Mediazoo has announced continued uncertainty as its top prediction for 2026.
The other predictions highlight 10 key shifts.
Giles Smith, CEO of Mediazoo, said: “The organisations that will succeed in 2026 won’t be the ones with the best answers, but the ones most comfortable operating without them.”
London, UK – 17/12/25 - Mediazoo’s behavioural science specialists, the Uncertainty Experts, have released their top predictions for 2026, foremost among them being the continued sense of uncertainty facing the world.
The Uncertainty Experts predictions come following another year of global disruption across work, technology and culture and politics, and reveal that uncertainty tolerance will be the most critical capability for organisations and leaders in the year ahead.
The predictions developed by lead Uncertainty Experts, Katherine Templar-Lewis and Sam Conniff, authors of soon-to-be-published The Uncertainty Toolkit and co-creators of the world’s largest study into Uncertainty Tolerance.
According to the Experts, while AI and new technologies will continue to accelerate in 2026, the real challenge for organisations will be the human response to change and not the tools themselves.
The predictions highlight ten key shifts expected to shape the year ahead:
· AI becomes embedded as everyday infrastructure, increasing emotional anxiety rather than reducing it
· Leadership burnout intensifies as ambiguity replaces workload as the primary pressure
· Emotional agility overtakes technical competence as the defining leadership skill
· Employees become increasingly reluctant to share opinions, driven by fear of getting it wrong
· Creativity and critical thinking will matter more, but growing pressure will make psychologically safe environments harder to sustain.
· Purpose fatigue grows as employees reject corporate certainty and “purpose washing”
· Humility replaces confidence theatre as a marker of effective leadership
· “Slow ambition” gains momentum as organisations prioritise sustainability over speed
· Trust becomes a strategic capability rather than a cultural add-on
· Play emerges as a serious tool for learning, experimentation and performance
The predictions suggest a shift away from certainty-driven leadership models towards cultures built on trust, curiosity and emotional resilience.
Giles Smith, CEO at Mediazoo, said: “After an unprecedented period of uncertainty, organisations are realising that technical capability alone is no longer enough. These predictions reflect what we’re seeing across our clients - the ability to operate confidently without certainty is becoming a defining competitive advantage.”
Sam Conniff, CEO of The Uncertainty Experts, says the findings mark a fundamental change in how organisations must prepare for the future.
Sam Conniff, Chief Uncertainty Expert, said: “Uncertainty is no longer an occasional challenge, it’s the permanent context for work. The organisations that succeed in 2026 will be those that help people stay curious, calm and capable when outcomes aren’t clear.”
The predictions are based on ongoing research into Uncertainty Tolerance, combined with insights from Mediazoo’s work with organisations across multiple sectors. They accompany the upcoming release of The Uncertainty Toolkit (Bluebird, January 2026).
About Uncertainty Toolkit
The Uncertainty Toolkit gives readers a practical, evidence-based blueprint for doing exactly that: reducing anxiety, increasing adaptability and unlocking creativity in a world that refuses to stand still.
Publication: 1 January 2026
Authors: Katherine Templar-Lewis & Sam Conniff
Publisher: Bluebird / Pan Macmillan
Both authors are available for immediate interview or comment.