Insights from a global survey of executives reveal how business leaders are addressing economic uncertainty, technological change and shifting customer expectations thus far this year.

Business leaders are increasingly operating in an environment where volatility is not a temporary disruption but a permanent condition. Insight from HLB’s 2026 Survey of Business Leaders, based on more than 1,100 responses across 50 countries, suggest that leading organizations today are redesigning their strategies, governance models and technology investments to perform effectively in uncertain conditions, rather than waiting for stability to return.

“Volatility is forcing leaders to rethink long-standing assumptions about strategy,” says Tom Barry, managing partner at GHJ and chairman of HLB USA. “The organizations that will thrive are not waiting around for a return to normalcy. They are designing business strategies to operate effectively with the assumption that this disruption is permanent.”

The survey findings reveal several important patterns in what both international and North America-based organizations are currently focused on. Leaders are accelerating technology adoption while strengthening governance. They are making their strategic planning cycles shorter and more adaptive. At the same time, companies are investing more heavily in customer insight and data-driven decision-making. 

“Economic uncertainty, geopolitical shifts and rapid technological change have organizations rethinking how strategy and sustainable operations are built, executed and adjusted in real time,” states Andreas Koller, International Tax Practice leader at GHJ. “Leading organizations across the world are looking at how they operate within this lingering period of volatility as they focus more heavily on technology, adaptive planning and what their customer data tells them.”

GLOBAL OPTIMISM PERSISTS DESPITE VOLATILITY

Business leaders broadly acknowledge that risk levels remain high as economic uncertainty, cybersecurity threats and geopolitical pressures continue to shape the global business environment. Even so, optimism among executives has reached its highest level in four years of the survey being conducted. Globally, 88% of survey respondents say they are confident in their organization’s ability to grow in 2026. Confidence is particularly strong in North America, where 91% of leaders express optimism, compared with 83% in Europe.

Importantly, the data shows that confident organizations share a common mindset. Rather than waiting for conditions to stabilize, they are actively finding ways to operate effectively in uncertain conditions.

Why it Matters

TOM BARRY - Implications for North America-based leaders: High confidence can encourage investment and innovation, but it can also lead to complacency. Organizations that pair optimism with disciplined risk management will be better positioned to sustain growth.

ANDREAS KOLLER - Implications for leaders with global operations: The stronger organizations are shifting from reactive strategies to proactive ones. As volatility becomes a permanent feature of the global business landscape, leaders who treat it as an opportunity rather than a temporary disruption can gain a competitive edge.

AI ADOPTION REVEALS A STRATEGIC TRADEOFF

Technology and automation remain central to how leaders do business, but regional approaches differ. European business leaders, when surveyed, stated that they initially approached emerging technologies, particularly AI, with caution due to privacy concerns, regulatory frameworks and potential workforce implications. However, adoption is now accelerating, with more than half of European respondents citing plans to implement new technologies this year.

North American organizations, by contrast, moved more quickly into AI adoption. More than a third of surveyed North American leaders report that their companies already use AI tools. This early adoption has created opportunities for efficiency and insight, but it has also exposed governance gaps. A recent study from the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s AI Corporate Data Initiative in fact found that only 38% of respondents in the U.S. have a formal, publicly accessible AI policy. As organizations scale AI use, leadership teams will need to establish clearer policies around data governance, accountability and risk oversight.

“Across global markets, we’re seeing different approaches to technology adoption,” Andreas says. “Some organizations moved quickly into AI to capture efficiency and insight, while others focused first on regulatory alignment and risk management. The next phase will require leaders to balance both.”

Why it Matters

ANDREAS KOLLER - What leaders operating outside of the U.S. should know: Regions that were slower to adopt AI may now have an opportunity to leapfrog early adopters by implementing technology with governance, risk management and workforce alignment already in place.

TOM BARRY - What North American leaders should know: Speed has driven early adoption of AI, but governance must now be the defining differentiator. Organizations that establish AI governance frameworks — including executive oversight, data management standards and risk controls — will position themselves to better prevent costly regulatory and operational challenges. 

STRATEGIC PLANNING IS BECOMING MORE ADAPTIVE

Another notable shift emerging from the survey is how organizations approach strategic planning regardless of geographical location. Historically, many companies relied on multi-year strategic plans with fixed timelines. Today, leaders across the globe are moving toward shorter or continuous planning cycles in order to respond more quickly to changing conditions.

