2026 Will Test Leaders and Organisations
- Peter McLean
- Jan 15
- 2 min read
Effective leadership in 2026 will require one great element: courage.
That's where my CLARITY model starts and where most of us stall.
As I say in my Keynotes, we need the 'Courage to Challenge' our aims, methods, processes, goals, our people, our stakeholders and, most importantly, ourselves.
Because leaders who don't have the courage to challenge themselves and invite challenge from others will continue in a downward spiral of their own limiting assumptions and beliefs.
You can see it happening on the world stage, and here in Australia and other countries on national and regional stages.
But it's no good to point the finger and not look at ourselves in the mirror.
On one occasion late last year, I spoke to a group of high-achieving leaders. Many came to me afterwards to talk about how they could challenge themselves and how they could lift their leadership.
I talked with many others as we worked through a follow-up workshop, searching to apply insights to their situations.
There were a few who switched their ears and brains off and shrugged off any application to themselves.
One literally said, "You haven't said anything I haven't heard before" - and then proceeded to demonstrate over an extended period with myself and his other peers how oblivious he was of the principles I was speaking about.
But for the many (an overwhelming majority, far more than organisers had hoped for), they took away practical insight and application that will help them and their businesses to grow this year.
Part of the reason I'm successful with my clients? I'll question base assumptions without fear or favour and help set direction that actually works. It's the courage of an outsider to see things clearly.
I can predict with certainty, based on how people react and respond to my keynotes and workshops, my consulting and coaching, who will have greater personal success in 2026 and who will be turning around wondering why "things aren't working out".
The successful ones will be those who start with the 'Courage to Challenge'!
Serious leaders challenge themselves first.
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2026 will test leaders and organisations.
I work with executive teams and organisations through keynotes, workshops, consulting and coaching to challenge assumptions, reset direction, and create clarity that actually performs under pressure.
If you’re planning a leadership event, retreat, or organisational reset in 2026 and want to drive real behavioural change - or explore how to lift leadership, strategy and performance - contact me for a confidential Sounding Board call at
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