Leaders must prioritise cybersecurity, geopolitics and adaptive leadership in 2026

As ZDNET marked a decade of its podcast, three leaders — André Pienaar, Dr. David Bray and Ken Banta — discussed what boards and CEOs must understand to remain competitive in 2026, saying the decisions made this year will determine whether organisations remain competitive or become less relevant by year-end.

André Pienaar urged boards to treat cybersecurity and protection of critical infrastructure as a strategic, boardroom priority rather than an IT function. He warned that technology investments are national security bets, recommended preparing for “gray zone” non‑kinetic conflict, and said companies must decide whether US or Chinese government influence will shape their infrastructure and then move their entire technology stack accordingly.

Dr. David Bray emphasised the evolving nature of leadership, urging executives to understand the geopolitical “blast radius” of their decisions and to act as both diplomat and strategist. He stressed embracing decision‑making with incomplete information — noting that general counsels of Fortune 500 companies publicly admitted that they must make such decisions — and moving organisations from analysis paralysis to a bias for action and rapid learning.

Key Topics

Business, Cybersecurity, China, André Pienaar, David Bray, Critical Infrastructure