting some businesses in the crackdown. The judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported Tuesday that prosecutors in Tehran filed paperwork to seize the assets of 60 cafes it alleged had a role in the protests. It also announced plans to seek the assets of athletes, cinema figures and others as well. Some cafes in Tehran and Shiraz have been shut down by authorities, other reports say. Internet cuts drive more outrage The financial damage also has some people openly discussing the internet blackout. In the comments section of a story on the internet blackout carried by the semiofficial Fars news agency, believed to be close to the countrys paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, one reader wrote: For heavens sake, please do not let this internet cut become a regular thing. We need the net. Our business life is vanishing. Our business is being destroyed. Another commentator questioned why the internet remained blocked after days with no reports of street protests. Its not just the internet blackout that is hurting businesses. The violent crackdown on the protests, and the wave of a reported 26,000 arrests that followed, also have dampened the mood of consumers. In Iran’s capital, many shops and restaurants are open, but many look empty as customers focus primarily on groceries and little else. Those who pass by our shops dont show any appetite for shopping, said the owner of an upscale tailor shop in Tehran. We are just paying our regular expenses, electricity and staff but in return, we don’t have anything. Elena Becatoros and Jon Gambrell, Associated Press
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For years, leaders have been told that being true to themselves and ignoring what others think represent the gold standard of effective leadership, a kind of moral and emotional north star. But in practice, this type of advice often gets leaders into trouble. For a vivid illustration, consider how two famous fictional (yet hyper-realistic) characters, namely Don Draper (Madmen) and Michael Scott (The Office) embody these two mantras. Draper clings to a rigid, unchanging identity, using this is who I am as armor to avoid confronting his insecurities, while Scott approaches management with unfiltered candor, oversharing, and acting on impulse. Both believe they are being true to themselves, so others should appreciate it, but in reality they are trapped behind a rigid self-protective shield that excuses poor judgment and blocks growth. The real problem arises not so much from being untrue to themselves, but rather, from mis-calibrating how they show up, mistaking self-expression for effectiveness. Leaders who are reduced to this kind of pattern routinely erode trust, exhaust their teams, and undermine their own influence while sincerely believing they are acting with genuineness and integrity. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/10\/tcp-photo-syndey-16X9.jpg","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/10\/tcp-photo-syndey-1x1-2.jpg","eyebrow":"","headline":"Get more insights from Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic","dek":"Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is a professor of organizational psychology at UCL and Columbia University, and the co-founder of DeeperSignals. He has authored 15 books and over 250 scientific articles on the psychology of talent, leadership, AI, and entrepreneurship. ","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"Learn More","ctaUrl":"https:\/\/drtomas.com\/intro\/","theme":{"bg":"#2b2d30","text":"#ffffff","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#3b3f46","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91424798,"imageMobileId":91424800,"shareable":false,"slug":""}} As psychological research shows, every leader carries internal narratives shaped by early experiences about how to stay safe, earn belonging, or manage uncertainty. These narratives result in behavioral patterns that were once adaptive. But over time, they harden into identity (this is just who I am) and limit leaders flexibility and versatility. Leaders are therefore presented with a difficult psychological choice, namely: (a) to resist pressures to conform, and act without consideration for what others think, but, in doing so, risk alienating or antagonizing others; or (b) to adjust their behavior to meet the situational demandsmostly, what other people want and need from thembut risk alienating . . . themselves. The question, then, is how leaders can skillfully navigate the intricate balance between their self-expression needs and their obligation to others. To this end, here are a few science-based recommendations to consider: Communicate with greater precision and empathy Leaders dont struggle because they speak the truth, but because they speak it without intention, timing, or attunement. Balancing candor with empathy is the discipline of telling the truth in ways that preserve dignity, empathy, and trust. Heres how: Pair honesty with intention. Before speaking hard truths, ask: What impact do I want this message to have? Clarifying intent helps you choose language that builds trust rather than simply offloading whats on your mind. Think of it as an emotional aim: honesty without intention is like firing an arrow without checking what or who is behind the target. Slow the reflex. If you feel urgency to just say it, pause. Urgency often signals an activated trigger, not clarity. This is your minds equivalent of a car engine revving too hot; giving it a moment prevents you from speeding into the wrong lane. Use that pause to let adrenaline fall and cognition rise. Practice empathetic accuracy. Test your instincts by naming what others might feel, then adjust your delivery in service of effectiveness, not self-expression. Great communicators act like emotional cartographers, mapping the terrain before entering it so they know where the cliffs, rivers, and fragile bridges are. Regulate emotion before you express it Vulnerability builds trust only when it is regulated, purposeful, and contained. Grounded vulnerability allows leaders to be real without turning their teams into emotional shock absorbers or co-regulators. Heres