Why 2026 Will Belong to the Leaders Who Choose Curiosity Over Certainty

We’ve officially reached the season where everyone is trying to tie a neat bow on the year: the wins, the losses, the learnings, the “we’ll do better next time” declarations. And while reflection is powerful, there’s a trap we often fall into: believing that leadership is about having the right answers.

If 2025 made anything clear to me, it’s that certainty (no matter how much we think we want it) is wildly overrated.

In hundreds of coaching conversations this year, one theme rose above the rest: the leaders who grew the fastest weren’t the ones gripping tightly to their plans, growth predictions, or perfect scripts. They were the ones willing to stay curious, even when their teams were looking to them for answers in urgent situations. 

Curiosity is a superpower in this work. It expands your options. It softens your fear. It makes space for creativity, collaboration, and the kind of connection that turns donors into partners and boards into actual teammates.

Certainty keeps you locked where you are. Curiosity invites you to explore possibilities.

This year, I witnessed leaders ask new questions and unlock new results:

What if fundraising didn’t have to feel like a grind?
What if I trusted my team more deeply and delegated more?
What if the conversation I’m avoiding is the breakthrough I need?
What if rest actually improved my performance?

Each time someone chose curiosity, their world opened. The pressure dropped. The path became clearer. They discovered strengths they’d forgotten, boundaries they needed, and opportunities hiding in plain sight.

And now, as we stand at the edge of 2026, I want to offer you this:

Next year will not reward those who think they must know everything, and have all the answers.
It will reward those willing to learn, experiment, play, and ask better questions.

Curiosity makes you a better leader.
A more grounded fundraiser.
A more joyful human.
And a far more magnetic force in your community.

Three Curiosity Practices to Take Into the New Year

1. Ask yourself “What’s actually true here?”
   When stress spikes, stories take over. Curiosity helps you separate fact from fear so you can respond, instead of reacting.
   
2. Replace pressure with possibility.
   Before you jump into solving a problem, explore options. Let your mind try things on. Curiosity is brainstorming with the stakes turned way down.
3. Notice what feels energizing.
   Our bodies give us data points all day long. Curiosity turns that data into insight. What lights you up is pointing somewhere. That slight flutter in your belly, the tightness in your throat, the elevated heart rate – all data points. Tune into what your body is telling you, follow what feels energizing.

These are coaching tools I use every day with clients. I hope you try them this holiday season and they provide some ‘ah ha’ moments for you to carry into next year. 

As we close out 2025, I want you to hear this clearly:
You don’t need more certainty next year. You need more room to expand, inquire, and trust your instincts…and while I’m writing this for our TPC friends, it’s also an important reminder for me personally. 

It’s been a joy to coach, consult and be in community with you this year. Despite some truly heinous surprises in 2025, I’m proud of the way changemakers keep showing up and demanding a future that is fair and joyful for all of us. 

Wishing you and yours a Happy Holiday season!

Hannah 💗

ThePhilanthropyCoach.com