Each week we share the ideas and signals shaping our conversations with leaders – the subtle shifts and emerging tensions that point to where the future is heading. Think of this as a brief tour of the “grey elephants” already in the room: the big, quiet forces shaping our organisations long before we name them.
1️⃣ The future isn’t predicted – it’s created. What Dubai’s Museum of the Future taught us.
Live from the world’s foremost futurist gathering – a new episode of Elephants in the Boardroom podcast with Graeme Codrington and Dean van Leeuwen, unpick the shifts already reshaping work, leadership, and human connection, and remind us the future isn’t something you foresee, it’s something we build. Watch the full episode here.
2️⃣ The BS Zone: Why Good Strategies Fail and Game-Changers Win.
If you’ve ever suspected your strategy might be drifting into the BS Zone – Backfiring Strategies – you’re not alone. Most organisations sit there far longer than they realise. In his latest Ignite Change piece, Dean van Leeuwen unpacks why so many strategic transformations stall, and how companies like Marvel, BYD and Nvidia used four simple “ignition sparks” to shift from good enough to genuinely game-changing.
3️⃣ A Small Favour with Big Impact for Graeme Codrington.
The Global Gurus Top 30 Futurists list for 2026 is open, and Graeme Codrington would truly value being included alongside colleagues he respects. He has spent decades helping leaders understand and prepare for the future. If Graeme’s insights have helped shape your thinking, please take 30 seconds to add his name.
- Visit the voting page
- On the right, scroll past the 2025 list
- Select “Other guru”
- Enter Graeme Codrington
(Heads-up: the page can be a bit fiddly on mobile – a laptop works best.)
Thank you for helping recognise the work Graeme does to make sense of our changing world.
4️⃣ Why Dean picked the snail crossing a motorway and why you should read it.
Ever asked yourself what it really takes to move slowly but steadily – even when the motorway is roaring beside you? In this recent LinkedIn post, Dean van Leeuwen uses the image of a snail crossing a motorway to reflect on resilience, pace, and long-term vision. If you want more of those big-picture reflections, the draft chapters of his upcoming book IGNITE are available now on Substack. Read them here.
5️⃣ What are the big trends of 2026? Help shape the conversation.
We’re thinking ahead and we want your input. Graeme Codrington asks: What are the trends that will define 2026? If you’ve got ideas, insights or hunches, now’s the time to share. Let’s crowd-source what’s next and then bring the best of them to the next episode of the Elephants in the Boardroom podcast. Read more and join the conversation.
If any of this resonates with the conversations happening in your world, we’d be happy to explore it further with you. The Grey Elephants of Transformation keynote and workshops are designed to help teams notice these forces sooner and respond with clarity and confidence.
If you’d like to continue the conversation or explore hosting a session, contact us – we’d love to connect.