Remember when we called the time we were living in ‘unprecedented’?
Now, it just feels… relentless.
I keep asking groups what word we will use to describe the next five years. And so far, no one has a good answer. Maybe that’s because what’s coming doesn’t yet have a name.
If you’ve felt like the pace of change has been, well, relentless lately, you’re not imagining it. We’re not on a curve anymore, we’re at the base of a vertical climb.
In last week’s Masterclass, I asked ‘What’s the biggest challenge you’ll face in 2026?’ And the answers weren’t about the change themselves but about the speed and intensity of it.
Because it’s not just one change we’re facing, it’s systemic – at a global, societal, organisational and personal level. And it’s all happening at once!
No wonder so many are quietly asking ‘How am I going to keep up? What if I can’t? How will I survive let alone thrive through all of this?’
So, maybe the real question isn’t ‘will things change?’ – it’s ‘will we?’
Why Preparing (Not Predicting) Is Our Superpower
No one can predict the future. And anyone who says otherwise is either very bold or very wrong.
But what we can do is prepare. And in this climate, preparation isn’t a luxury, it’s imperative.
You see, right now, most of us are trying to face today’s challenges with yesterday’s operating systems. Our world has changed, our workplaces have changed, and our work has changed. Yet many of us are still running on the same settings we had five years ago. And that gap is growing fast.
Because it’s not just the change that’s the challenge, it’s how unequipped many people feel to navigate it.
Just like our phones need software updates to stay functional, we need internal upgrades to stay future-fit. Because when we’re not equipped, change doesn’t feel exciting but exhausting. And we don’t adapt, we merely survive.
And that shows up in the metrics that matter:
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Engagement declines.
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Performance drops.
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Burnout rises.
In a world changing this fast, what got us here simply won’t get us there. If we don’t adapt now, we risk becoming those that worked well once but couldn’t keep up.
Staying the same isn’t playing it safe anymore. It’s the riskiest move we can make.
What do we need?
When so much feels outside our control, I always come back to what is (thank you Julian Rotter and Stephen Covey.)
Through years of research and work with teams, I’ve found three foundations that consistently separate those who thrive from those that struggle:
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Mindset – how we think – the lens through which we see change or opportunity
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Skillset – how we act and the capabilities that help us deliver value in a fast-evolving world
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Toolset – how we’re supported — the systems and habits that sustain us.
Too often, organisations focus on just one.
But it’s the interplay between all three that delivers the biggest impact.
Because when one dominates, we become unbalanced. A strong mindset, but no tools? That’s optimism with no follow-through. Great tools, but no skills to use them? That’s noise without value. Solid skills, but a fixed mindset? That’s potential stuck in place.
But when mindset, skillset, and toolset align, something powerful happens. We don’t just perform once, we sustain it. Over time, even through uncertainty, and without burning out.
In the overlap of these three foundations lives what I call the triple threat — the three essential conditions that future-proof teams:
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Confidence – built on capability and belief. Knowing we have what it takes to meet our demands.
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Capacity – the systems and resources that support us make sustainable performance possible.
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Clarity – the antidote to uncertainty. The focus that helps us move forward, even when the path ahead is foggy.
And when people have those three, they are stronger and ready not just for what’s now, but for what’s next.
My upcoming Masterclass will dive deeper into how leaders and teams can build confidence, capacity, and clarity ahead of 2026.
The future of work won’t be won by those who hustle the hardest. It will belong to those who think better, act smarter, and support themselves and their teams with intention.
And now is the time to do that work to get ahead and ready for 2026.
So if you’re wondering where to start, maybe it’s here:
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Shift one mindset that’s holding you back
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Develop one skill that will set you apart
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Leverage one tool that you are underusing.
You don’t need to predict the future. You just need to be ready for it.
So, how are you preparing?
