Company cultures continue to evolve as new technologies, shifting expectations and ongoing uncertainty change how people work together. From AI adoption and hybrid models to burnout, trust strain and changing views of leadership, many organizations are feeling pressure on multiple fronts.
Navigating these shifts requires leaders to be more deliberate about how culture—the collective values, beliefs and behaviors driving how business gets done—shows up in their everyday decisions and actions. Here, members of Forbes Coaches Council explore the trends they see shaping company cultures this year, and how leaders can help their organizations successfully prepare for and adapt to them.
Highlight Agility And Adaptability Amid Ambiguity
A trend I notice is highlighting agility and adaptability while operating in tremendous ambiguity, and at warp speed. I’m coaching leaders on leading with an abundance versus scarcity mentality, even in constrained environments. Embrace connection and avoid the “sharp elbows” that often come with competition (real or perceived). The opportunity is to model compassion with calm composure. – Susan Sadler, Sadler Communications LLC
Develop Next-Generation Leaders Intentionally
Company cultures will likely be more intent on preparing the next generation of leaders. Attracting effective people into leadership roles will be a top priority this year. Great leaders are looking for creative ways to tap the next generation of leaders and cultivate the qualities we most need, even if—or especially if—those qualities are completely different from their own. – Linda Allen-Hardisty, Allen-Hardisty Leadership Group
Embed Culture Through Processes, Not Perks
Culture in 2026 will shift toward process over programs, with research showing that superficial perks fail while integrated practices tied to everyday workflows build trust and belonging. Companies that embed psychological safety into routines, feedback loops and recognition systems will outpace those offering token initiatives. – Weixi Tan, Workplace Asia
Lead A Values-Driven Culture For A Younger Workforce
This year’s trend will be the continued shift in company culture driven by a younger, technically adept workforce who value flexibility, impact, inclusivity and openness. I will be coaching leaders to support their self-awareness, personal motivation and values in order to challenge their leadership style, improve their active listening, promote more open dialogue and embrace continuous learning. – Bob Armour, Armour Coaching
Encourage Employee Engagement With AI Training
AI will most certainly influence company culture. AI is transforming what is possible, and those using AI will get more done, better and faster. Leaders need to lead AI. Keep employees engaged by providing training and resources. Reward AI adoption and usage. Lead AI in your organization and set the example. – Krista Neher, Boot Camp Digital
Strengthen Alignment For Organizational Acceleration
One trend is a focus on alignment, or a lack thereof. As organizations move faster, especially with rapid technology advancements, it is easy for teams to appear aligned on the surface while pulling in different directions. Leaders must be vigilant about gauging alignment levels and ask ongoing questions to ensure team members truly understand and commit to the priorities. Real alignment shows up in behaviors. – Matt Herzberg, Principled Transformation LLC
Maintain Morale With Authentic Human Connection
The downward trends of low morale and engagement will have both financial and sustainability impacts. I’m encouraging leaders to stay connected with their teams in authentic ways. No matter what challenges arise or AI developments grow, the absence of a human relationship will destroy every marketing campaign, role change, new benefit or salary increase. – Michelle Martin Bonner, AMMEMPOWERMENT
Reduce Change Fatigue By Sharpening Focus
One trend I see shaping company culture this year is fatigue from nonstop change. When everything feels urgent, teams lose clarity and trust starts to thin. In my work, I’m helping leaders counter this by tightening priorities and setting clear decision boundaries. Less noise and more focus—that’s what steadies culture and restores momentum. – Laurie Arron, Arron Coaching LLC
Preserve The USP Of Cultural Distinction In The AI Age
The biggest trend is the expanding use of generative AI across every corner of the business. AI remains an incredibly valuable tool for businesses. But there’s a cultural concern: Slowly, we all start to sound the same. A company’s culture is its unique selling proposition. When every function of the business begins to use language-generating AI, we risk drifting into a homogenized environment—one that makes us less competitive. – Antonio Garrido, My Daily Leadership
Connect With Hybrid Teams To Build Trust And Accountability
The rise of hybrid and flexible work is reshaping company culture. I coach leaders to build connection, trust and accountability across virtual and in-person teams, helping them foster inclusion, maintain engagement and lead with energy and purpose in this evolving workplace landscape. – Prof. Dr. Parin Somani, London Organisation of Skills Development
End Tolerance For Toxic ‘High-Performance’ Leadership
I’ve noticed that there is a growing intolerance for toxic leadership behaviors disguised as “high performance.” Organizations are beginning to recognize that results without emotional intelligence come at a cost to company culture. I coach leaders to build awareness of how their behaviors impact others and to lead with accountability, empathy and EQ because performance and humanity must coexist. – Sinja Hallam, Sinja Hallam – The Power to Transform
Restore Calm Confidence In An Anxious Workplace
Anxiety is up. Calm confidence is down. My intention is to reverse that trend by helping leaders detach from the noise of the world and focus on their vision—their vision for their work and their vision for themselves. – Joelle Jay, Leadership Research Institute
Respond To Rising Financial And Identity Pressures
Noticeable major trends shaping company culture this year are the growing financial and identity pressure employees carry from rising healthcare costs, student loan repayments and shifting education pathways. These pressures change how people evaluate “valuable work.” I’m preparing leaders to read these signals early and create cultures that honor capacity, not just output. – Dr. Ari McGrew, Tactful Disruption®
Prevent Talent Loss Through People-First Leadership
A key trend I foresee is an employee uprising, driven by stress, constant burnout, active disengagement and shifting power from employer to employee. Leaders who’ve pushed too hard will start losing their top talent. I’m coaching leaders to get ahead of this by embracing a people-first mindset, one that values purpose, empowerment, connection and fairness to retain and re-engage their teams. – Alex Draper, DX Learning Solutions
Prepare New Leaders To Lead People, Not Tasks
One cultural trend is people landing in leadership roles because they’re good at a task, not because they know how to lead people. Teams then wonder if they can work without hating their jobs or their lives. I prepare leaders by teaching prioritization, decision-making, communication and feedback skills so teams don’t absorb the cost of poor leadership decisions. – Desiree’ Stapleton, Goal Accomplishment Made Easy™
Design An Intentional Culture In A Fragmented Workplace
One clear trend is cultural fragmentation—hybrid work, AI adoption and generational differences pulling teams in different directions. Culture no longer “just happens.” I prepare leaders to be intentional architects: naming values out loud, reinforcing them through decisions and creating shared rituals. If culture isn’t actively designed, it quietly erodes—and no strategy survives that. – Anastasia Paruntseva, Visionary Partners Ltd.
Clarify Shared Standards To Strengthen Hybrid Teams
One defining trend is the erosion of shared standards in hybrid teams. Flexibility without clarity breeds confusion and quiet underperformance. I’m coaching leaders to codify nonnegotiables: how decisions are made, how people show up and how work is judged. Strong cultures aren’t loud; they’re explicit. – Peter Boolkah, The Transition Guy
Shift From Heroic Leadership To True Teamship
I see a real (and encouraging) shift from leader-centric models to true teamship. More leaders are realizing results don’t come from heroic individuals, but from teams who know how to think, decide and hold tension together. I’m coaching leaders to focus less on directing and more on creating the conditions where teams can actually work as teams. – Andrea Bednar, AndreaBednar.com Inc.