As context, this marks the sixth year I’ve chosen a focal word/phrase and the first time I’ve selected a value. Here’s my thinking around these two choices, including their immediate relevancy.

First, chameleon leaders. Chameleons are the ultimate connectors and communicators because they flex their style to fit those they’re around. For example, they tailor their language and communication approach to align with those with whom they’re communicating in the moment. As they modify their delivery, they improve their ability to provide clarity. Also, by adjusting their tone, etiquette and management style to fit different norms, including cultural differences, they can relate better to others.

Because chameleon leaders can mirror the communication styles of others, these leaders also can excel at finding common ground, especially between disparate groups. This includes de-escalating tensions that can arise in any group. These are valuable skills today.

Chameleons also can switch their aperture to fit varying situations, which makes them more agile. Aperture is the field of awareness that shapes what you notice, how you interpret situations, and how you respond. It’s akin to the size of the opening in your camera lens. (The word aperture is literally a fancy way of saying ‘opening.’)

For instance, when you narrow your aperture, you zoom in and focus more closely on issues in front of you, but you skip over the context. By contrast, when you widen your aperture, you  increase your field of vision and have a more panoramic view, but you lose sight of the details. The key to success is being able to shift the size of your aperture, moving between narrowing on details and then widening out to the big picture, based on the situation.

Regardless of how chameleons adjust their aperture or take other actions, they maintain their core self.  In other words, they remain who they are with their same values and soul. They are only altering their external surface as a way to communicate, connect and get things done more effectively with others. This means less friction in interactions and ideally greater clarity.

And, yes, this adaptation takes effort, which is why I’ve chosen this focal phrase and value to help me remember to practice them. However, it’s worth it because I’ll  be responding to fellow humans the way they prefer. And they’ll feel that they’re being seen and heard. They’ll also feel safer and have the potential to be more productive. Unlike conversational AI bots, I can’t remember everything I’ve exchanged in conversations, but I connect in a human way and provide social connection that we humans crave, even if we don’t always realize it.

The chameleon leaders’ changing colors aren’t a tactic for survival; instead, they serve as a tool for empathy as you make people feel more comfortable. For example, when you’re a chameleon and talking to an analytical person, you provide data and also possibly zoom in and focus on specifics. If you’re talking to an emotional person, you tell a story. If you’re working with a visionary, you zoom out to view the entire forest.

From a practical perspective, chameleons have a powerful checks and balance system to stay true to themselves. Their ability to adapt helps them interact with others, while their empathy delivers the genuine connection.

Second, empathy, my selected value to support my focal phrase, chameleon leaders. As just explained, chameleons show empathy by changing their colors. In his book, The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World, Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki defines empathy as the “social bridge” or “superglue” that supports human cooperation, kindness, and societal trust. Empathy is not a single trait, but an umbrella term for the many different ways we connect with others’ emotions. His research emphasizes that empathy is a skill or “muscle” that we can strengthen through practice rather than a fixed, “hard-wired” trait.

Empathy as a value is an important quality that guides our behavior and serves as a principle, cultural norm and personal belief. Values are context-dependent yet fundamentally demonstrate what we deem desirable and significant in society.

Values also function as a north star guiding us in today’s VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) and BANI (brittle, anxious, non-linear, and incomprehensible) environment. The steering is especially helpful when we need to be flexible to navigate everything coming our way.

After all, if you’re a rigid leader who never bends, you risk snapping at your roots. By contrast, if you’re a flexible and agile leader who’s empathetic, you are ensuring your agility is a valuable service to those you lead. You are adapting to help others succeed. And you can count on your other values to guide you too.

By committing to be an empathetic chameleon leader, I’m striving to be aligned directionally with my past words too. They are intentionality, recalibrate, pause, nuance, and explicit. All encourage mindfulness before acting.

Now, how about you? Have you selected a focal word or phrase for 2026? And what about a value? If so, please share and inspire us!