In 2025, through hundreds of conversations with leaders of all levels across industries and geographies, we saw consistent patterns in the pressures and complexities organizations arefacing. At the close of the year, our consulting staff gathered to share these observations and identify the trends and conditions we believe will shape leadership and organizational performance in 2026.

We compiled those themes in our Leadership Insights for 2026 Report, along with the essential leadership priorities we recommend drive focus as organizations look to navigate four primary conditions:

1. Persistant Uncertainty
2. The Cost of Misalignment
3. The Pressure for Speed
4. Rising Stress

In this episode, Robin, Mickey, and Emma Rose walk through these four conditions and the strategic implications they have for leaders in 2026. They offer actionable insights and recommendations to help leaders focus on what matters most in a rapidly evolving landscape.

You can read our full Leadership Insights for 2026 Report here.

Sources Cited:

Russell Reynolds Associates – Global LeadershipMonitor

PwC – 2025 Global CEO Survey

Korn Ferry – Leadership Alignment

Harvard Business Review – Why Transformation Efforts Fail

DDI – Global Leadership Forecast 2025

Gallup – State of the Global Workplace

IBM – CEO Research on Speed, Adaptability & Execution

This month, we’re bringing back one of our most listened-to and most referenced episodes of On Connection: The Art of Adjustment. Years after its original release, this conversation continues to resonate because the challenge it names hasn’t gone away.

Adjustment, as we explore it here, is a discipline. It's a practice of pausing the action (especially in fast-moving, high-pressure environments) to review what’s happened, get present to what there is to learn, and renew commitments that can drive continuous improvement. When leaders and teams build a regular rhythm of adjustment, they strengthen not only performance, but trust, learning, resilience, and connection. If you’re leading people, priorities, or change, this episode offers a practical way to turn experience into progress

Emma Rose is joined by Robin and Mickey to unpack:

• Why adjustment is common sense, but not common practice
• When it's most powerful to pause and reflect (hint: not only when things go wrong)
• A simple 7-step Adjust Protocol you can use with your team

In this episode of On Connection, we explore what truly sets leaders apart in the age of AI. While generative AI adoption is skyrocketing, technology alone doesn’t guarantee better outcomes. Leadership remains the critical differentiator, and the skills leaders need to be effective today go far beyond technical fluency. Joined by Kell Delaney, Global Partner at Conversant, we dive into the human-centric skills that will define success in an era of rapid disruption: adaptability, empathy, creativity, and resilience. Discover why mastering these capabilities matters more than ever and how leaders can elevate their impact as AI reshapes the future of work.

Show Notes:

Why Every Leader Must Master Human Skills to Get the Most Out of AI, Harvard Business Impact

The State of Generative AI Adoption in 2025

Superagency in the workplace: Empowering people to unlock AI’s full potential, McKinsey Report

AI is now a standing item at most strategic tables—shapinghow leaders think about markets, talent, and the future of work. But while investment and experimentation are rising fast, most organizations are still in the early chapters of integration. Beneath the strategy, there’s a quieter conversation about fear, trust, and what remains uniquely human. In this episode, we sit down with Peter Mulford, Chief AI Officer at BTS, to debate whether AI can ever truly replace emotional intelligence. Together, we explore how we currently think about AI, the edges of what it can do, and what remains uniquely human (for now).

Guest Bio:

Peter Mulford is the Chief AI Officer and the Global head of the Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Practice (AI&I) for BTS Inc.

 In this role he helps clients get real impact by working with teams and organizations to transform their business using innovation, future back thinking, Artificial Intelligence, and digital technology. He has over 30 years of experience working with clients around the world in different industries, including Sony Interactive Entertainment, Warner Media, Microsoft, AT&T, Saudi Telecom, Lenovo, Samsung, Telkom South Africa, Merck, Coca-Cola, Toyota, Macys, and others.

A sought-out keynote speaker, he has facilitated keynotes at technology and innovation conferences, company offsites, and sales conferences, as well as a private 2-day event with the late Pope Francis and 20 media executives and artists at the Vatican City.

Peter joined BTS in 1998 and has worked in its offices in San Francisco, Johannesburg, Tokyo, London and New York. From 2005-2010, he was the Managing Director of BTS’s East Coast region, leading the largest global office for BTS through a period of market turbulence and growth during which it more than tripled in size. Prior to BTS he worked for a start-up firm in Tokyo, Japan. He has extensive experience in Retail, Consumer Goods, Electronics and Telecom, among many other industries.

 Peter holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School, and a Master’s in international Affairs with a focus on Asia Pacific Studies from Columbia University. He speaks Japanese.

