As organisations integrate AI into daily operations, it changes not only which tasks people perform. It also changes how experience is built, how judgement is developed and how trust grows. When AI takes over research, analysis, administration and first drafts, parts of everyday learning may disappear unless organisations consciously replace them. For leadership and HR, the question is therefore not only how AI should be implemented, but how work should be organised so that people continue to develop the experience and judgement the organisation needs.

It is difficult to define the leadership of the future in clear-cut terms. Succession planning therefore needs to be about more than who is next in line for a senior role. The question is instead what situations future leaders will face and what capabilities they will need to navigate them. The starting point must be the organisation’s future direction, not today’s roles or individuals.

Per Gullstrand, CEO of Bjäre Invest, on how decentralised governance, commercial discipline and trust work together in a family-owned group — and why long-term ownership does not mean a slower pace.

CEOs and other CxO leaders are increasingly asking for an experienced sounding board outside their own organisation, someone who asks questions and widens their perspective. Lars Navéus of Alumni Global describes one such match, arranged for a senior leader at one of Sweden's largest listed industrial companies, with board director Anna Ohlsson-Leijon as the sounding board.

Boards put great effort into recruiting the right CEO and far less into helping that CEO succeed once in post. Lars Navéus of Alumni Global argues that the board's work continues after the appointment: clear expectations, structured dialogue with the chair, support with the first priorities and, for a first-time CEO or a turnaround, an external sounding board.

Resilience in defence is no longer about systems and hierarchy. Nordic leaders argue it now rests on human judgement, trust, and adaptability.

Leadership in 2026 is no longer linear. Five forces, from people-centred performance to AI identity, will define how Nordic leaders navigate the year.