The 2026 Blanchards Global Trends Survey: Aligning Leadership, Education, and Organizational Training

(Ilustrative Only)

Corporate training
and higher education
skills maximizes
leadership with
technology.

Moving into 2026 presents both opportunities and challenges. Leadership is unlikely to become obsolete anytime soon, even in the age of AI, because vision—and the ability to chart a path toward it—remains central to navigating the market. Likewise, ongoing training will be essential to fully leverage technology and maintain adaptability in a rapidly changing environment.

This highlights the complementary relationship between internal training and higher education. Higher education focuses on developing higher-order thinking and broad, transferable skills across industries, while organizational training often emphasizes the specific skills required for a particular role and company context.

General and specific skills are not mutually exclusive, even if they seem to fall into different categories. Broad industry knowledge, combined with familiarity with widely used tools such as AI, can significantly ease the transition for new employees as they learn organization-specific processes. Understanding how to use tools across roles not only supports immediate job performance but also builds long-term versatility.

Consider this survey,

Insights from Blanchard’s 2026 Global Trends Survey:

• Leadership development is the top priority, as organizations face uncertainty, AI disruption, and evolving workforce expectations
• Hiring and retention challenges are increasing, driven by cultural fit issues, burnout, and limited career growth opportunities
• Organizations are investing more in training, especially for frontline and mid-level managers who directly impact performance and engagement
• Learning is shifting toward hybrid formats with personalized, bite-sized content and increasing use of AI for coaching and development
• Key organizational priorities include strengthening leadership, improving adaptability, enhancing employee well-being, and aligning talent strategies with business goals

Witt, D. (2025, December 10). Insights from Blanchard’s 2026 global trends survey. Blanchard. https://www.blanchard.com/blog/insights-from-blanchard-s-2026-global-trends-survey