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The ground keeps moving and for mid-career professionals, that shift feels sharper than ever. As we approach 2026, success will hinge on your ability to adapt, communicate strategically, and lead through change. 

In this episode, leadership and career transition coach John Neral breaks down six essential skills that will define your value and visibility in the year ahead.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, undervalued, or uncertain about how to stay competitive in a fast-changing job market, this episode gives you a clear and actionable roadmap for leveling up.

What You’ll Learn

John walks you through six career-defining skills for 2026 that will help you stay relevant, increase your professional impact, and confidently navigate your next career move:

1. AI Fluency and Digital Agility – Understand how to use AI critically and practically in your workflow. Learn what to automate, what needs your judgment, and how to show confidence, not resistance, with emerging technology.
2. Strategic Communication and Storytelling – Discover how to frame your accomplishments with metrics and impact, and tailor your stories to executives, peers, and clients so your value lands clearly and quickly.
3. Building Trust and Emotional Intelligence – Explore how empathy, accountability, and consistent communication build credibility and create psychological safety within your team.
4. Resilience and Change Leadership – Learn to influence without authority, keep morale high through uncertainty, and lead steady in a fast-paced environment.
5. Cross-Functional Business Acumen – See the bigger picture by understanding how your work connects to revenue, risk, and the customer experience, making you indispensable to leadership.
6. Networking and Relationship Capital – Redefine networking as a long-term investment, not a transaction. Build authentic professional relationships that create opportunities before you need them.

For more tools and resources to accelerate your mid-career success, visit johnneral.com/resources or book a Career and Leadership Strategy Session using the link in the show notes.

Support the show

Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you.

Visit https://johnneral.com/resources to:

• Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter
• Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career
• Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.

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