Top reads of 2021
Our year in charts and year in images tease out more on these themes—don’t miss them. The search for sustainable, inclusive growth will continue in 2022, and we’ll continue publishing our insights on how that plays out for business and society. As the year draws to a close, explore some of 2021’s most popular and innovative insights on these themes and more, and thank you for reading along.
2021: The year in charts
Here’s a look back at some of our favorite data visualizations from our Charting the Path to the Next Normal series.
2021: The year in images
The year’s defining moments offer insight into the elements that drive, unite, and inspire us as we face the future.
Our top reports of 2021 dug deeper on the management issues resonating across organizations, from the future of work and tech’s potential to diversity and inclusion matters. To explore our robust library of downloadable signature reports and special collections, visit the McKinsey Download Hub.
The future of work after COVID-19
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The pandemic accelerated existing trends in remote work, e-commerce, and automation, with up to 25 percent more workers than previously estimated potentially needing to switch occupations.
What matters most? Five priorities for CEOs in the next normal
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How leaders can adapt to a very different future.
Women in the Workplace 2022
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Women leaders are switching jobs at the highest rates we’ve ever seen, and ambitious young women are prepared to do the same. To make meaningful and sustainable progress toward gender equality, companies need to go beyond table stakes. That’s according to the latest Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey, in partnership with LeanIn.Org.
Being transgender at work
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Although corporate America has stepped up its public support of LGBTQ+ rights, it still has a long road ahead to foster a truly inclusive environment for transgender employees.
IoT value set to accelerate through 2030: Where and how to capture it
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New research shows that the Internet of Things offers significant economic value potential, particularly in standardized production settings, but companies must achieve scale to capture it.
McKinsey’s Global Banking Annual Review archive: 2014 to 2022
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Updated annually, our Global Banking Annual Review offers the best of our research and insights into the global banking industry. Explore the findings from past years’ reports.
POPULAR SPECIAL COLLECTIONS THIS YEAR
Explore a few of our most visited special collections from 2021, which draw together articles, multimedia, and more to deeply engage on many facets of a single topic.
Sustainable, Inclusive Growth
Explore insights on the new era of growth—one that doesn’t treat growth and positive impact as opposing forces.
McKinsey Themes
Explore essential reading on the topics that matter, from beating burnout to preparing for a digital-centric world.
America 2021
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After 2020 disrupted lives and livelihoods, the country is geared for a reset. In America 2021, leaders, innovators, and changemakers have an opportunity to make a telling difference. Here are the first in a yearlong series of our contributions to the discussion.
The Next Normal: Emerging stronger from the coronavirus pandemic
Explore McKinsey’s curated collection on the business outlook for 2021 and beyond—plus insights about how companies can emerge stronger from the coronavirus crisis.
McKinsey on Books
Explore this month’s best-selling business books prepared exclusively for McKinsey Publishing by Circana and a collection of books by McKinsey authors on the management issues that matter, from leadership and talent to digital transformation, corporate finance, and more.
Building Great CEOs
Explore McKinsey’s CEO counseling offerings, as well as our latest insights and learnings for current and future CEOs to unlock heightened performance.
Top Videos
Watch some of our most interesting videos, including early-career advice from My Rookie Moment, a lens on the future of work, and more. Check out McKinsey Video for even more multimedia.
In 2021, listeners tuned in for insights focused on building resilience, homing in on talent, and more. Explore some of our most streamed podcasts of 2021, and check out The McKinsey Podcast for even more audio.
Culture in the hybrid workplace
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Hybrid work is happening. Your culture will need to catch up—fast.
From the great attrition to the great adaptation
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To keep top talent in the fold, managers must actively change their leadership styles—focusing less on controls and more on culture and connections.
The vanishing middle manager
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Flatter. Faster. Leaner. The COVID-19 crisis has once again trained a spotlight on the value of middle management. What happens after the pandemic ends?
The search for purpose at work
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Purpose is personal, but companies play a critical role in how we express it.
The boss factor
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How you get along with your manager can shape your health, happiness, and productivity.
The eight trends that will define 2021–and beyond
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Kevin Sneader discusses the new ideas and business models transforming industry landscapes.
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2021 turning point: Reinvention and opportunity in the economy of the future
The pandemic has reset the ways we live, work, and do business, accelerating some long-term shifts and setting new changes in motion. In 2021, the McKinsey Global Institute took stock of how the economy is transforming—and the new opportunities now at hand.
COVID-19:
Vaccine advances and takeaways for 2022
With billions of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered, the pandemic response has proved what collaborative science can do. But to build on this achievement and help get the virus under control worldwide, more work needs to be done. The following collection below recounts the progress that’s been made in global vaccine development, accessibility, and distribution and what comes next.