The start of 2026 has felt unusually unsettled.

There’s a growing sense that the playbook many leaders have relied on no longer quite fits the world in front of them. Established assumptions about power, stability and predictability feel less certain. The rules of the game seem more fluid, and the ground beneath us less stable.

Yet while much of the attention is on global politics, economic shifts and institutional power, another transformation is happening closer to home – in teams, organisations and everyday working life.

The turbulence of recent years hasn’t just changed the world; it has changed people.

Across industries and cultures, individuals are becoming more reflective about what they expect from work and from those who lead them. They are clearer about their values, more discerning about where they invest their energy, and less willing to accept empty promises. Meaning now matters as much as money. Integrity matters as much as strategy.

At the same time, confidence in traditional institutions – including employers – has weakened. People are looking less for charismatic vision and more for consistency, fairness and genuine care in how leaders behave day to day. Trust is no longer earned through grand speeches; it is built through small, steady actions.

Individually, none of these shifts feel dramatic. Together, they are quietly reshaping the relationship between organisations and the people within them.

For leadership teams, this isn’t a call to chase every new expectation or trend. It is a call to be more intentional: to choose where to prioritise human impact over efficiency, where to slow down to build deeper trust, and where to be clearer about what is within their control – and what isn’t.

A crucial question sits at the heart of this moment:

How close is the match between how leaders believe they are showing up – and how they are actually experienced by others?

That gap matters. It shapes trust, collaboration and performance.

The leaders who will thrive in this next phase won’t be those who can perfectly predict what’s coming. They will be those who can navigate uncertainty with their people – calmly, openly and with a willingness to listen.

In a world where the compass keeps spinning, the most powerful leadership quality is not certainty. It is connection.

If this resonates with you, have a look at our upcoming sessions to see how we can help to unlock – and elevate – the potential in your workplaces.

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