how: Share what is useful, not what is unfiltered. Vulnerability should serve others, not the leaders emotional relief. Raw disclosure is not always courageous; sometimes it is simply an emotional data dump that burdens the listener. Useful vulnerability, by contrast, is like offering a compass: personal, yes, but handed over with the intent to orient others, not to lighten your own load. Do emotional processing upstream. Use peers, mentors, or therapists as your primary space, not your colleagues. This preserves your teams psychological safety while still giving you the support you need. Upstream processing allows you to show up composed, thoughtful, and ready to metabolize complexity on behalf of others rather than through them. For example, employees often report feeling emotionally hijacked when leaders vent openly about board pressure or uncertainty, unsure whether they are being informed or enlisted as emotional support. Replace unloading with grounding. Before sharing, ask: Is this helpful to them? Or helpful to me? Grounding yourself first allows you to express vulnerability as perspective, not pressure. Think of grounding as fastening your oxygen mask before assisting others: when you regulate your own emotional state, your words become stabilizing rather than contagious. Leaders who ground themselves create a conversational climate where honesty feels safe instead of sharp. Balance identity with adaptability Many leaders confuse integrity with sameness. True reliabiity comes not from repeating the same behaviors, but from expressing the same values with greater responsiveness and emotional range. Heres how: Redefine consistency. Anchor to values, not behaviors. Values stay largely steady; behaviors can evolve. When leaders treat consistency as performing the same behaviors in every situation, they confuse predictability with rigidity. True consistency comes from being reliably guided by the same principles even as contexts shift. Try 10% adjustments. Micro-flexibility builds confidence without threatening identity. A modest shift in tone, timing, or format can expand your influence far more than sweeping reinventions, demonstrating that authenticity and adaptability can coexist. Name what rigidity protects. When you feel resistant, ask: What part of me feels endangered right now? Identifying the fear beneath the resistance opens the door to more adaptive choices. This self-reflection keeps self-expression honest while ensuring that protective impulses do not override responsibilities to the people they lead. Demonstrate values with judgment, not dogma Strong values dont require rigid postures. Moral maturity allows leaders to stand for what matters while remaining curious, connected, and oriented toward collective impact rather than personal righteousness. Heres how: Distinguish values from validation. Ask: Am I standing in a principle or hiding behind it? This distinguishes conviction from ego. By interrogating whether a stance is truly principle-driven or simply self-affirming, leaders prevent rigid authenticity from becoming a shield for stubbornness. Expand the aperture of right. Seek nuance in situations that challenge your certainty. Curiosity reduces the need to treat disagreement as a moral referendum. By widening their interpretive frame, leaders move from defending their identity to understanding the system they are operating in. Prioritize impact over insistence. Sometimes the most ethical choice is the one that maintains relationships, not the one that wins the argument. Insisting on being right can satisfy the ego but damage the social fabric leaders rely on to get things done. In short, if you are interested in being a better leader who is true to her/himself, focus on being your best possible self rather than your unfiltered or uncensored self. Why? Because the less you care about your reputation, the more others will careand not in a good way. Leadership is fundamentally relational, so leaders professional selves must be optimized to the needs of others. People dont need leaders to share every inner thought but to provide clarity, stability, and a responsible, human presence. Effective leaders prioritize impact over self-expression and treat authenticity as an active, intentional process. By contrast, misguided self-expression creates friction that slows decisions, distorts information, and weakens execution, even in otherwise capable teams. The best leaders commit to continuous improvement and becoming more effective in their roles. This demands self-awareness and emotional intelligence, recognizing what traits to emphasize or adjust to meet the moment’s demands. Instead of unfiltered self-expression, leaders engage in thoughtful self-presentation tailored to the collective needs of their teams and organizations. As a result, leaders professional reputation becomes a practiced skill of managing how to show up powerfully while staying true to core values, not a static identity to be discovered or defended at all costs. In summary, effective leadership is less about rigid self-identity and more about strategic self-curation aimed at adaptive effectiveness and relational impact. Leaders who understand this evolve beyond trapped patterns and refine themselves to lead with clarity, competence, and integrity. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/10\/tcp-photo-syndey-16X9.jpg","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/10\/tcp-photo-syndey-1x1-2.jpg","eyebrow":"","headline":"Get more insights from Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic","dek":"Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is a professor of organizational psychology at UCL and Columbia University, and the co-founder of DeeperSignals. He has authored 15 books and over 250 scientific articles on the psychology of talent, leadership, AI, and entrepreneurship. ","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"Learn More","ctaUrl":"https:\/\/drtomas.com\/intro\/","theme":{"bg":"#2b2d30","text":"#ffffff","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#3b3f46","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91424798,"imageMobileId":91424800,"shareable":false,"slug":""}}
