Agenda

From 2026 to 2028, the Women of the Future Summit is exploring a three-year trilogy of themes, inspired by diplomat Tom Fletcher, now the UN’s humanitarian chief, who spoke at our 2025 summit. He told us that if you distil the best leadership advice to its essence, it comes down to three things: be curious, be kind, be brave. Tom reached this conclusion while collecting wisdom from world leaders and diplomats for his own children, and his words have become a reassuring anchor for how we think about what leadership demands today.

Curiosity has never mattered more. Technology is reshaping how we live and work so fast that yesterday’s playbook is a poor guide to tomorrow. The generation growing up with AI will be ‘curiosity natives’, used to thinking in questions and questioning everything, and leaders will need to keep pace. Those who stay curious will be the ones who spot the fastest-moving opportunities and risks before they arrive.

But curiosity is more than a strategic advantage. It is also a check on ego. Experience and seniority make it all too easy to assume that the answers that have always worked will keep on working. But curiosity is what keeps leaders asking, listening and learning long after they’ve reached the top.

The 2026 Women of the Future Summit explored what it means to lead with courage and purpose in uncertain times. Together, we unpacked the courage it takes not just to challenge injustice, but to lead with authenticity, resilience and integrity. We met those inspiring leaders who are showing bold leadership in their work on critical issues, such as human rights, climate justice or diversity, and we focused on the practical skills needed to influence in a world being rapidly shaped by new technology.