Too often, vision and values work ends up as lofty statements that don’t translate into daily practice. But when it’s done well, it can transform how teams collaborate, make decisions, and connect to a shared purpose. In this episode of On Connection, we’re joined by Trisha Moslin from The Nature Conservancy’s Gift Planning team, who helped lead an effort to co-create a vision and values that went beyond words on a page. Together, we explore what made their approach successful, how leadership shaped the process, and why the results have endured—strengthening both team culture and their ability to advance TNC’s mission for the long term.

Guest Bio: Trisha MoslinTrisha Moslin is the Director of Strategy and Planning in the Gift Planning department at The Nature Conservancy. She ensures strategic alignment and continued focus on priorities, works to improve communication and cross-team integration, advises and supports the department lead and management team, and manages cross-functional projects. She led the collaborative creation of TNC Gift Planning’s Vision and Values and works to ensure they’re integrated into the department’s work. Before joining TNC in 2019, she spent 15 years in international development, including as a Peace Corps volunteer. She holds an MPH in Reproductive Health and Population Studies from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health and a BBA magna cum laude in Marketing with an International Business minor from Texas A&M University. She’s traveled to 26 countries and 30 U.S. states, plays a lot of tennis, and is always in the middle of several books.

In this episode, we’re joined by leaders from Vestas, a globally recognized wind energy solutions provider, to explore the profound impact empowering leaders to simply be present and connected with their teams can have on culture, performance, and safety in high-risk industries.

After a rise in safety incidents, they launched the “Be Present” program—an initiative to strengthen relationships between site managers and technicians. The program has led to measurable improvements in safety, trust, and teamreliability, offering insights that leaders across industries can learn from as they look to improve performance and trust in their own organizations.

Hear from AnneMarie Graves, Vice President of the Midwest Region, and Gary Lamont, a Vestas Site Manager based in Iowa, as they share how presence—showing up for people as much as priorities—has transformed their teams and operations.

Guest Bios

AnneMarie Graves

AnneMarie Graves is the Vice President, Midwest Region for Vestas, where she leads an operations team of 500 wind turbine technicians operating 10 GW of wind farms in the American heartland. From 2018-2021, AnneMarie lived and worked in Europe, leading 300 Vestas engineers supporting global deployment and operation of 100 GW of Vestas, GE, Gamesa, Nordex and Siemens wind turbine and wind plant technology. 

As an early proponent of utility scale wind energy in the early 2000s, AnneMarie brings more than 20 years of engineering and management experience in wind energy. Prior to joining Vestas, she led a team at DNV GL specialized in assessing the performance and reliability of over 10 GW of operating wind projects, including predicting wind project production, analyzing and diagnosing performance, and modeling turbine life. AnneMarie started her career in 2003 with GE Wind Energy assessing the suitability of new wind project locations in North America.

AnneMarie has presented and chaired sessions at American Cleanpower’s conferences including AWEA WINDPOWER and Operations Maintenance & Safety Conference, Wind Energy Update’s O&M Summits and co-chaired conferences with Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy. AnneMarie holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Science and Technology Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Gary Lamont

Gary Lamont brings over 11 years of experience working with wind turbines at Vestas, where he has contributed to advancing renewable energy technologies and supporting the growth of clean energy initiatives. Beyond his passion for sustainable energy, Gary is a devoted family man and a music enthusiast, finding inspiration in both his work and personal life. This blend of professional dedication and personal passions shapes his unique perspective on life and work.

"Insights are only as valuable as the action they inspire"

For our final episode of the 10 Laws of High-Performance Collaboration series, we offer practical advice for translating any insights you may have gained into tangible value. Insights will only get you so far - you have to act your way into new ways of working. Our recommendations include...

• Pick ONE insight you found relevant to your work today and commit to taking on a new action aligned with that Law or principle
• Use the tools and resources provided in the show notes to practice principles of high-performance collaboration
• Inviting your team to follow the series and let it cause new conversations about what you may like to take on to upgrade the value of your collaborative work together

Most importantly... let us know what you try! We would love to hear about the work you're doing and the challenges you're taking on. Send your questions and stories to [email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on YouTubeTools & Resources: Overview of the 10 Laws of High-Performance Collaboration⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Use this as a cheat sheet as you follow along with the series or practice the principles with your team

Overview on Power⁠: A quick reference on the relationship of power to valuable and wasteful expressions of leadership⁠Finding Intersection ⁠Overview of the Conversation Meter⁠: An essential summary for quick reference on how to utilize the tool

