The 2026 Horizon
Steve Maloney, Director of Training

Happy New Year to our readers of The Next Shift and to all our MACNY members! We’re excited about what the new year has in store for you, your organization, and our community. There’s a great deal happening at MACNY as we look ahead, but I’d like to focus on one area that I’m especially excited for: what’s on the horizon for our training and coaching services.

In my last post, I introduced Masters of Uncertainty, by Rich Diviney – a book I strongly encourage you to read. This book challenged my thinking and offered valuable lessons on goal setting and navigating an uncertain future. Diviney encourages us to move our horizon closer. When we shorten the horizon, we gain greater focus and influence over outcomes.

I believe a one-year horizon is ideal for setting meaningful goals and establishing priorities for projects. In the past, strategic planning focused on 3–5-year horizons. Today, however, the pace of change doesn’t align with that timeframe. Shorter horizons allow organizations and leaders to better respond with intention.

With that mindset, one of our priorities for the 2026 horizon is to enhance MACNY’s leadership programming to drive greater impact and lasting change for leaders in any role. We’ve supported leadership development for decades, and we remain committed to continually enhancing the experience for our members. As part of that commitment, we’re excited to introduce the Supervisory Leadership Accelerator in 2026.

This new course provides advanced group coaching for graduates from our Supervisory Leadership program. This course focuses on real-world application through guided discussion, peer coaching, assessment insights, and hands-on practice. Building on the foundational leadership course for supervisors, the accelerator provides deeper insights into critical topics, including:

• Transitioning from Management to Leadership
• Real-world applications for DISC
• Leadership communications
• Successful employee development
• Planning for your personal growth
• Leveraging the Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI) assessment for team building

The program is grounded in peer support and facilitated by certified coaches in a collaborative group setting. Participants will create a personalized growth plan to maximize leadership effectiveness. If you’ve attended Supervisory Leadership in the past, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to build upon your journey. This program, along with the additions of Crucial Influence, Crucial Teams, and Drift to Drive, will add tremendous value to those who are eager to grow as leaders.

Providing additional content is just one component of our growth strategy for the 2026 horizon. We’re also applying lessons from Live2Lead, such as Jesse Cole’s insight on making moments more exciting and engaging. We aim to make every training and coaching experience memorable, and we hope you walk away feeling inspired and craving more growth!

As we start 2026, we do so with a strong sense of purpose and anticipation for what’s ahead. We’re grateful to be on this journey with you. Thank you for partnering with us, and here’s to an exciting year ahead!