For years, we’ve been told that “bigger is better” and “global is the goal.” We’ve measured success by how far our reach extends across the map. But in today’s volatile environment, we are discovering a hard truth: the further we are from the communities we serve, the more fragile our impact becomes. In 2026, leadership isn’t about how much space you occupy; it’s about how deeply you are rooted. And yet, many of our systems are still designed as if distance were strength. The