I think leadership lives in moments. Like when you choose to stay in a conversation that feels a little uncomfortable; or where you listen a little longer than you planned to and resist the instinct to retreat into certainty.

These moments are the building blocks of progress. And yet, they are becoming increasingly rare.

As we step into 2026, the biggest threat to our agenda – and, in many ways, to democracy itself – is our growing inability to stay connected across our differences. And yet, this is exactly the moment when we must lean in. Because if we want to change the trajectory we’re on, we cannot afford to lose one another. 

I felt this most vividly on my recent trip to Brazil for COP30. Over the course of a week – from Rio to São Paulo to Belém – I saw people with radically different lived experiences, ideologies, and priorities come together. The energy, the creativity, the openness, it reminded me that collaboration across differences isn’t only possible, it’s where some of our best breakthroughs are born.

And yet, the formal outcomes of COP30 fell short of what’s needed. The political text didn’t fully capture the ambition or the urgency we witnessed in the rooms. That reality is sobering – but it also makes our work more urgent.

Looking back on 2025 and ahead to what’s next, one thing is crystal clear: everything we do begins and ends with people. And The B Team has shown what it looks like when leaders enter unfamiliar spaces, back one another, and take bold steps together. I am deeply proud of how we have shown up for each other – and for the world – this year.

This momentum gives me enormous confidence as we move into our next chapter. But it also leaves me with a question I hope every leader will carry into the new year:

As we enter the holiday season – a time of reflection, family, and sometimes tough conversations –are you willing to stay in the spaces that stretch you beyond your comfort zone, and what might that courage teach you?

Our willingness to keep pushing through the hard times will define the year ahead, and shape the future we want to build. Join us.

"The Catalyst" is The B Team’s monthly newsletter which showcases ways in which leaders are advocating a better way of doing business. Subscribe to receive updates.