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. Instead, 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. They 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 information 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 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 last year, the skills they relied on most to navigate them and how those experiences will shape how they lead in 2026.

Kelly Baum, Ph.D., John and Mary Pappajohn Director and CEO, Des Moines Art Center

The economic, financial and cultural challenges of 2025 were considerable. Like other art museums and educational institutions, the Des Moines Art Center faced disruptions in federal funding. Our core principles came under fire. The independence of some of our peer organizations was threatened. This did not stop us, however. Indeed, the Art Center thrived in 2025. We launched a range of engaging programs and hosted exceptional exhibitions with artists from around the globe. In the process, we increased our attendance by roughly 25% over last year. We succeeded in 2025 by holding firm to our integrity, values and ambition. We were even more deliberate than before when it came to championing creative freedom and embracing hospitality, inclusion, cosmopolitanism and cross-cultural exchange. We were also intentional in seeking the support of our patrons and in pursuing new forms of contributed and earned revenue. If anything, 2025 clarified our purpose and our mission and made us more resilient and entrepreneurial than ever. 

Mary Core, director of community engagement, Avenue Scholars Des Moines

In 2025, I experienced firsthand how rapidly workforce expectations and student realities intersected. At Avenue Scholars Des Moines, employers were urgently seeking skilled talent, while many students faced increasing barriers to workforce entry, from transportation challenges to the rising cost of credentials. As community engagement director and fundraiser, I often stood at the intersection of those competing priorities.

The skills I relied on most were deep listening and adaptability, having honest conversations with employers about the shared opportunity to shape the next generation of talent through meaningful work-based learning. I learned that impact is built through trust and sustained relationships, not quick 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 both successes and setbacks equips us to thrive under pressure. I remain committed to going the distance, knowing that each challenge brings me closer to my vision.

Travis Rychnovsky, chief growth officer, Foster Group

At Foster Group, we are managing industry disruption through proactive, long-term planning and disciplined focus. Our industry, like many others, is experiencing consolidation because many founders of independent registered investment advisory firms are at or past traditional retirement age and may not have planned far enough ahead for ownership succession. Private equity firms are stepping in to buy out those owners.

The firm is deeply committed to remaining multigenerational, internally owned and independent. Our founder began transitioning ownership more than two decades ago. That long-term vision for our clients, our team members and our communities makes it easy for us to “say no” when the phone rings with offers to buy.

Our commitment gives us permission to stay focused on who we are as a firm and who we want to become, so that our team members, our clients, and our communities are cared for decades into the future. Not letting the “noise” of the headlines become a distraction is how we will lead in 2026 and beyond.