Hi {{ subscriber.first_name }}, Welcome to 2026. This won’t be the year that rewards old habits. The pace is accelerating, pressure is rising, and complexity is multiplying faster than most leadership teams can process. This is why I’ve become more convinced than ever that what will truly separate world-class CEOs this year is not a new framework or strategy—it's a different mindset. In the first episode of 2026 on The World Class Leaders Show, I share seven mindset shifts that I see as non-negotiable if you want to lead with clarity, courage, and identity this year—not from fear or urgency, but from intention and world-class performance. 1. From Knowing to Learning2026 will reward learners, not experts. 2. From More Goals to Fewer, Better CommitmentsMost CEOs enter January already overloaded. But this year will punish complexity. The best leaders will choose three or four genuine needle-movers and say no to the rest. Clarity isn’t what you add to your plate—it’s what you remove so you can move from intensity to real impact. 3. From Leading Alone to Leading in CommunityThe biggest risk for CEOs in 2026 is isolation. You simply cannot grow at the pace of complexity by staying in your own head or your own echo chamber. World-class CEOs surround themselves with peers who challenge them, sharpen them, and raise their standards. Leadership is too heavy to carry alone. 4. From Strategic Planning to Strategic AdaptabilityThis year won’t punish you for being wrong. It will punish you for being slow. Long, rigid planning cycles won’t survive what’s coming. You need shorter cycles, faster testing, tighter feedback loops—and the courage to adjust early. Strategy must become a living system, not a static document. 5. From Authority to AuthenticityPeople are done following titles, pressure, and polished personas. They want leaders who feel real. Authenticity isn’t “performing” vulnerability—it’s clarity of identity, values, and intent. You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room. You need to be the most aligned with who you are and the vision you’re building. 6. From Managing Performance to Designing CulturePerformance doesn’t come from KPIs on a slide. It comes from people—and from the culture you design. Culture is how work really happens: how decisions are made, how collaboration flows, how accountability feels. If you don’t design culture, it designs itself, and usually not in your favor. 7. From Chasing Growth to Building LegacyGrowth is a goal. Legacy is an identity. The CEOs who stand out in 2026 will keep asking: Who am I becoming as a leader? What standard am I raising? What impact am I having on people, not just on results? Legacy becomes your anchor and compass in a noisy, complex year. As you step into 2026, don’t just ask, “What do I want to achieve?” 🎧 To go deeper into each shift and hear how to apply them in your own context, listen to the full episode here Andrea Petrone CEO Whisperer | Top 1% Executive Coach and Speaker in the UK | Founder of WCL. You need more? Here are other ways to get value from what I do: 1) We’re opening doors to WCL21. The first private and exclusive community for CEOs who want to grow their leadership, pressure-test decisions, and create meaningful connections with other peers in a trusted environment. 👉 Request your invitation here 2) Join one of our Transformation Labs—new programs designed for every stage of a CEO’s journey: from new appointments to major transitions and legacy building. There’s also a new Lab dedicated to CEO leadership teams. Reply LAB if you’d like to explore how this could work for you, and we’ll set up a quick call. 3) Want to establish authority and lead with confidence from Day One as a CEO? 4) Watch and listen to the "The World Class Leaders Show" podcast and leave a review: 5) Do you want me to speak at your next event or do you want me to support your organisation in a new initiative? Book a call with me here |