In 2026 we need COURAGE to solve problems

Problems are discussed constantly, and in politics some even use them to stoke fear. What I am missing, however, is real action. I understand that solutions are not easy to find given the complexity. I also understand that the sheer number of issues can be paralyzing. But fear and problem analysis do not lead to improvement. While we are still debating the status quo, other economies are growing stronger, other companies more successful.

What we really need are people who do not lose their bearings amid permanent chaos, but instead point the way forward. Leaders who are capable of learning from past decisions, reflecting on themselves, and who are willing to think anew—leaders who not only solve today’s problems, but also keep the future and the next generations in mind. We need leaders who motivate others.

If a company or a society is to change, it needs this impulse—so that many people set themselves in motion because they believe in the idea. Progress can only be achieved together and with positive energy. And believe me, employees often know best where the obstacles in a company lie; they know what improvement potential exists and want to contribute. Citizens, too, recognize where the state and municipalities function well—and where they do not.

That is why leaders today need two qualities in particular: courage and the willingness to demand something of themselves and of others—and above all, the will to do so.

The courage to demand the uncomfortable.

If only it were as easy as it sounds! To define a truly transformative path requires courage. Which organization is “by itself” open to starting something genuinely new? Where is it easy to define radical cuts in order to restructure a business unit? After all, not only must the strategy be right—many stakeholders must also be convinced.

Daring something new also means letting go of the old. Investing in new technologies means that less can be invested elsewhere. Falling profits and declining tax revenues mean there is less money to spend. Even if utopian thinking sells better than realism, leadership means explaining and demanding uncomfortable sacrifices.

For those affected, such demands are always dramatic: losing a job, paying higher taxes, or no longer receiving subsidies. That is a burden—without question.

From a macroeconomic perspective, however, such directional decisions are important. Strong leaders succeed in distributing the burden of these demands and not asking more of those who are least able to defend themselves.

This means that in companies, leaders themselves are not exempt from these demands, and in society all generations must be taken into account. Anyone who communicates honestly quickly realizes that people can often tolerate the truth better than many assume.

Of course, opportunities and risks must be weighed. But it must be possible to address—and implement—even the unthinkable. Only those who do not allow themselves to be paralyzed by analyses, who overcome fear and pursue a goal beyond the familiar, can succeed in changing course.

Allow me to paraphrase Nelson Mandela, the successful leader of South Africa, (when I lived there), who once said: “I learned that courage is not the absence of fear, but triumph over it.”

As we are about to step into 2026, I would like to quote Victor Hugo: ‘The future has many names: for the weak it is the unattainable, for the fearful it is the unknown, for the brave it is the opportunity.” Please take note:

* It is the brave who approach new technologies not with skepticism, bht with curiosity.

* It is the brave who question our previous way of doing business and rethink its sustainability.

* And it is the brave who, with their experience and fearlessness, serve as role models for the next generation of entrepreneurs.

The future is not something that simply happens. It is created where people summon their courage and seize the opportunity to shape the world!!!

Let’s bravely step into 2026 and be courageous to seize the opportunity to shape the world, including the Philippines.

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