"On one path, companies move purpose from statements and discrete programs into the structure of the business: strategy, governance, KPIs, products, data, and even AI. On the other path, purpose gets quietly defunded, depoliticized, or pushed so far into the background that only a handful of insiders can see it. Both routes have real implications for long-term business success."
"Many of the experts we spoke with identified this bifurcation. Some organizations will double down on purpose as a discipline and driver of resilience. Others will keep doing the work with as little visibility as possible, hoping to avoid backlash in a polarized Trump era. The stakes are no longer about having a nice-to-have "purpose platform" but about whether purpose becomes the backbone of the business or disappears completely."
2025 saw purpose largely go quiet; 2026 will force a visible fork between two outcomes. One outcome embeds purpose into core business systems — strategy, governance, KPIs, product development, data practices, and AI — turning purpose into an operating system that creates measurable value and competitive advantage. The other outcome sidelines purpose through defunding, depoliticization, or extreme backgrounding, leaving only insiders aware. Some organizations will double down, treating purpose as a resilience discipline; others will continue quietly to avoid political backlash. The year will demand proof of impact, broader participation, courageous leadership, and organizational resilience.
Read at Fast Company
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