2026 - The start of a new cycle

This year, I will turn 48. My Chinese zodiac is the horse, and 2026 is the year of the horse. That means, I will have completed four zodiac cycles and I will go into my fifth cycle. Hence, for me 2026 is not just a new year but also the start of a new cycle.

Seeing things in these longer cycles brings a different perspective. Each cycle represents a different life-stage:

• In my 1st cycle, I grew up.
• In my 2nd cycle, I learned things and skills that I needed later in life.
• In my 3rd cycle, I began my career in the public service.
• In my 4th cycle, I struck out on my own and set up my OD practice.

With luck, I may have 1 or 2 more cycles ahead of me. By the end of the 5th cycle, I will be 60. That world will be a drastically different place. AI and technology alone will reshape so many things: jobs and the economy; work and its role in our lives; income and livelihood; learning and education; maybe even life and its meaning. 

This may paint a sobering picture, but thinking this way helps to focus the mind. If this is the world-in-transition in my 5th cycle, what is my role in it and how do I want to show up?

I want to focus on 3 things:

1. Go back to basics

Even as many things change, some things don’t change. In all disciplines, there are these basics, foundations and building blocks. The more the world changes in unrecognisable ways, the more we may need to use a first-principles approach to understand it.

Lately, I have been enjoying re-reading some of the favourite books that had guided me in my early days of practice. I think it is good to revisit, relearn and reconsolidate some of these building blocks. Doing so, I am also reminded of the purpose, power and joys of this discipline - a very helpful stance to have when so much of the changes feels foreign and scary.

2. Invest in the ecosystem

Thus far, I have focused much on developing and honing my own practice of the discipline. I often operate alone, and I enjoy making the work unique not only to my clients but also to myself and what I can offer.

In recent years, I have begun teaming up with others more often. This is not easy! Some days, I secretly wish I could just do everything myself. But through the pains and frustrations, I grew to appreciate styles, energies and practices that are different from mine. They have stretched me and helped me to grow.

I hope to do more of this going forward. I think many of the upcoming changes and challenges can be intimidating and overwhelming. It is good to have kindred folks to journey together. I also hope to support more others (and younger ones) in their own growth and journey - through teaching and mentoring. In a brave new world, we need more people who appreciate this work and will courageously step into it.

3. Apply myself to the challenges (and opportunities) of a brave new world

Soon (if it is not already here), the sheer scale and speed of the challenges will dwarf all of us. So much of what we recognise may disappear or drastically change. In fact, some systems and societies may break down into chaos.

As a former public servant, this is what I worry most about. These challenges will require bringing together the best of what we know from many disciplines. Convening and organising such an effort will be a mammoth task. I do not pretend that I know how to convene and organise this - I don’t. But I wish to play my part in it. How that will come about, I don’t know either. But I do want to start thinking about it, keep some capacity on hand, and maintain an open mind, open heart and open spirit. I hope more of you/us do. I believe that when more of us choose this stance, we can manifest this together.

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I realise the gap between what I’m describing and what I’m proposing might feel … off. Systems breaking down, and my response is to “maintain an open stance”?

But this is what I've learned: In large group systems, you can’t orchestrate what needs to emerge. No one knows how to convene and organise at the scale needed - I certainly don’t.

What we can do is show up with greater awareness, clarity and intention. When enough of us choose this stance - grounded in our own work, connected in community, and oriented toward service - something becomes possible between us. Not because we planned it, but because we were present enough to notice and respond to what’s emerging.

This may sound insufficient. It probably is. But it's the only starting point that feels honest to me.