2025 was a year of rapid change in the workplace. When asked for a word to describe 2025, Cara Wade, Leadership Worth Following’s Executive VP & Corporate Officer, stated “transformation”. With the rate of change being at the height, leadership needs are evolving fast, and organizations are struggling to keep up.
There is now a wide gap growing in the current leadership capabilities and the new expectations of a hybrid, AI-enabled, people-first workplace. According to a 2025 McKinsey & Company report, 92% of companies plan on increasing their AI investments in 2026, yet only 1% of leaders call their companies “mature” in their AI integration.
Leadership Worth Following is here to guide leaders in setting successful leadership goals for the new year. These goals will help prepare executives, HR leaders, and managers to prepare for the year ahead.
The Importance of Creating Leadership Goals
At Leadership Worth Following, we believe leadership isn’t just about ambition or skills; it’s a deeper blend of capacity, commitment, and character. Setting leadership goals helps ground this belief in real action: goals provide direction, clarify what kind of leader someone wants to be, and tie personal development back to meaningful impact.
Leadership goals also serve as the backbone of transformation, not just for individuals, but for the organization as a whole. When leaders intentionally set objectives that align with their core values, they reinforce a culture where trust, accountability, and purpose matter just as much as performance.
Moreover, goal-setting supports lasting growth. Through leadership coaching, leaders first Align – clarifying who they want to be and matching their intentions with their behavior. They then Aspire – raising their expectations and learning to coach themselves to extend their impact. Finally, they Transform – shifting from self-development to developing others. Concrete leadership goals make this journey measurable, meaningful, and sustainable.
In a rapidly changing world shaped by hybrid work, AI, and evolving expectations, leadership goals are how we future‑proof our organizations. They create a roadmap not just for where leaders are today, but where their organization should be headed. Goals connect the science of who we are to the strategy of where we’re going.
Goal 1: Embrace Human-Centered, AI-Augmented Leadership
In 2026, one of the most critical leadership goals will be adopting a leadership style that blends human-centered approaches with AI-augmented decision-making.
Rather than viewing AI merely as a tool, forward-looking leaders are treating it as a collaborator supporting leaders with data-driven pattern detection, risk spotting, and alternate-scenario generation.
In 2026, the key leadership priorities should be:
- Emotional intelligence — refining strengths in listening and human insight.
- Sound judgment — interpreting AI suggestions through a values-based lens.
- Responsible AI integration — building governance, trust, and accountability around AI systems.
Leaders capable of finding new ways to solve problems and create growth with AI will be fundamental in organizational success in 2026.
Baseline Leadership Goal: Find a deep understanding of your organization’s specific challenges and work to align them with the capabilities and limitations of AI.
Goal 2: Prepare for New C-Suite Roles and Skills Emerging in 2026
As leadership evolves, we’re seeing the rise of new executive positions that were rare or nonexistent just a few years ago. For executives, HR leaders, and consultants, this means reimagining leadership pipelines and succession plans to include these future-focused roles.
Emerging and expanding C-suite roles:
- Chief AI Officer (CAIO) — overseeing AI strategy, ethics, and cross-functional deployment
- Chief Experience Officer (CXO) — responsible for customer journeys, employee experience, and digital touchpoints
- Chief Well-Being Officer — focusing on mental health, resilience, and the human experience in the workplace
Critical skills for the evolving roles in 2026:
- Systems thinking — seeing how AI, culture, and business goals interconnect
- Change navigation — guiding transformation in ambiguous, fast-evolving environments
- Cross-functional leadership — bridging data science, HR, operations, and business strategy
- Data fluency — understanding analytics, AI capabilities, and how to leverage insights for decisions
To underscore how real this shift already is: according to AWS research, 60% of companies currently have a Chief AI Officer, and another 26% plan to appoint one by 2026.
Baseline Leadership Goal: Research how an emerging C-suite role can benefit your organizations and put systems in place that foster the critical skills required to perform this role.
Goal 3: Strengthen Leadership in Hybrid and Distributed Workplaces
Hybrid work is here to stay. Leaders in 2026 must adapt to hybrid work and foster engagement, trust, and accountability across distributed teams while maintaining organizational culture.
- Focus areas for hybrid leadership:
- Clear communication and expectations
- Building trust without physical presence
- Measuring outcomes, not hours
While balancing a hybrid work schedule, it is important for leaders to maintain leadership development plans to strengthen the leadership pipeline. Leadership development should include:
- Virtual coaching: Provide one-on-one or small-group coaching sessions via video to build skills, offer feedback, and maintain connection when teams are distributed.
- Hybrid team management skills: Train leaders on strategies for managing both in-office and remote employees, including setting clear expectations, fostering engagement, and monitoring outcomes rather than just hours worked.
- Collaborative technologies: Equip leaders with tools and training to facilitate seamless communication, project management, and knowledge sharing across hybrid teams, ensuring alignment and productivity.
