Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Tech investments are national security bets – digital strategy inseparable from global stability.
- Businesses must act decisively despite uncertainty and build systems that maximize adaptability.
- Leaders must be willing to change organizational purpose when circumstances demand it.
My podcast co-host, Ray Wang, CEO of Constellation Research, reminded me recently that our show reached a significant milestone: a full decade of broadcasting. Over the past 10 years, Ray and I have had the privilege of hosting conversations with some of the brightest minds in business, technology, and leadership.
As we enter 2026, we mark this anniversary by bringing together three leaders navigating the most complex intersection of technology, geopolitics, and organizational change we have ever witnessed. André Pienaar, Dr. David Bray, and Ken Banta joined us to discuss what boards and CEOs must understand to remain competitive in an era defined by cascading disruptions and incomplete information. The conversation focused on the critical questions every board should be asking this year. The decisions made in 2026 will determine whether organizations remain competitive or become less relevant by year-end.
Also: AI killed the cloud-first strategy: Why hybrid computing is the only way forward now
With the convergence of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity threats, and geopolitical instability, the traditional leadership playbook is no longer just outdated — it is potentially dangerous.
Cybersecurity as national security: André Pienaar’s strategic imperative
André Pienaar, chief executive and founder of C5 Capital, joined us from the Middle East. His firm invests at the intersection of cybersecurity, space, and energy, which means he sees the global landscape through a lens that most boards do not have access to.
Also: The AI leader’s new balance: What changes (and what remains) in the age of algorithms
When Ray asked him about the single biggest technology investment decision boards should be thinking about in Q1, André’s answer was unequivocal. The focus must be on cybersecurity and the protection of critical infrastructure. This is not just an IT issue. It is a national security imperative that will define which organizations survive the next decade. André recommended:
- Elevate cybersecurity to a strategic boardroom priority. Stop treating it as an IT function and recognize it as a national security imperative with direct board oversight and investment.
- Prepare for gray zone conflict. Understand that we are in an active non-kinetic war at the threshold of hot conflict, and your technology infrastructure decisions have geopolitical consequences.
- Choose your geopolitical alignment deliberately. Recognize that companies must decide whether US or Chinese government influence will be in their infrastructure, then move your entire technology stack accordingly.
André’s insights offer a critical framework for boards navigating the new landscape where technology and global stability are inseparable. His key takeaways underscore the urgent need to redefine strategic priorities.
First, technology and geopolitics are permanently intertwined. Tech investments are national security bets, making digital strategy inseparable from global stability. Boards must recognize that corporate risk is tied to the resilience of power grids and cloud networks, positioning cybersecurity as a strategic boardroom priority, not a back-office function.
Also: AI agents are only as good as the data they’re given, and that’s a big issue for businesses
Second, we are in a “gray zone conflict” — an active non-kinetic war bordering on a hot war. Cybersecurity and cloud infrastructure are the new front lines. Protecting critical infrastructure is paramount, as a major cyber attack could cause staggering systemic instability. Boards that under-invest risk both their organization and global economies.
Third, companies and countries must choose sides between governments (US or China) for their technology infrastructure. This forces a complete realignment of the tech stack. Leaders who understand the intersection of AI and cybersecurity will anticipate and adapt to threats, as AI-enabled cyber threats are inevitable in this divided world.
Leading in the blast radius: David Bray on navigating uncertainty
Dr. David Bray, distinguished chair of the Accelerator at Stimson Center and CEO at LeadDoAdapt Ventures, shifted the focus to the evolving nature of leadership itself. David joined us from what he jokingly called the blast radius, somewhere in the perimeter of Washington, D.C.
Also: The enterprise lawn: Why data is the nutrient for autonomous business growth
His insights were shaped by his experience working at the intersection of technology, geopolitics, and public service. David has spent his career in high-stakes environments where the decisions made have far-reaching consequences, and his perspective on what it means to lead in 2026 is essential for every CEO to understand. David amplified André’s points for boards and CEOs by recommending:
- Understand the geopolitical blast radius of your decisions. Develop the capacity to act as both diplomat and strategist, recognizing that your technology choices have far-reaching global impacts.
- Embrace decision-making with incomplete information. Train your leadership teams, including your legal function, to act decisively despite uncertainty and build systems that maximize adaptability.
- Shift from problem admirer to problem solver. Move your organization away from analysis paralysis and toward a bias for action, rapid iteration, and learning from outcomes.
David’s three key takeaways offer a compelling vision for modern leadership:
The Global CEO: Diplomat and strategist in a high-stakes world. Operating in high-stakes environments means that a single decision can have a far-reaching blast radius. Modern leaders must transcend internal management and develop the capacity to navigate these global impacts. The contemporary CEO must function as both a diplomat and a strategist, fully grasping how their technology interacts with global conflict resolution and data protection. This isn’t theoretical; it’s a daily operational reality given the varying regulatory frameworks and geopolitical pressures across jurisdictions. Boardroom decisions now ripple across continents.