In Europe, nearly half of surveyed organizations now operate on planning cycles of 24 months or less. North America shows a similar trend, with a large portion of respondents using planning horizons between six and 24 months. Notably, 18% of North American respondents report operating without a fixed planning cycle at all.

“The ways in which strategy is developed and executed are noticeably adapting,” Tom states. “Instead of anchoring decisions to long-term timelines, organizations are continuously monitoring market conditions, risks and opportunities and adjusting their strategies in real time.” 

Rather than relying solely on static multi-year plans, many organizations are building decision frameworks that allow leaders to evaluate new risks and opportunities more frequently. Scenario planning, real-time data insights and cross-functional leadership input are increasingly becoming core elements of modern strategy development.

Among the most common planning techniques reported by global survey participants are:

• Centralized decision-making through leadership teams
• Seeking diverse perspectives to inform strategic direction
• Using options analysis to evaluate potential scenarios

Organizations that build these capabilities may find themselves better equipped to respond quickly to economic shifts, technological disruption and evolving customer expectations.

Why it Matters

TOM BARRY - Implications for North American leaders: Adaptive planning can provide greater flexibility in volatile North American markets. Organizations that implement shorter planning cycles, structured scenario analysis and cross-functional decision processes may respond more effectively to economic volatility and technological change. These capabilities allow leadership teams to adapt strategy without sacrificing long-term direction.

ANDREAS KOLLER - Effects on leaders with global operations: In regions facing geopolitical or regulatory uncertainty, flexible strategy models may offer greater resilience than rigid long-term plans.

CUSTOMER INSIGHT IS BECOMING THE NEW COMPETITIVE EDGE

Across all regions, improving customer experience remains one of the most important drivers of short-term growth. Nearly half of global respondents identify customer focus as a top strategic priority. However, the approaches differ.

European organizations report that they prefer to emphasize the human elements of customer engagement, focusing on culture, employee training and customer-driven product innovation. Investments in customer data analytics and personalization are also significant priorities.

North American leaders share a strong focus on analytics and personalization but place greater emphasis on technology-driven insights. More than three quarters of North American respondents report investing in customer data analytics, segmentation and personalization strategies. Additionally, 37% report using AI tools to analyze customer behavior and insights.

Both approaches highlight the need to understand customers in deeper, more personalized ways.

Why it Matters

ANDREAS KOLLER - What this means for organizations across the globe: Data and AI can unlock powerful insights, but organizations that also invest in human-centered service and culture may build stronger long-term customer loyalty. 

RISK PRIORITIES ARE NOT ALWAYS ALIGNED

Cybersecurity and economic uncertainty are among the top global concerns for business leaders. Globally, 74% of respondents say cybersecurity risks are a major concern. Economic uncertainty follows closely behind at 73%.

Interestingly, North American respondents show a different risk perception when results are siloed from the global responses. Only 34% identified cybersecurity as a weakness in their businesses, while 78% cited economic uncertainty as their primary challenge. Several factors may explain this difference. North American organizations may feel more confident in their existing cybersecurity investments, while many global businesses, such as those in Europe in particular, operate under stricter regulatory requirements related to technology and data protection.

Why it Matters

TOM BARRY - What this means for North American leaders: Economic uncertainty may dominate current concerns, but cyber threats continue to evolve. Leadership teams may benefit from regularly reassessing whether internal risk perceptions align with the evolving threat landscape. Integrated risk frameworks that combine economic, cybersecurity and geopolitical considerations can help organizations identify vulnerabilities before they escalate into operational disruptions.

ANDREAS KOLLER - What it could signal to global leaders: While cybersecurity concerns remain pressing risks for business leaders, the most resilient organizations are developing integrated strategies that address economic, technological and geopolitical risks simultaneously.

TURNING VOLATILITY INTO STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE

Despite different regional approaches, one theme clearly emerges from the survey results. The organizations best positioned for growth are not waiting for stability to return. Instead, they are adapting.

“For leadership teams, the question is now not how to avoid disruption, but how to build organizations that perform effectively within it,” Andreas comments.

Leaders that reassess strategy, governance and decision-making for a more unpredictable market may just uncover new opportunities for growth. 

As Tom notes, “Volatility is unlikely to disappear. But leaders who embrace adaptability and rethink traditional strategy models may discover that uncertainty can also become a source of opportunity.”