Are you ready to drive exponential performance?

In 2026, an era defined by persistent volatility and accelerating change, unlocking exponential performance is no longer a growth ambition: it is a condition for survival. The organizations that succeed will be those that act intentionally, using AI-enabled strategies to align stakeholders around what matters most. They will empower their people to deliver peak performance through agile, machine-augmented systems of work, designed for outcomes and enabled by inspiring leadership and a reinvented HR function.

Leaders are not short on vision. They are already designing the future and have access to the technologies and insights needed to transform their organizations. The challenge now is execution at scale — and bringing people with them. Because in an AI-driven future, organizations that root their transformations in human-centric principles will win.

Achieving this demands more than isolated initiatives. It requires intentional work redesign, sharper talent intelligence, and a value exchange that resonates at both a personal and business level — all underpinned by an evolved HR vision and operating model built for continual reinvention. Get this right and companies will unlock exponential gains in performance, productivity and agility, delivering a sustainable business and talent advantage. In a world where change is constant, the ability to redesign work, mobilize talent and enable performance at speed will separate those who lead from those who fall behind.


Dare to be different

Amid constant change and uncertainty, business as usual just isn’t sustainable. Follow these bonus tips for the C-suite, HR leaders and employees for an accelerated path to exponential performance.

Recommendations for the C-suite:

  1. Make work design a core organizational capability, with upskilling and reskilling a critical part of your strategy.
  2. Treat talent insights with the same rigor as financial intelligence.
  3. Sponsor an AI-enablement agenda that addresses the EX, not just training and tools.

Recommendations for HR leaders:

  1. Shift from service providers to strategic architects of human-machine systems of work.
  2. Power the talent engine with insights and skills, and use AI to drive process efficiencies.
  3. Redesign the EX and performance management processes around value and outcomes.

Recommendations for employees:

  1. Treat AI and digital fluency as core parts of your professional development plan.
  2. Actively redesign your own job and ensure space for learning in the flow of work
  3. Own your skills narrative and seek out internal mobility.

Trend 4: Unleash a new HR era

Previous page

Case study

Next page

We're a global professional services firm bringing together capabilities across risk, reinsurance and capital, people and investments, and management consulting — building the confidence to thrive through the power of perspective.

Terms of Use Privacy Notice Accessibility Cookie Notice Manage Cookies

© 2026 Marsh. All Rights Reserved.

Marsh GuyCarpenter Mercer OliverWyman