There’s a certain buzz in the air about 2026.
Not the naïve kind. not the everything’s going to be easy now kind.
But a quieter sense that something is shifting.
That doesn’t mean the chaos is going anywhere.
Global uncertainty, rapid technological change, organisational reshuffles, and personal demands will still be there, here and abroad. They always are.
What is changing is what’s required of leaders within it.
Because if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s this:
standing still is no longer a neutral position.
The only things we can truly control
There’s a lot outside our control right now.
Trying to manage all of it is exhausting and ultimately futile.
What is controllable is this:
- how anchored we are in who we are
- how clear we are on what we stand for
- how deliberately we set boundaries and priorities
- how we decide what gets our energy and what doesn’t
These are not “soft” considerations.
They’re leadership fundamentals.
And in a year that will move quickly, they’re what stop clarity getting lost in momentum.
The real test isn’t now
Right now, many leaders are still operating with a bit of breathing room.
The year is fresh.
There’s energy.
There’s intention.
But the real test doesn’t happen at the beginning of the year.
It happens when:
- the pace is on
- things are “back to normal”
- calendars fill
- expectations stack
- school terms roll in
- and you’re juggling a gazillion balls at once
The question
then isn’t how much you’re doing.
It’s:
are they the right balls?
Relevance doesn’t come from busyness
One of the underlying risks leaders face is mistaking movement for progress.
Being busy can feel productive.
Being visible can feel reassuring.
Being relied on can feel like impact.
But none of those guarantee relevance.
Relevance comes from:
- having space to think, not just respond
- being clear on your positioning, not just your output
- leading with substance, not just speed
As futurists have been reminding us for years, the pace of change is accelerating, but the leaders who thrive aren’t the ones who move fastest.
They’re the ones who can pause, interpret, and choose deliberately.
Anchoring before accelerating
This year isn’t asking leaders to do more.
It’s asking them to be more intentional.
To anchor in:
- who they are now (not who they a couple of years ago)
- what matters most (before it gets crowded out)
- how they want to be known, trusted, and relied on
Because when leaders aren’t anchored, priorities blur.
Boundaries soften.
And decisions start getting made by default.
Clarity doesn’t slow momentum.
It directs it.
A question worth sitting with
So as 2026 gathers speed, here’s a question worth returning to, not once, but often:
Where do you create space to think about who you need to be this year, not just what you need to deliver?
That space doesn’t appear by accident.
It has to be chosen, protected, and returned to.
And in a year that will move fast, that choice may be one of the most important leadership decisions you make.