Four Themes from October for 2026
2026 decisions are already in motion across budgets, talent, and platforms. Too many plans over-index on delivery and under-index on sensing, learning, and building trust.
October was eventful. Four themes topped my list—and should be on every leader’s agenda for 2026:
Getting serious about the practice of foresight
Disciplined execution in the age of AI
Building human connection through community
Investing in credibility through thought leadership
Here are my highlights:
Speaking at Intersection25
Most plans fail because they bet on one future. Foresight helps leaders test choices across multiple futures before they commit.
At Intersection25 in Brussels I showed how to embed foresight into enterprise design so decisions are stress-tested before capital, people, and reputation are on the line. History leaves patterns; organisations repeat failures when they ignore them, and culture decides whether we learn fast enough.
Here are the takeaways from my talk:
Scan with intent: make environmental scanning continuous and turn signals into insights.
Create scenarios: test your strategies against them. Use EDGY or any other enterprise design tool or framework to (re)design required capabilities and your operating model for adaptability.
Make learning routine: institutionalise a shared language, concise decision records, and regular retros so lessons are learnt and a true learning organisation emerges.
New Podcast Episode with Eric Jager
Enterprise Architecture doesn’t have to feel abstract. In my conversation with fellow Master Enterprise Architect Eric Jager, we unpacked his simple, four-stage EA Implementation Wheel that turns intent into impact: Document → Define → Execute → Control.
Here's why the EA Implementation Wheel matters in the age of AI where focusing on the fundamentals is crucial for disciplined execution:
Turns intent into impact: the approach compresses EA into four plain-English stages—Document, Define, Execute, Control—so leaders can see how strategy becomes delivery.
Gives a pragmatic starting point: Eric positions the approach as a streamlined, scalable entry to enterprise architecture rather than an exhaustive framework.
Aligns with standards: the stages map to the TOGAF Architecture Development Method, preserving rigour while keeping the flow simple for executives and teams.
While there are several recognised methods for developing architecture, I am highlighting Eric’s approach as one accessible, lightweight way to implement enterprise architecture.
Updates from the SAP Enterprise Architect Summit in Berlin
Earlier in the month, I attended the SAP Enterprise Architect Summit in Berlin. Three things stood out:
Foresight is mainstreaming in EA. The agenda put foresight and design-led transformation alongside AI and data foundations, and HPI professor Falk Übernickel delivered a “Futuring” keynote. This is now a core EA capability, not a side topic.
Ingenium and architectus must coexist. Your architecture function must sense and synthesise (ingenium) as well as design and build (architectus). Ingenium in Latin means inborn capability or talent; in Vico’s philosophy it is the faculty to see relationships between distant things — the sense-making executives and enterprise architects need to connect business, technology, risk, and culture. Architectus means master builder, from Greek archi-tekton (chief builder). EA is not only analysis; it is the craft of shaping and stewarding structures others can build upon.
Community accelerates adoption. SAP’s EA community is curating themes such as GenAI, data foundations, and practice maturity that you can plug into rather than reinvent. A clear theme was EA adoption, and it was energising to see so many architects focused on human connection and community.
Thinkers360 EMEA Top Voice for 2025
I was pleasantly surprised and honoured to be named a Thinkers360 Top Voice EMEA 2025.
I began intentionally building my voice on LinkedIn in October 2024 with one aim: help leaders make better decisions under uncertainty and design enterprises that stay prepared.
Thought leadership matters because a trusted, original voice shapes decisions, earns permission to lead change, and compounds opportunity long after any single deliverable.
To close this month’s edition, here are five steps you can use to build credibility through thought leadership:
Pick your lane, know your audience: name the single leadership problem you help solve and post only what advances that mission.
Post helpful resources weekly: models, frameworks, and short case notes. Favour clarity and stay consistent.
Invite challenge, then refine: use critique to update your models. Signal that you are a continuous learner.
Build influence beyond LinkedIn: publish, speak, and share credible case studies; use LinkedIn to engage and amplify.
Track signal, not noise: prioritise saves and reposts over likes. Prune formats that don’t serve your audience.
