Jason reflects on his own observations on some of the high-level findings from the recent Harvard Global Leadership Development Study and what opportunities exist for the future.
SHOW NOTES
Jason introduces Season 9 episode 49 of the podcast, Harvard Global Leadership Development Study. Welcome back to the podcast on corporate culture and leadership and thank you for listening. We engage thought leaders like CEOs, CFOs, managers, VPs, directors, and more for this podcast. We wish to create content that engages your mind and heart and allows you to step back and think and add some positivity to your life. We deep dive into today’s topic.
We can’t control everything but what we can control is our response. Still a lot of work to do but wanted to remind the audience what is within our control is the temperature we create in the organizations and teams we work with.
Please leave a review for the podcast It really helps the podcast to spread these messages out into the world. Please share this podcast with your organization, on your team, or in your life to help spread these messages. Thank you!
If any of these topics are interesting to you please or you want a deep dive on any specific topics, please reach out to us at info@jasonvbarger.com
The Harvard Global Leadership Development Study: Trends Shaping the Future of Corporate Culture
As 2025 comes to a close, leaders around the world are pausing to reflect on the patterns that have emerged over the last twelve months and, more importantly, what those trends signal for the year ahead. In the latest episode of The Thermostat, Jason V. Barger breaks down the recently released findings from the Harvard Global Leadership Development Study and shares his strategic reflections on what they mean for the future of leadership in teams.
For anyone committed to building a corporate culture that is resilient, adaptable, and forward-thinking, these insights offer a roadmap for navigating the complexities of the modern workplace.
A Snapshot of the Study
The Harvard Global Leadership Development Study is comprehensive in scope, surveying over 1,100 learning and development (L&D) and HR professionals across 14 different countries. These respondents represent a wide array of industries, with half of the surveyed companies employing over 20,000 people.
The data reveals a clear shift in priorities for organizations worldwide. The number one answer cited by respondents for future success wasn’t just technical skill acquisition or operational efficiency—it was building a change-seeking organizational culture.
In fact, 40% of all surveyed organizations stated they are placing a greater emphasis in the coming year on helping their people ready themselves for change. The goal is to move beyond reactive measures and instead foster a culture that is adaptable and proactive.
“Organizational learning is now a serious competitive differentiator.” — Harvard Global Leadership Development Study Findings
Reflections for 2026: 4 Key Takeaways
What do these findings mean for leaders on the ground? Jason V. Barger, leveraging his “Strategic” strength (a nod to the Gallup StrengthsFinder), identifies four critical areas where leaders can capitalize on these trends to drive success in 2026.
1. The Opportunity to Engage
There is a tremendous opportunity right now to involve employees in defining the future. People want to be part of the solution; they want to help shape the corporate culture they live in every day. The study confirms that the appetite for this engagement is high. Leaders should ask themselves how they can invite their teams into the conversation to co-create the desired future culture.
2. Breaking Routines to Foster Adaptability
To build a “change-seeking” culture, organizations must learn to break old habits. Adaptability begins with the ability to see alternative ways to proceed. Since human beings naturally cling to routines, leadership must be proactive in disrupting the status quo. This involves helping teams recognize patterns and encouraging them to experiment with new approaches rather than falling back on “the way we’ve always done it.”
3. Culture is the Competitive Advantage
How a team works together continues to be a top-of-mind priority for high-performing organizations. As Jason notes, “How we talk about things, how we’re developing the culture that we’re creating is the greatest competitive advantage we have.” Employees are actively seeking workplaces that invest in their culture. Aligning everyone to pull in the same direction is not just a “soft skill”—it is a business imperative.
4. The Currency of Trust and Hope
In an environment often characterized by low trust and rapid, uncontrollable change, the human elements of leadership matter more than ever. The themes of trust and hope repeatedly bubbled to the surface in the study’s findings.
“In the end, what people want right now… is they want leaders and teams that help them feel hopeful for the future. Not blind hope, but rooted in care, empathy, [and] authenticity.” — Jason V. Barger
Employees are looking for leaders who will walk alongside them through challenges and paint a compelling vision for where the organization is heading.
Intentional Leadership: Being the Thermostat
None of these shifts happen by accident. Building a culture of trust, hope, and adaptability requires intentional leadership. It requires leaders to “breathe oxygen” into their people, providing the energy and clarity needed to move forward.
As Jason reminds us, the best leaders don’t just reflect the temperature of the room—they set it. By stepping back to calibrate their own thermostat, leaders can stimulate progress and create the conditions where their teams can thrive.
Questions to Ponder
As you look toward your strategy for the coming year, consider these questions posed by Jason at the end of the episode:
-
How can you help your people think more about alternative ways to proceed?
-
What will you do to help build a culture of hope and trust for the future?
Links and References
Follow @JasonVBarger on social media for even more insights and new video content.
For more insights and practical tips, be sure to check out Jason V Barger’s book Breathing Oxygen. This book dives deeper into the concepts discussed in this episode and provides additional strategies for fostering a positive mindset and effective leadership.
By incorporating these practices into your summer routine, you can breathe new life into your personal and professional endeavors. Remember, as Jason says, “The best leaders, teams, and cultures on the planet stimulate progress by recalibrating their thermostat together.”
Please leave a review for the podcast It really helps the podcast to spread these messages out into the world. Please share this podcast with your organization, on your team, or in your life to help spread these messages. Thank you!
If any of these topics are interesting to you please or you want a deep dive on any specific topics, please reach out to us at info@jasonvbarger.com
Listen to more great episodes here
Remember, the best leaders, teams, & cultures stimulate progress by recalibrating their thermostat together.
If you like the podcast, have a question, or just want to share your thoughts about daring to begin please leave a comment below or please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.
—
Barnes & Noble Amplify Books Publisher Amazon Books & Kindle
ABOUT THE THERMOSTAT
Conversations and micro-thoughts to engage your mind and heart.
A thermostat is proactive. It sets the temperature in a room. Controls the temperature. Regulates the temperature. But in today’s distracted, fast-paced and digital world, it’s easy for individuals and organizations to act more like thermometers, slipping into reactionary thinking, becoming scattered and inconsistent. The most compelling leaders, teams, organizations, families, or collection of humans of any kind operate in thermostat mode. They calibrate their mind and heart to set the temperature for the vision and culture they want to create. Jason Barger, globally celebrated author, keynote speaker, and founder of Step Back Leadership Consulting, is the host of The Thermostat, a podcast journey to discover authentic leadership, create compelling cultures and find clarity of mission, vision, and values.