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A relatively new category of solopreneur is booming, and its ascent is challenging perceptions of what it means to be self-employed. Since 2018 demand for fractional expertiseor specialized talent that works for one or many firms on a limited or part-time basishas tripled, according to a recent study by workforce intelligence company Revelio Labs. The most popular part-time executive position, according to the study, is CFO, which makes up 18% of fractional executive roles, followed by CMO at 14% and CEO at 10%. Revelio Labs chief economist Lisa Simon says the skyrocketing demand for fractional executives is largely a function of the current job market. She explains that layoffs have freed up many highly skilled workers while budgetary constraints have added to the appeal of a lower cost flexible alternative to full-time hires among businesses. Employers see fractional work as a way to save on costs while filling a particular role and, because of the weak labor market, more workers are willing to take these part-time positions, she explains. Though some go fractional out of necessity, others actively choose the arrangement for its added flexibility, especially women. According to the Revelio Labs study, about 38% of American fractional executives are female, compared with 31.5% of those that are traditionally employed. Women are much more likely to be interested in remote work and return to office has had particularly adversely affected women; theyre less willing to go back, because of the extra caregiving responsibilities, Simon explains. Fractional work is more attractive to mothers, to those giving elder care, because it allows for that extra flexibility. A new work paradigm, or just a fad? The trend may be driven by temporary market conditions, but there is reason to believe the growth in both the supply and demand of fractional help is indicative of a broader and more lasting change. What Im seeing is the unbundling of roles, explains Sara Daw, the global CEO of U.K.-based Liberti Group, which connects businesses with fractional executive talent in 18 counties. Roles that we historically only thought of as being full-time and permanent are unbundling into more work tasks and activities, and the fractional trend meets that head on. Daw says her organization has been providing part-time executive services since 2001, but those services have only been labelled fractional since the pandemic. Since then the organization has doubled thanks to skyrocketing demand, especially for CFOs, which it provides through its sub-brand the CFO Centre. Before COVID most people didnt know what we were talking about when we were pitching it, says Daw, who published a book tracking the fractional trend last year. Most business owners wanted their CFO sitting next to them, and I think COVID taught everyone that we can work differently, and it’s normalized our business model. The pandemic also inspired workers to reevaluate their relationship with work and seek more control over their schedules. It encouraged a lot of people to consider whether their full-time high-end C-suite leadership job was detrimental to their health, their well-being, their family, Daw says. Those two trends coming together has created this phenomenon. Thats especially true among younger workers. Though they may not be ready to step into fractional executive roles, a new generation of talent is proving much more comfortable with the part-time model, suggesting more growth on the horizon. Most Gen Zers have a side gig already; theyre much more portfolio-minded and gig-orientated, Daw says. I’m not saying employment is dead, I’m saying this has got its own space alongside it. Not Just for Cash-Strapped Startups Prior to the pandemic, Daw says the primary customer for fractional services were startups and small businesses that couldnt afford full-time help. While that segment remains strong, there has also been significant growth among larger organizations looking for a temporary, flexible helping hand. Since COVID, the pace of changegeopolitics, climate change, war, technology, all of those mega-trendshas meant that organizations have got a lot to cope with, and the senior leaders have started looking more for outside help, she says. They might have a group CFO or group CMO who’s employed full-time, but those individuals are overwhelmed in a turbulent world, and they need an agile talent structure. When large organizations needed outside assistance in the past they traditionally looked to major consulting and advisory firms. Many are now discovering that they can find specialized talent at a lower cost by engaging a part-time, temporary expert. Those fractional experts may have even been previously employed by one of those big consulting firms or may have helped a similar organization overcome a similar challenge in the past. You’re seeing very large corporationsthe brands you knowhiring these fraction-ers intentionally to get access to the talent, says Ran Harpaz, the founder and CEO of Lettuce Financial, a Fintech platform for solopreneurs earning six figures. They don’t want to go to finance and justify a job, and put it in the budget for the next five years and deal with all the support systems around it. From embarrassment to badge of honor Before the term gained traction, those who offered what wed now describe as fractional services were given labels that Harpaz says didnt really match their level of expertise. Consultant, contractor, 1099, those are accounting terms. Fractional is a business term, he says. It says Im going to solve your problem, and I can do it in a fractional capacity. That new label, he says, has shifted the perception of this category of solopreneurs from something many felt they had to hide on their résumés to something they advertise as a badge of honor. They say out loud, I’m so great at what I do that I can help your business in 10 hours or 20 hours a week, because Im that experienced, Harpaz says. It’s not a gig, it’s a destination, and I’m positioning myself so that clients understand what they’re getting, and they see the value in the interaction.
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