06 Feb WHAT COULD MAKE A CEOs LEADERSHIP EASIER RIGHT NOW?
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I’m not sure how your 2026 has started, but mine has been unexpectedly active. Just a month into the year, and I have had multiple conversations with CEOs about what really matters to them when it comes to creating the opportunity for their people to thrive and to contribute.
Here are some of the consistent themes.
There is a big idea around the importance of connecting what people do every day with the purpose and vision of the organisation.
It has never been more important to make work mean something, so that people understand their contribution matters.
Understanding how their work is part of the bigger picture of the organisation also helps people to make good decisions and choices about where they invest their time and effort, and even the way they develop.
Another big concept has been around connection. This is about connecting within teams.
How teams communicate with each other.
How they stay in touch and visible.
How they reach out to each other when they need help, or they want to offer support.
Coupled with the idea of connecting within teams is the idea of connecting across teams. Making sure we do not have the emergence or reemergence of silos in our organisations. Ensuring consistent collaboration. This comes back to communication, transparency, inviting people to be part of conversations.
The next theme is about helping people grow and develop so they can become more capable and contribute at a higher level, and the importance of feedback. The confidence to offer feedback, and the ability to receive feedback with grace. And the next step when feedback is shared.
What happens after feedback?
How is it used to support development?
How is feedback used to create opportunities for people?
What I am hearing is that many leaders, even senior leaders, are not feeling as well-equipped in this space as they would like to be. They want to generate productive outcomes through observation and sharing feedback. Then create a coaching or mentoring moment that develops an opportunity from feedback.
Which leads me to coaching. How we develop accountability and responsibility in all our people so they can take ownership of their own portfolios and feel in control. Fostering the opportunity to make it theirs and to carry it through.
This is what I am consistently hearing from CEOs. and executives in 2026.
You may notice these themes are all aspects of human leadership. This is not about technology and AI. It is about human leadership in the age of AI and reinvention.
I encourage you to consider what difference it would make to you in your leadership role, if all your people and all your leaders were equipped with these human leadership skills.
I’d love to know your thoughts.
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