The terrifying reality for leaders in 2026 isn't just getting fired. It is becoming obsolete.
The playbook that got you to the top is now the anchor holding you back.
For decades, we measured influence by headcount and budget. Tomorrow, we will measure it by speed and compute.
If you are still optimizing the old operating model, you aren't leading. You are managing a decline.
To stay relevant, you need to rewrite your own job description:
1. Taste is the new skill. The cost of "doing" is approaching zero. The world is about to drown in average, AI-generated work. Your survival depends on your ability to curate excellence from the noise.
2. Architect, don't just fix. If you are spending your days fighting fires, you are already losing. The modern leader builds self-healing systems that prevent the fires from starting.
3. Disruption is a mandate. Legacy businesses are fragile. If you don't use AI to cannibalize your own revenue streams, a VC-backed startup will happily do it for you. Disruption is now a defense mechanism.
4. Own the data moat. Without proprietary data, you are just renting intelligence from Big Tech. Your only long-term defense is the unique context that only your organization possesses.
The snake isn't the technology. The snake is your own comfort zone.
Don't let the tech team drive the strategy. Translate the capability into survival.
Which of these risks keeps you up at night? Let me know in the comments.
Adam Danyal
The terrifying reality for leaders in 2026 isn't just getting fired. It is becoming obsolete.
The playbook that got you to the top is now the anchor holding you back.
For decades, we measured influence by headcount and budget. Tomorrow, we will measure it by speed and compute.
If you are still optimizing the old operating model, you aren't leading. You are managing a decline.
To stay relevant, you need to rewrite your own job description:
1. Taste is the new skill. The cost of "doing" is approaching zero. The world is about to drown in average, AI-generated work. Your survival depends on your ability to curate excellence from the noise.
2. Architect, don't just fix. If you are spending your days fighting fires, you are already losing. The modern leader builds self-healing systems that prevent the fires from starting.
3. Disruption is a mandate. Legacy businesses are fragile. If you don't use AI to cannibalize your own revenue streams, a VC-backed startup will happily do it for you. Disruption is now a defense mechanism.
4. Own the data moat. Without proprietary data, you are just renting intelligence from Big Tech. Your only long-term defense is the unique context that only your organization possesses.
The snake isn't the technology. The snake is your own comfort zone.
Don't let the tech team drive the strategy. Translate the capability into survival.
Which of these risks keeps you up at night? Let me know in the comments.
1 week ago | [YT] | 5