We’ve officially moved past the post-COVID “wait and see” era of the mid-2020s. Things are happening. It’s only week two of 2026, and already the intersection of exponential technology and fractured geopolitics is going crazy.
If the end of 2025 was a realisation that the era of pure strategy is ending, I think the start of 2026 is a great time to decide what we’re going to build in its place.
As I set my intentions (or resolutions, goals, or whatever you like to call them) for this year, I can’t help but think about the shape of the world right now. In so many ways, it feels like it’s shrinking. Conversations are becoming more polarised, borders (both physical and digital) are becoming more rigid, and the instinct to “close ranks” is pervasive.
But, I think that in the workplace, when the world narrows, the most effective leaders are the ones who fight to stay open.
Tech Meets Tension
We are seeing a weird paradox. On one hand, technology (specifically the ubiquity of GenAI, LLMs, and Agents) is making the world feel faster, more automated, more agile. But, on the other hand, the geopolitical climate is becoming increasingly “heavy.” More and more we are seeing global movement away from globalisation, and back toward isolationism, more rigid, top-down structures, and fear.
When the world feels volatile and surges toward more restrictive ideologies, our natural human instinct is to minimise risk and seek safety in the “similar”. But for those of us leading teams and driving innovation, that instinct is a trap.
This tension doesn’t stay in the news cycle; it bleeds into our Slack channels and our boardrooms. When the geopolitical weather is heavy, it changes the atmospheric pressure of the office.
So, what can we do about it?
We’re living through an odd period of time, where honesty feels like a diminishing resource on the global stage. Between the rise of AI-deepfakes and the revisionist “post-truth” posture of many global movements, people are navigating a world of constant skepticism. I don’t trust anything I see on social media anymore. I assume everything is fake, or AI-generated, and it kind of sucks.
And when people feel the world is becoming less honest, or unstable; they often look to their work environments for the opposite.
If they can’t trust the institutional landscape, they need to be able to trust their manager and their shared mission.
So, I believe that in 2026, transparency needs to become more than just a corporate value: it’s a psychological necessity. If we, as leaders, are opaque or overly “corporate” in our communication, we don’t just lose engagement; we trigger the same defensive cynicism that people feel toward the outside world. And that’s when we have people disengage entirely. They don’t trust a thing that comes out of our mouths, good or bad.
And it should go without saying, but that’s bad.
My Intentions for 2026
So, how do we navigate this? For me, my focus this year isn’t on better outputs; it’s on better openness.
Radical Honesty as a Utility
People can handle hard truths (usually better than we think they can); but what they can’t handle is the vacuum of silence. My goal for 2026 is to be more communicative than ever (buckle up) and not just about the what, but also the why. If we’re navigating friction, let’s name it. If the path forward is unclear, let’s be honest about the variables. Honesty is the only way to bridge the trust gap, and rebuild meaningful communication.
Diversity as a Defence Mechanism
Diversity is often only discussed through the lens of compliance. But in a world staring down the barrel of monoculturalism and rigid ideology, diversity of thought and background brings us a competitive advantage. If everyone in the room looks the same and thinks the same, you are flying blind into a storm. We need the “other” to see the risks we are missing. We need different lived experiences to navigate a global market that is splintering. We need full spectrum of voices to come together, be honest, and listen.
I expect 2026 will be a year of friction. But, we can either let that friction wear us down, or we can use it to spark something new.
By staying open when the world feels like its closing;
by seeking out diverse voices when the world wants us to simplify; and
by being obsessively honest with our teams, we can do more than just “work.”
We can create a sanctuary for clear thinking in a very noisy world. That’s my North Star for the year. What’s yours?
Thanks for reading!
Jen