⁠Moving Up the Meter⁠: A handout that guides focus if looking to increase the quality of your conversations and your listening Decision Criteria Chart⁠: Use this chart to map out criteria that can help guide upcoming decision-making conversationsThe Conversation Prep Chart⁠: Use this worksheet to reflect on what matters to you and to those you want to improve alignment with, and reveal an intersection of interest that can drive a new conversation that moves the relationship forwardThe Bioreactive Styles Assessment⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Point Easy⁠: This graphic is a helpful tool and reference for illustrating the importance of having conversations as soon as we notice a gap in performance or expectations.The 7-Step Adjust Protocol⁠: Use this guide to hosting an Adjust conversation with your team, or as a reflection tool for your own review of recent efforts, to identify key learnings that can be applied to your next phase of action.Our books: The Communication Catalyst: The fast (but not stupid) track to value for customers, investors, and employees The Vitality Imperative: How connected leaders and their teams achieve more with less time, money, and stress

⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on YouTube

Learn more about Conversant at https://www.conversant.com/

Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn

Law #10: The Law of Appreciation - "Appreciation is the soul of high-performance, bringing meaning, resilience, and joy to the workplace"

In pursuit of high-performance, many of us have a tendency to focus on what there is left for us to improve. While it's important to be aware of where there's room to grow, it's just as important (if not more so) to celebrate the things people are doing well and we want to see more of.

In this episode, we talk about looking for what there is to appreciate as a practice, and why expressing that appreciation is critical to cultivating high performing teams.

We discuss:

• The cost of skipping over appreciation
• Why offering and receiving appreciation can be difficult, and what to do about it
• How a focus on strengths improves a team's ability to tackle challenges

Resources mentioned in the episode:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Overview of the 10 Laws of High-Performance Collaboration⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Use this as a cheat sheet as you follow along with the series or practice the principles with your team

⁠⁠The 7-Step Adjust Protocol⁠⁠: Use this guide to hosting an Adjust conversation with your team, or as a reflection tool for your own review of recent efforts, to identify key learnings that can be applied to your next phase of action.

⁠⁠⁠WATCH this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on YouTube

Learn more about Conversant at https://www.conversant.com/

Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn

Law #9: The Law of Accountability - "Accountability is based on well-supported contribution, not obligation, consequences, and punishment"Driving accountability is commonly considered a core capability for effective leadership, and is still a perennial challenge that many leaders have yet to master. This often comes up in a few intertwined ways: holding others accountable without creating fear or resentment, and creating a culture of accountability rather than having to police individuals. In this episode we offer how to thoughtfully design the relationship between individual and team accountability, getting to commitment rather than settling for compliance, and why this design is foundational for high performing teams. We cover:

• Getting clear on what success looks like and how it will be assessed
• Making your implicit thinking and expectations explicit
• Addressing missteps and disappointments at "Point Easy"
• Connecting the contribution people uniquely have to give to the results the team is accountable for
  

Resources mentioned in the episode:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Overview of the 10 Laws of High-Performance Collaboration⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Use this as a cheat sheet as you follow along with the series or practice the principles with your team

Point Easy: This graphic is a helpful tool and reference for illustrating the importance of having conversations as soon as we notice a gap in performance or expectations.

⁠The 7-Step Adjust Protocol⁠: Use this guide to hosting an Adjust conversation with your team, or as a reflection tool for your own review of recent efforts, to identify key learnings that can be applied to your next phase of action.

⁠⁠WATCH this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on YouTube

Learn more about Conversant at https://www.conversant.com/

Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn

Law #8: The Law of Learning - "Learning does not come from experience, it comes from reflecting on experience"

High-performing teams and their leaders aren't just great at execution, they're great at knowing when it's time to pause, reflect on what has happened and been done to-date, and gather insights that can refine execution moving forward.

Most "after action reviews" (or "Adjust Conversations", as we call them) can feel like a box to check or an occasion to place blame where things have gone wrong. In this episode, we talk about adjustment as an opportunity to appreciate where things are going well, learn from where expectations were not met, and get curious about what opportunities for improvement the experience offers. Making these conversations a habit instills a spirit of learning that energizes future collaboration.

It's time to adjust when:

• Results are better or worse than expected
• New team members or partners are added or are lost
• Circumstances change significantly

Resources mentioned in the episode:

⁠⁠⁠Overview of the 10 Laws of High-Performance Collaboration⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Use this as a cheat sheet as you follow along with the series or practice the principles with your team

The 7-Step Adjust Protocol: Use this guide to hosting an Adjust conversation with your team, or as a reflection tool for your own review of recent efforts, to identify key learnings that can be applied to your next phase of action.

⁠WATCH this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on YouTube

Learn more about Conversant at https://www.conversant.com/

Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn