The Nuances of Networking: What Leaders Need to Prepare for in 2026

Why connection—not contacts—is the real advantage in the year ahead!

Let me say this right up front:

In 2026, leaders are going to need a different kind of network.

Not the “collect a bunch of business cards” kind.

Not the “show up and smile and pretend you’re excited to be here” kind.

I mean the kind of connections that are built on trust, genuine connection, curiosity, and paying attention to people.

The kind that actually helps you navigate the volatility we’re living in. The kind that opens doors you didn’t even know were there.

So what does this require?

What we’re really talking about here

Here’s what you’ll take away as you prepare your team for 2026:

• Why networking is a key leadership behavior

• What mindful networking looks like (and why it feels different)

• How to engage people without feeling like you’re invading their space

• How connection fuels innovation, collaboration, and talent decisions

• Practical steps your leaders and teams can start using right now

Networking is really about connection

Some folks love networking. Some folks do anything possible to avoid it.

The real difference isn’t personality or any superficial interactions; it’s how you understand connection.

When you take away the awkwardness, networking comes down to the same skills leaders need every single day: listening, noticing, speaking with clarity, and showing genuine care.

That’s leadership communication. That’s presence. That’s how people decide whether they can trust you or follow you.

And with everything coming at leaders—AI, new expectations, shrinking resources, more complexity—how you show up in the small moments is just as, if not more important as, how you show up in the big ones.

So here’s how you may think about networking in 2026.

1. A mindful networking mindset

Definition: Mindful networking
Showing up with presence, curiosity, and awareness—without performing, pushing, or trying to appear impressive.

If you sense hesitation before you walk into a room, meeting or conference, ask yourself:

• Why does this feel uncomfortable for me?

• What’s the story I’m telling myself?

• Where is the resistance coming from?

You may be feeling one of these beliefs:

Belief 1: “I don’t have time for small talk.”
The Truth: Small talk is never small. That’s where psychological safety begins.

Belief 2: “I don’t want to seem self-centered.”
The Truth: Mindful networking is curiosity-based, not self-praise-based.

Belief 3: “I don’t know what to say.”
The Truth: You don’t need perfect phrases. You just need to be present and genuinely interested.

Here are simple ways to build comfort and confidence:

• Stay aware of what’s happening in the world.

• Pay attention to non-verbal cues.

• Keep a few neutral topics in your back pocket.

Mindful networking isn’t about “working the room.” It’s about being a real person in the room.

2. Engage and exchange—don’t invade

Definition: Executive networking
Intentionally building trust-based relationships across industries, roles, and functions to support the decisions and resilience your organization needs.

Here’s what makes you different:

Stop performing. Start noticing.

Don’t enter conversations with a speech. Enter with a question.

Don’t try to fix people. Listen for what matters to them.

You don’t need to chase every conversation. Just spend enough time to understand the context, not to deliver a monologue.

Remember: the more interested you are, the more interesting you become.

And please hear me on this—true networking is an exchange, not a one-way dump of information. It shouldn’t exhaust you. It should energize you.

Common questions leaders ask me about networking

These come up all the time in my coaching conversations and workshops:

Q: Karen, how do I network when I barely have time to eat lunch?

A: Micro-moments. Five minutes here, ten minutes there. Time invested in others builds trust.

Q: How do I make sure I’m not coming across as transactional?

A: Flip the ratio. Ask two questions for every story or example you share. And LISTEN!

Q: What matters most in networking for senior leaders?

A: Presence, awareness, listening, and the ability to create safety quickly.

Practical ways to strengthen your network in 2026

1. Reconnect with cross-functional peers

Reach out to someone whose work touches yours—just one person a week will do.

2. Bring someone with you

Give a rising leader the chance to join you in external conversations. That’s leadership development in real time. What do they have to share?

3. Look outside your industry

What are some of the best (applicable) ideas from the most unexpected places and conversations?

4. Practice presence

Put the phone down when someone is talking; minimize distractions. People notice…they always notice.

5. Follow curiosity, not hierarchy

Some of the biggest insights come from people who don’t have fancy titles. What are you curious about?

Why this matters for leaders and teams preparing for 2026

Your network influences:

• who collaborates with you

• who calls you back

• the partnerships you form

• the talent willing to join your mission

• the ideas you hear in time to act on them

• the trust people feel when they look to you for direction

Connection is not optional anymore. It shapes your culture. It shapes your performance. And it shapes whether your team can navigate the year ahead with clarity and confidence.

If you remember nothing else, remember this: A mindful mindset + a genuine exchange can change everything.

Closing thought

If you want stronger collaboration and deeper trust across your organization, start strengthening your network now.

And yes—as I always say—the art of small talk really does reap large rewards.

Would you like support in implementing these strategies with your executive team? Let’s talk. Reach out here to schedule a conversation.

Practical Tools for Leading Through Change

If you’ve followed along in this blog series, you’ve likely started to see a pattern: great leadership during change doesn’t come from a dramatic speech or single bold move. It comes from a consistent, grounded presence. From meaningful conversations. From intentional, human-centered practices.

When change is swirling around you and within you, it’s the small, daily actions that keep you steady. These are the habits that help you show up, stay focused, and move forward with purpose.

In this final piece of our Steering the Ship series, I want to share a few simple, yet powerful tools that I’ve seen transform the way leaders guide their teams through complexity. These aren’t theoretical. They’re real tools you can use today.

What’s in Your Leadership Toolkit?

As a coach and consultant to executive teams for over 25 years, I often get asked:

“Karen, how do I keep showing up when it feels like everything is changing around me?”

Here’s the truth: you don’t need to have all the answers. But you do need to stay rooted in what matters.

These three tools, when used consistently and with care, can deepen your leadership presence and expand your team’s trust, engagement, and performance.

1. The Morning Minute Exercise

Pause. Breathe. Lead with intention.

Before you dive into emails, meetings, or your to-do list, take one quiet minute. Ask yourself: “What does my team need most from me today?”

That’s it.

Let the answer guide your actions.

Maybe today your team needs clarity.

Maybe they need calm.

Maybe they need a decision, or your ear, or your presence.

Once you’ve identified that need, let it shape how you lead that day. Focus on satisfying that need before moving on to the next thing.

This simple practice has helped so many of the leaders I work with practice mindfulness and reframe their days. It shifts the focus from output to impact. From urgency to purpose. It reminds you that leadership isn’t about doing more. It’s about showing up for what matters most.

2. The Trust Triangle

Care. Clarity. Consistency.

Trust doesn’t appear overnight. It’s built moment by moment through your actions and your presence.

When I work with leadership teams facing major transformation, I often introduce what I call The Trust Triangle. It’s a simple framework that serves as a gut check for decision-making and communication. Before you move forward, ask:

• Care – Have I demonstrated that I genuinely care about the people impacted?

• Clarity – Have I clearly communicated what’s happening and why?

• Consistency – Are my actions matching my words, over time?

If even one of these elements is missing, trust begins to erode. When you can lead with all three, especially during times of uncertainty, you create the kind of grounded, authentic leadership that teams rally behind.

One executive I coached recently shared that just keeping this triangle on a sticky note beside her desk helped her reframe difficult conversations and regain alignment with her team. It became a compass.

3. The Feedback Loop

Create space and safety for real conversation.

The best leaders I know are listeners. In times of change, listening is a priority!

The Feedback Loop is about more than asking for opinions. It’s about creating regular, safe opportunities for honest dialogue around what’s working and what’s not.

Here are a few ways to build it into your culture:

• Create time in team meetings to surface what’s helping and what’s hindering. Share why feedback is an important benefit for the team.

• Invite anonymous input if needed, especially when trust is still developing.

• Ask open questions like:

• “What’s one thing we should keep doing?”

• “What’s one thing we should reconsider?”

• “What’s something you wish leadership knew right now?”

And here’s the key: Close the loop. Let people know how their input is shaping decisions, even if it doesn’t lead to immediate change.

In one of my recent engagements, a leader used The Feedback Loop to uncover a simple systems tweak that saved her team hours of duplicated work every week. The solution had been there all along. They just hadn’t created the space to talk about it.

Small Habits, Big Impact

You don’t need a revolutionary plan to lead well through change. You need rhythm. You need awareness. You need tools that help you show up consistently, clearly, and with heart.

The Morning Minute, the Trust Triangle, and the Feedback Loop are your anchors.

They’ll help you stay connected to your team, confident in your choices, and courageous in your presence.

So I’ll ask you:

• What’s already in your leadership toolkit?

• And what new habit could you try this week?

Remember, leadership isn’t just about managing change. It’s about cultivating the kind of environment where people feel safe, seen, and supported as they grow through it.

That’s the kind of leadership that endures and transforms.

Would you like support in implementing these tools with your executive team? Let’s talk. Reach out here to schedule a conversation.

Leading with Heart, Wisdom, and Courage

When winds shift and the course ahead is uncertain, it’s not just strategy that carries us forward—it’s our presence.

As we’ve explored in this series—from Steering the Ship Through Changing Tides to Navigating the Journey the Bridges Way—leadership during change requires more than decisive action. It calls for heart. It calls for wisdom. And yes, it calls for courage.

This third piece in our series is about integrating all three—heart, wisdom, and courage—as an operating system for leadership. Especially when the stakes are high and the fog is thick.

In my decades of work guiding executives and teams through complex transformation, one thing has remained constant: how we lead during transition is often more important than what we do. It shapes the culture we’re creating, the trust we’re building, and the resilience we’re strengthening along the way.

Here are three simple but powerful practices that support meaningful change across any initiative, industry, or environment.

Tap into the Power of Stories

Stories unite, inspire, and remind us of our resilience. 

If you're in the midst of leading change—whether it’s restructuring, innovation, or renewal—don’t underestimate the power of story to connect, inspire, and unify your team.

An example from a client: Early in my career, I worked with a healthcare organization navigating a massive shift in leadership and service delivery. What carried the team through wasn’t just the new vision statement—it was the story of a frontline nurse who, despite uncertainty, leaned into the change and found new ways to advocate for patients. The story that spoke to what was required, along with insight into what happened, rippled throughout the organization. It created hope and buy-in far more effectively than a slide deck a leader may have prepared.

What stories are you telling to unite, inspire, and remind people of their resilience? Here are three thought prompts to get started:

• Share examples of how your team has overcome challenges in the past; focus on major or recent challenges that most can relate to.

• Illuminate the small wins and turning points; it’s a way of inspiring action.

• Invite others to share their own stories. People like to “help,” and sharing a “success story” is engaging!

This simple act of storytelling humanizes the transition, makes progress tangible, and reinforces your team’s capacity to grow together.

Commit to Checking In

In times of change, it’s easy to rush to the agenda. But if we bypass the human experience, we miss what’s most essential—people’s energy, attention, and emotion.

One of the most impactful tools I offer my clients is also the simplest: Start every meeting with a check-in.

This doesn’t need to be elaborate. Try something like:

• “What’s one win from your week?”

• “What’s something that’s energizing—or depleting—you right now?”

• “What’s one word that describes how you’re arriving today?”

• “What’s one thing you’d like to leave this meeting with?”

Lead with active listening. When you start by making space for people, you shift the tone of the meeting, build trust in the room, and help your team show up more fully.

Example: In a recent leadership retreat I was responsible for facilitating, a simple check-in question led to an insight that transformed how the team prioritized their next 90 days. One moment of human connection created clarity and alignment we couldn’t have reached with business talk alone.

Tip: Build a list of go-to check-in questions to use at any time. Rotate them. Let different team members lead. Make it part of your rhythm and practice.

Make Clarity a Campaign

Change often brings more questions than answers. And uncertainty, left unaddressed, creates a vacuum that fear will quickly fill. Be aware of the usurping power of fear!

The antidote? Clarity.

Clarity isn’t a one-time memo. It’s a leadership campaign—one that requires consistent, transparent, and empathetic communication.

In unclear times, be crystal clear about:

• What hasn’t changed – your values, your mission, your unwavering commitment to excellence.

• What has changed – processes, priorities, expectations.

• What’s next – immediate goals, upcoming milestones.

Clarity gives people ground to stand on. Even if the path ahead is evolving, they know what they can count on—and what they’re moving toward.

Example: An executive in a global tech firm created a “What We Know / What We Don’t Yet Know” slide at every all-hands meeting. That transparency tamped down anxiety and led to them trusting her more.

Clarity doesn’t mean having all the answers or sharing every single detail, particularly in times of change. It means being honest about what’s true today—and staying open to learning tomorrow.

Stay Engaged, Stay Human

What’s the deeper truth in all of this?

Leadership isn’t just about managing change. It’s about nurturing the human spirit that makes your organization exceptional in the first place.

Heart, wisdom, and courage aren’t just nice-to-haves during transformation—they are the very things that help your people stay engaged, your teams stay connected, and your vision becomes reality.

So as you navigate your own leadership journey, ask yourself:

• Am I creating space for real connection?

• Am I staying rooted in what matters most?

• Am I showing up with clarity, presence, and trust?

If you’re doing that, you’re leading with heart. You’re leading with wisdom. And you’re leading with courage.

And that, more than any strategy or system, is what makes meaningful, sustainable change possible.

Let’s keep going—together.

Would you like to explore how your team can move through change with more clarity, connection, and courage? I’d love to talk. Email: karen@kmmcod.com.

Navigating the Journey: The Bridges Way

If you’ve ever felt like managing change is a bit like leading an expedition into uncharted territory, you’re not alone. In times of transformation, many leaders find themselves balancing vision, strategy, and—most importantly—the human element of change.

One model I return to again and again is William Bridges’ Transition Model. Unlike many change models that focus on external shifts (like reorganizations or new technology), Bridges’ model zooms in on the inner journey people experience when confronted with change.

And let’s be clear: that’s where the real work—and the real opportunity—lies.

Bridges breaks transition into three distinct phases:

1️⃣ The Ending Zone – where we say goodbye to the old ways
2️⃣ The Neutral Zone – where we navigate uncertainty and possibility
3️⃣ The New Beginning – where new patterns take root and momentum builds

Each phase is essential, and each one calls for a different kind of leadership presence. 

Phase I: The Ending Zone

“Before you can begin something new, you have to end what used to be.” – William Bridges

Change often starts with an ending. Sounds simple, right? But as any leader knows, endings are rarely neat and tidy.

Think about leaving a beloved job, moving from a familiar neighborhood, or even giving up a comfortable routine. There’s often excitement about what’s next—but there’s also grief, uncertainty, and a sense of loss.

Your role as a leader? Help your team pack—or unpack—their emotional bags with care.

Here’s how:

✅ Acknowledge the discomfort. Pretending everything’s fine doesn’t build trust; naming the challenges does.

✅ Celebrate what worked before. Give people the opportunity to honor what’s ending—it’s a way of respecting the past.

✅ Set clear markers for moving forward. Define what’s ending and what’s beginning so that people know where they stand.

A team that feels heard and supported in endings is more likely to embrace what’s next with curiosity rather than resistance.

Phase II: The Neutral Zone

This is the messy middle—the place between the old and the new. It can feel like being adrift on open water without a clear destination.

But the neutral zone is also the creative zone.

When old ways no longer hold us back, possibilities emerge. This is where innovation can thrive—if you, as a leader, create the conditions for it.

Here’s where to focus:

🎯 Encourage experimentation. Give your team permission to try things—without fear of failure.

🎯 Celebrate small wins. Recognize progress, even if it feels incremental. A small win can be the spark that fuels momentum.

🎯 Create short-term goals. Break the big change into manageable pieces so your team doesn’t get overwhelmed.

🎯 Keep spirits up. Regular check-ins go a long way in keeping your team engaged and supported.

Remember, the neutral zone can feel like the most uncomfortable phase—but it’s also the space where transformation takes root.

Phase III: The New Beginning

At last, the new beginning—where the new way of working, thinking, or being starts to feel more natural.

But let’s not assume this phase is automatic. Just because something has officially “launched” doesn’t mean it’s fully embraced. New habits need nurturing, and teams need to see that change is working.

Try this:

🌱 Point out progress. Don’t assume people see the change working—highlight it!

🌱 Reinforce new patterns. Acknowledge and reward behaviors that align with the new way forward.

🌱 Share success stories. Stories are powerful—they make the change feel real, achievable, and even inspiring.

🌱 Build on momentum. Keep the energy going. Remind the team that they’re part of something meaningful.

Every Change Follows a Journey

Change doesn’t happen in a straight line. Every team, every organization, every leader moves through these phases differently.

The question is: will you be the kind of leader who guides your people through each phase intentionally—or will you leave them to navigate the journey alone?

Great leaders show up with presence, patience, and empathy—supporting their teams through the endings, the neutral zones, and the new beginnings.