The latest data puts May inflation at an annualized 6.3%, a level unchanged from that in April and more than three times the Federal Reserve's target of 2%. Futures traders have stood by their view that the Fed will raise its benchmark interest rate by 75 basis points during a meeting in late July.

TD Synnex's endpoint solutions and advanced solutions units both grew in the second quarter, but growth was more pronounced in the latter business due to scheduled project deployments finally being fulfilled, according to CEO Rich Hume. "[O]ur investment in high-growth technologies -- cloud, analytics, IoT, security, hyperscale technology, all of these categories -- remains really strong, much stronger than the average growth rates in IT," Hume said.

Over two-thirds of American businesses plan to return production to the US or use nearshoring as they face geopolitical disputes, trade concerns and raw materials shortages and need greater resilience and flexibility, according to a survey by automation company ABB. "Business leaders are responding to unprecedented supply chain disruptions by putting into place measures to make operations more resilient and adaptable," said Sami Atiya, president of the robotics and discrete automation business at ABB.

The US trucking industry is down 100,000 trailers, according to one estimate, and both new and used trailers are proving hard to find. Some trucking companies say that mandates requiring the use of electronic logging devices force them to use more trailers, making the shortage worse.

Salespeople can prevent buyers from going to cheaper competitors by playing up the fear of the unknown and emphasizing the total value and cost of what's being offered, writes sales trainer Paul Reilly. Adding value and appealing to buyers' common sense are other ways to retain customers, Reilly writes.

When facing a tough decision, your instincts can provide a lot of guidance, writes Lisa Kohn, who also recommends doing your research, getting feedback from trusted sources and then sticking by your choice. "While it's important to keep your mind open in case there is new information to consider along the way, it's also important to do your best not to unnecessarily waffle once your decision has been made," Kohn writes.

Leaders with character seek to fix their team's frustrations and acknowledge they may be the source of frustration when they reject feedback or don't practice the values they espouse, writes Mark Murphy, founder of LeadershipIQ. "Most leaders wouldn't admit to getting defensive or shooting the messenger, yet it happens every day," Murphy writes.

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