Soon after the new year, I had lunch with a top insurance leader and asked him how 2025 had been for their company.He paused, smiled wryly, and said, “We were having a really strong year and then, about halfway through, everything got weird.” When I asked what he meant, he didn’t point to a single event. Rather, he rattled off a cascade of shocks: tariffs, geopolitical instability, extreme weather, market volatility. “It wasn’t one disruption,” he said. “It was one after another after another.” He told me the company paused but adapted quickly, finishing strong, and importantly, “The questions we asked along the way will make us an even better company in 2026.”
That conversation captures the reality of last year for many leaders. 2025 was a year of head-spinning disruption. It tested assumptions, strained systems and forced decisions at uncomfortable speed. Yet,as we move into 2026,it also offers a living case study in how disruption,when met with courage and curiosity,becomes a powerful teacher.
One lesson last year taught us is that leadership is no longer about protecting what worked yesterday. It is about becoming fit for what tomorrow demands. In a new Harvard Business Review article, “Leaders, Bring Your Best Self into the New Year,” authors Ron Carucci and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic remind us that reinvention is no longer optional. Thay write, “Leaders who evolve most successfully treat themselves as ongoing prototypes rather than finished products.” In a year like 2025, clinging to identity and habit is a liability. Growth requires unlearning, stretching and building tolerance for discomfort.The leaders who came through last year strongest were not the ones who had all the answers, but the ones willing to question their own default patterns.
A second lesson from 2025 is that disruption rewards decisiveness and learning in equal measure. In another Harvard Business Review article, “5 Key Skills to lead Through Disruption,” McKinsey’s Vikram malhotra put the scale of the moment in stark terms, saying: ”This is the biggest disruption we’ve seen in 50 years. And I don’t think it’s just a one- or two-year blip.” In that context, waiting for perfect data is a recipe for falling behind. Leaders must decide, delegate and move, all while creating feedback loops that allow their organizations to learn quickly and adapt.
Last year also reinforced that leadership in 2026 will be broader, more human, and more systemic.In an aspen Institute blog titled, ”What will Great Business Leadership look Like in 2026?” top leaders offer views that the next generation of leaders will be defined less by command-and-control authority and more by their ability to align people, purpose and performance. In an era of climate shocks, political instability and rapid technological change, leadership is no longer confined to the boardroom. It shows up in how companies serve communities, protect trust and build long-term resilience.
The good news is that we are not starting 2026 unprepared. We are starting it seasoned. We have lived through volatility. We have navigated ambiguity. We have seen where our systems bend and where they break. Like the insurance leader at lunch, many of us asked hard questions in the middle of the storm. Those questions are now becoming strategies.
If 2025 and the last several years of intense disruption taught us anything, it is that our capacity to learn, adapt and grow under pressure is far greater than we imagine. Disruption is not a detour from leadership. it is indeed the training ground.2026 is our opportunity to lead not despite last year’s disruption, but because of it.
I spoke with leaders about the biggest changes and disruptions their industry or organization faced l
Impact is built through trust and sustained relationships, not speedy solutions. Translating outcomes into stories that demonstrated return on investment became essential.
In 2026, these lessons will guide how I lead. I will continue inviting employers to join us in offering internships, job shadows, and hands-on learning. I will partner with business leaders to co-construct what’s truly needed in our future workforce. Our role is to produce talent; theirs is to provide opportunity. I will focus on strengthening partnerships that create stronger job placement and retention outcomes, while building pathways that prepare students – and Central Iowa’s workforce – for long-term success.
Riana LeJeune, founder, Repinned Luxury Upholstery and Renewabl app
In 2025,as a small business owner,I faced significant disruptions,including rising tariffs and fluctuating demand in the upholstery industry. It was during these challenging times that I relied on key skills: adaptability, problem-solving, technological proficiency and constant curiosity.
At Repinned Luxury Upholstery, rather than succumbing to uncertainty, I chose to innovate. I streamlined our processes and leveraged my furniture expertise and AI to develop Renewabl, a furniture visualization app aimed at enhancing customer experience while promoting sustainability. This proactive approach allowed us to engage customers in new ways and support artisans globally.
Ultimately, success isn’t just about the destination; it’s about the journey and the lessons learned along the way. embracing bot