Decisive action over perfect information: The new legal standard. Perhaps the most transformative insight is the shift in the corporate legal function. David shared that general counsels of Fortune 500 companies publicly admitted in mid-December that they must make decisions with incomplete information. While this reality has been understood by many for decades, the legal risk function’s embrace of this necessity fundamentally changes the nature of leadership. Twenty-five years ago, a risk-averse, wait-for-all-the-data approach was standard. The new normal demands a fundamental organizational transformation — a navigate-uncertainty-and-act approach that requires a new kind of courage from the C-suite.
Also: How AI agents can eliminate waste in your business – and why that’s smarter than cutting costs
From problem admirer to decisive problem solver. In this fast-moving, high-stakes environment, the most critical skill for the next decade is the ability to move from simply admiring a problem to solving it. Leaders who can take decisive action and navigate uncertainty, even with a lack of clarity, will thrive. This demands a mindset shift: the willingness to make decisions, learn from the outcomes, and adapt rapidly. David cautions that if leaders merely analyze problems and wait for perfect information, they will inevitably fall behind, as the world no longer affords that luxury.
Adaptive leadership at every level: Ken Banta’s human-centric framework
While André and David set the global stage, Ken Banta brought the conversation back to the human engine that powers every enterprise. Banta is the author of Seeing Around Corners: C-Suite Wisdom from America’s Most Insightful Leaders. He is a renowned leadership advisor who has worked with top-tier executives across industries.
His insights reminded us that while technology and geopolitics set the stage, it is leadership that determines whether an organization thrives or fails. Ken’s focus on adaptive leadership provided the human-centric counterbalance to the technical and geopolitical imperatives that André and David outlined to include:
- Be willing to change organizational purpose when circumstances demand it. Develop the self-awareness and composure to recognize when the external environment has shifted so dramatically that your mission must evolve.
- Build deep situational and horizontal awareness. Implement meaningful listening practices throughout your organization to diagnose systemic problems that are impossible to see from the top.
- Master the ability to fly like an eagle and dive like a seagull. Develop the capacity to maintain strategic vision while being able to dive into tactical details at any moment to identify and correct issues.
Ken’s discussion highlighted three essential principles for modern leadership: maintaining an emphasis on adaptability, deep awareness, and fluid execution.
Evolving organizational purpose. Effective leaders understand that organizational purpose is not static. While core values remain constant, the mission must be flexible enough to change when external circumstances demand it. Ken stressed that leaders must be self-aware and composed enough to acknowledge shifts in the environment and adjust their purpose accordingly to ensure the organization remains relevant. This strategic evolution is not an abandonment of foundational beliefs but a necessary adaptation to a changing world.
The power of deep situational awareness. A second crucial insight is the necessity of genuine situational awareness. Ken provided the example of a CEO who achieves this through “listening tours.” This CEO dedicates 45-minute, one-on-one sessions with employees at all levels, focusing entirely on a single question: “What is your biggest problem?” By intently listening and committing to help solve the issue, the CEO gains specific situational knowledge and a horizontal view of organizational alignment. This meaningful engagement is far from a superficial gesture; it allows the CEO to diagnose systemic, ground-level problems that are invisible from the executive suite, driving profound organizational impact.
Also: AI killed the cloud-first strategy: Why hybrid computing is the only way forward now
The dual nature of effective leadership. Ken’s final point emphasizes the dual role of the leader, summarized by the metaphor: “fly like an eagle and dive like a seagull.” Leaders require the strategic 60,000-foot view to understand the big picture. However, they must also be willing and able to dive in for tactical execution and to identify issues on the ground. This fluid movement between strategic vision and tactical execution — often misconstrued as micromanagement — is vital for correcting problems and building organizational resilience. This agility enables organizations to withstand the volatility of the global market by fostering an intentional, robust culture.
The action plan: What CEOs must do now
The future belongs to those who can integrate technical cybersecurity and AI expertise, geopolitical foresight, and human-centric adaptive leadership into a single, resilient vision. The leaders who embrace the age of incomplete information and lead with the courage to solve problems in real time will be the ones who define the next decade of business.
The time for incremental change is over.
Also: How these state AI safety laws change the face of regulation in the US
CEOs who move decisively in 2026 will position their organizations not just to survive but to thrive and grow in an era of converged uncertainty. The organizations that act on these nine imperatives will be the ones that define the competitive landscape for the next decade. The ones that wait for perfect information or cling to outdated playbooks will find themselves irrelevant before the year is out. Strong leaders at all levels shine by responding effectively to the unexpected. That is the leadership mandate for 2026 and beyond.