70% of employees say flexible work is important to their job satisfaction, emphasizing the need for hybrid-ready leaders. Hybrid work is here to stay.
Baseline Leadership Goal: If you are managing a hybrid team, make coaching a priority. Build a culture that maintains connection, trust, and engagement across all team members.
Goal 4: Lead With Empathy and Support Mental Well-Being
Employee well-being is no longer just an HR initiative, it’s a critical leadership competency. In 2026, leaders must create psychologically safe workplaces where mental health, resilience, and human connection are prioritized alongside business outcomes.
Leadership actions to take:
- Promote transparency and open communication: Encourage honest dialogue about challenges and successes to build trust.
- Recognize burnout risks and workload balance: Monitor team stress levels and adjust workloads to prevent chronic stress.
- Model self-care and stress management: Demonstrate healthy boundaries and coping strategies to normalize well-being practices.
When leading with empathy, skills to emphasize include compassionate communication, active listening, and emotional awareness. Organizations with leaders who prioritize mental health see 2.5x higher employee engagement.
Baseline Leadership Goal: Audit your company culture. Spot where connections are weak, then collaborate with your team to build a plan that fosters trust, belonging, and a psychologically safe environment.
Goal 5: Build a Culture That Supports Innovation and Adaptability
Culture is a key driver of performance, and in 2026, leaders must intentionally foster environments where innovation, experimentation, and adaptability are part of everyday work. Creating a culture that encourages risk-taking and collaboration empowers teams to continuously improve and respond to changing business landscapes.
Leadership focus:
- Encourage safe experimentation and learning from failure: Normalize trying new approaches and learning from mistakes without fear of punishment.
- Promote collaboration across functions and hierarchies: Break down silos to drive cross-functional problem-solving and innovation.
- Recognize and reward innovative behavior: Celebrate creative solutions and behaviors that advance the organization.
Innovative companies are 3x more likely to outperform competitors in revenue growth.
Baseline Leadership Goal: Identify areas where experimentation and collaboration can thrive, then create a plan to encourage risk-taking, celebrate creative solutions, and develop team agility and problem-solving skills.
Goal 6: Invest in Scalable, Future-Ready Leadership Development
Leadership development can no longer rely on one-off training programs. In 2026, organizations need continuous, data-informed, and scalable development programs to prepare leaders for rapidly changing business environments and evolving workforce needs.
Development strategies:
- Personalized learning paths: Tailor development based on role, skill gaps, and career trajectory.
- Metrics for impact: Track engagement, retention, and performance to ensure programs deliver real value.
HR leaders should integrate leadership development with succession planning and broader organizational goals, ensuring future-ready leaders are prepared for emerging challenges and opportunities. Deloitte reports 94% of executives believe continuous leadership development is key to organizational success.
Baseline Leadership Goal: Assess current development programs, then design continuous, scalable learning pipelines that a leader can complete.
Putting Leadership Goals Into Daily Practice
Setting leadership goals is only the first step; real impact comes from integrating them into daily behaviors and decisions. Leaders who succeed in 2026 don’t just set lofty goals and move on; they translate goals into consistent, actionable practices to drive results.
Practical steps to adopt leadership goals every day:
- Start with intention: Each morning, identify one or two actions that align with your leadership goals, whether it’s practicing empathy, making a data-informed decision, or recognizing a team member’s contribution.
- Embed reflection: Take a few minutes each day or week to review progress toward your goals. Reflect on successes, challenges, and opportunities to adjust behaviors.
- Leverage coaching and seek feedback: Engage with mentors, peers, or executive coaches to gain insights, challenge assumptions, and refine your approach.
- Model consistency: Demonstrate goal-aligned behaviors in daily interactions. When employees see leaders practicing what they preach, it reinforces culture and encourages accountability.
- Use technology wisely: Track progress, set reminders, or use AI tools to analyze performance patterns, ensuring your goals remain actionable and measurable.
By translating leadership goals into daily, repeatable actions, leaders create momentum that compounds over time. These small, intentional practices advance individual growth while also strengthening teams, inspiring innovation, and building resilient, future-ready organizations.
Final Thoughts on Leadership Goals in 2026
Leadership goals in 2026 all point toward a human-first, tech-enabled era. As organizations navigate hybrid work, AI integration, and evolving workforce expectations, leaders who proactively embrace these six goals will be better positioned to drive engagement, innovation, and performance in 2026 and beyond.
Organizations should embed these goals into their strategic plans now, ensuring leadership pipelines, development programs, and culture initiatives align with the demands of the coming year.
How Leadership Consulting with LWF Can Help
At Leadership Worth Following, we believe in building strong leadership in an ever-evolving work environment.
Our consultants go beyond surface-level development to help leaders evolve, adapt, and drive lasting transformation.
If you are ready to strengthen your leadership team in 2026, contact us or schedule a free consultation to discuss our leadership consulting services for your organization.
Contact us or schedule a free consultation to discuss our leadership consulting services for your organization.