The question that turned a $250M loss into profit

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I asked a couple of clients this question recently: "How are you going to fail in 2026?"

The look on their faces was priceless.

For senior leaders, the word "failure" can feel like a taboo. Something to avoid. Something to manage around. Something you definitely don't plan for.

But here's the thing: my role isn't to make you comfortable. It's to push you.

Because thinking about failure, planning for it, even embracing it, is the edge that will take you to new heights in 2026.

Let me tell you what I mean.

Lead From Possibility, Not Safety

I remember when I took on a turnaround project for a company losing about $250 million.

I was brought in to steady the ship. The brief was clear: get it back to neutral. Stop the bleeding. Break even would be a massive win.

Bear in mind, this was my first major turnaround project. Multi-country operation. UK, Europe, India, South Africa, Brazil. Complex stakeholders. Massive pressure.

You'd think my goal would be simple: hit neutral, deliver what they asked for, protect myself from failure.

But I didn't do that.

I said out loud, to the executive who hired me, to my team: "We're going to make money on this project."

Not break even. Make money.

That was setting myself up for failure. It was a goal I didn't have to set. Break even was the win. Anything beyond that was a bonus.

But I knew something: if I aimed for safe, my team would play safe. If I hedged, they would hedge. If I signalled that I was protecting myself, they'd protect themselves too.

It took 18 long months. But we turned it around and made over $150 million profit on that project.

Not because I was smarter than everyone else. Not because I had some magic strategy.

Because I was willing to own the failure if it didn't work. And my team knew it.

The Cost of Hedging

Here's what all the leadership reports are saying right now: 2026 is about human-centred leadership. Empathy. Emotional intelligence. Authentic communication. Visible support for wellbeing.

All true. All important.

But here's what they're missing.

Your team doesn't just need you to care about them. They need you to believe in what's possible when they can't yet see it themselves.

When you hedge, when you play it safe, when you set the "achievable" goal instead of the bold one, they feel it.

They know you're protecting yourself, not betting on them.

That's The Intention Gap at work. The space between the bold vision you can see and the safe goal you're willing to name. Between possibility and protection. Between leading and managing.

And your team knows the difference.

The Paradox You're Leading Through

Leadership in 2026 is full of paradoxes.

AI's speed vs. human clarity. Financial efficiency vs. operational stability. Safety vs. growth.

Yet the keys to success remain uniquely human: the ability to make sense of complexity, influence others, stay resilient, and show empathy.

Amidst constant change, leaders aren't mere role fillers. They are the navigation system, guiding their teams with purpose and presence through uncertainty.

The success of their organisations depends on it.

But here's the paradox most leaders are missing: you can't navigate uncertainty by playing it safe.

You can't be the compass your team needs if you're constantly hedging your bets.

You can't inspire belief in what's possible if you don't actually believe it yourself.

What Your Team Is Actually Watching For

Your team isn't just listening to what you say in the all-hands meeting.

They're watching:

• Whether you set bold goals or safe ones
• Whether you own the outcomes or spread the blame
• Whether you believe in their capability or just manage their performance
• Whether you're leading from possibility or protecting yourself from failure

They know when you're hedging. And when you hedge, they do too.

Safe goals breed safe thinking. Safe thinking kills innovation. And innovation is what you need to navigate the paradoxes of 2026.

The Turnaround Wasn't Just About Numbers

Here's what I learned from that 18-month turnaround project.

The goal wasn't just to make $150 million. The goal was to show my team that I believed in what was possible before they could see it.

When I said "We're going to make money on this project," I wasn't being reckless. I was being clear.

I was saying: "I see something here that the numbers don't show yet. And I'm willing to bet on us getting there."

That clarity, that belief, that willingness to own the failure if it didn't work? That's what pulled everyone forward.

Not my technical skills. Not my experience. My belief.

And when they saw I wasn't hedging, they stopped hedging too.

Your Challenge This Week

Look at your goals for 2026.

Not your team's goals. Yours. The ones you've set for your division, your department, your leadership.

Now ask yourself honestly:

Am I leading from possibility, or am I playing it safe?

Have I set goals that require my team to grow, or goals they can hit with their current capabilities?

If my team looked at these goals, would they see boldness or hedging?

If these goals fail, can I own that? Or am I already building in the excuses?

Here's the uncomfortable truth: if your 2026 goals don't scare you a little, they're not bold enough.

If your team can achieve them without stretching, without growing, without being pushed beyond what they think is possible, you're not leading. You're managing.

And in a year full of paradoxes, AI disruption, and constant change, management won't cut it.

The Question That Changes Everything

So I'll ask you again: How are you going to fail in 2026?

Not what are you afraid of. Not what keeps you up at night.

What bold vision are you willing to pursue, even if it means you might fail publicly, visibly, in a way you can't hide from?

Because that's the vision that will teach you more about leadership than any "achievable target" ever could.

That's the vision your team is waiting for.

And that's the edge that separates leaders who navigate their teams through 2026 from leaders who just survive it.

One Question for This Week:

• What's the bold vision you're not saying out loud because you're afraid of owning the failure if it doesn't work?

Lead from possibility, not safety.