Must Reads for Future-Focused Leaders
The World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2026
The World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report supports decision-makers with near-term and and longer-term priorities. For a visual overview of the risks, take a look at Figure 6 showing the inter-connectedness, and Figure 7 showing the severity of risks 2 years to 7 years.
The Edelman Trust Barometer® 2026
The Edelman Trust Barometer® is an annual global survey measuring attitudes about trust in business, government, NGOs and the media.
This year’s report titled Trust Amid Insularity reveals an increase in trust in developing countries and a decrease in developed countries. Of particular interest to me in my work with mission-driven leaders and their organizations, is the section on Trust Brokering:
- A set of practices and behaviors that counters insularity by facilitating trust across difference.
- Rather than trying to change people, trust brokering surfaces the common interests of insulated parties and translates their needs, goals, and realities for one another.
- A trust broker can be a person, organization, or institution trusted by each stakeholder group facing a common problem.
These are informative and thought-provoking reports. However, I’ve found that they don’t stand alone. The World Economic Forum report launch in Davos, Switzerland for example, offers more context.
The World Happiness Report
The 2026 World Happiness Report has a single focus – social media’s impact on happiness globally. Happiness levels, substantiated by data, are lower where use is higher.
Prior reports present findings on what affects happiness, the impact of country culture and other trends in over 140 countries globally: trust and social connections being key to well-being.
Chapter 8 of the 2026 report puts this report in the broader context of previous ones: “how the rise of internet and social media use has affected wellbeing directly, and also indirectly by altering trust, social connections, and emotional bonds.”
Mission-driven leaders can skim these reports for a better understanding how to maintain and increase their employee’s well-being. That’s a capability I’m passionate about helping leaders and organizations cultivate and that has a direct impact on the bottom-line and strategic results.
For Women Leaders…
- Interruptrr! This foreign policy newsletter highlights “global headlines and events, via experts, who happen to be women.” It has quick-read descriptions so you can pick and choose where to do a deeper dive.
- Article “Why Gender Bias Persists, Even When Organizations Try to Curb It” – Harvard Business Review featuring research from VMWare’s Women’s Leadership Lab. It reveals two biases at play: how we assess traits and behaviors, and people are rewarded for them.
- Event Organizers’ Checklist for Greater Gender Equity: Clear, practical checklist from Women in Global Health to ensure greater parity for events.
- Article “It’s An Unequal World for Women in Business: How You Can Gain a Strategic Advantage” – Beth Hand, LinkedIn Pulse
- Article “How Gender Bias Hides Men Too” – Beth Hand, Huffington Post
- Article “The Confidence Gap” This is the well-written The Atlantic article by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman on the differences between men and women’s confidence levels.
- Article “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” Anne-Marie Slaughter, former Director of Policy Planning under U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, wrote this powerful The Atlantic article challenging the notion women can have it all within the current systems.
- Article “How These Female High-Tech Company Employees Fought for Gender Equality” In this Forbes article, MeiMei Fox does a fantastic job showing how women can start where they are, wherever they are in their company to influence and shape a more inclusive, gender-friendly culture.
