As the pandemic continued to alter how we lived and worked in 2021, Chief’s weekly editorial newsletter explored the many different challenges facing C-Suite executives today. From how to effectively show emotion in the workplace to how to avoid burnout as a leader, here are the top-read stories from this year’s Chief in Brief.

1. An Argument for Anger: How to Use This Taboo Emotion for Effective Leadership Anger has always been an off-limits topic for executive women. But a new movement towards emotional acceptance is changing old rules.

2. Is a Stay-at-Home Spouse the Secret to Executive Success? Studies show that 70% of high-earning men have a stay-at-home spouse, compared to 22% of high-earning women. Could shifting the dynamic at home be the key to getting more women to the top?

3. An Argument for Turning Off Your Camera — Why Phone Calls Can Get You Heard Not only is Zoom fatigue real, studies show that the camera may not be helping us communicate any better. In fact, it could be making things worse — especially for women.

4. What Midlife Crisis? Here’s How to Plan for Your Next Act After climbing the corporate ladder and amassing huge success, C-Suite women may be planning for what comes next. Here’s why executive coaches believe the best is yet to come.

5. We Need to Talk About Mental Health in the C-Suite Studies show that executive leaders and managers are experiencing the highest levels of workplace burnout due to ongoing changes from the pandemic. Here’s why now is the time to better support executives and their well-being at work.

6. The Importance of a Solid VP Bench — and How It Can Fix the C-Suite Pipeline With the pandemic forcing millions of women out of the workplace, the broken C-Suite pipeline has become even more strained. That’s why, solidifying a VP bench could be the key to creating a more equitable future at the top.

7. 96% of CEOs View DEI as a Priority — Here’s How Measuring These Metrics Can Lead to Better M&A Diversity, equity, and inclusion has become a strategic priority for many business leaders, which is why experts say now is the time for executives to incorporate DEI mandates into the mergers and acquisitions process.

8. Does Our New Era of Corporate Empathy Bode Well for Women Leaders? While expectations of empathetic leadership have long been the Achilles’ heel of women executives, a shift to corporate-driven empathy could provide a much-needed counterbalance to a crisis that has largely impacted women’s advancement.

9. What It Actually Means to Think — and Act — Like a Breadwinner Chief Member Jennifer Barrett explains how becoming a breadwinner is less about earning a certain amount of money and more about taking on the mindset.

10. What You Need to Know About the Metaverse — and Why It Matters for Your Bottom Line With digital social interactions increasing, and the popularity of cryptocurrencies and NFTs rising, experts say now is the time for executives to start thinking about the importance of the metaverse.