The future isn’t hiding in forecasts or trend reports. It’s already standing in front of us.
Our latest podcast episode kicks off 2026, challenging leaders to abandon passive optimism and adopt deliberate action.
The message is clear: 2026 won’t reward those who wait.
But it will reward those who recognise what’s already here – and respond decisively.
Hosts Graeme Codrington and Dean Van Leeuwen examine the grey elephants already reshaping leadership, strategy, and society – highly probable, high-impact forces that are now moving from theory into reality.
From human enhancement to climate-driven insurance collapse, antimicrobial resistance and AI-driven deception to fragile tech investment models and an increasingly multipolar world.
Key takeaways from this episode:
🐘 The Grey Elephant mindset
- Grey elephants aren’t surprises – they’re obvious forces we avoid discussing. Leaders who are conscious, decisive, and proactive will be rewarded in 2026.
🏟️ Enhanced Games & human augmentation
- A proposed 2026 sporting event where performance enhancement is transparent and allowed. A signal for societal fractures and new definitions of “fairness”.
🌍 Climate change meets insurance reality
- Insurers quietly withdrawing from high-risk regions or pricing cover out of reach. Knock-on effects: housing markets, migration, supply chains, local government finances.
🦠 Superbugs & antimicrobial resistance
- Already causing ~1M deaths per year and rising. An “unsexy” crisis with huge implications for healthcare, productivity, and mortality.
🤖 AI fakery & cybersecurity
- In 2026, trust collapses: voices, faces, video, and audio can all be faked. Opportunity lies in verification, design, and new trust infrastructures.
🧠 Human connection as a superpower
- As AI intelligence accelerates, human consciousness, judgement, and ethics becomes scarce and valuable.
📉 The AI investment bubble
- Not an AI collapse-but potential turbulence in the financial plumbing behind big tech. Circular financing, GPU economics, and concentrated risk could cause a market shock in 2026.
🌐 Multipolar geopolitics
- The post-WWII order is fragmenting faster than many expected. Businesses must scenario-plan for worlds that once felt unthinkable.
💡 Reasons for optimism
- Amid disruption, medical breakthroughs are accelerating. Cancer vaccines and other major advances could define the upside of 2026.
An episode not to be missed. Take a listen here.
TomorrowToday empowers forward-thinking organisations not just to anticipate the future, but to shape it.
Staying ahead of the curve is critical, and we provide the visionary thinking and the strategic execution you need to thrive.
We do this through keynote presentations and workshops – customised to meet your organisation’s specific needs, culture and hurdles.
If you’re looking to kick off your year with practical and actionable insights, then contact us, and we’ll be happy to chat through how our team can best serve you, and your people.
TomorrowToday empowers forward-thinking organisations to not just anticipate the future but to shape it. To learn more about the 7 Grey Elephants transforming our world, book a 30-minute strategy call with our team today.
Elephants in the Boardroom is brought to you by Achilles – helping the world’s biggest companies build ethical, sustainable, and transparent supply chains. Learn more at achilles.com.