40 Minute Mentor · 2025-12-10 · 44 min
What does the year ahead really hold for leaders, founders and people teams? In this special 40 Minute Mentor roundtable, James Mitra is joined by Amplified Group’s people experts, Sophie Matthews , Nat Falconer and Mikael Nilsson from Foundation Partners, and Logan Black from Unleashed, to explore the biggest people and talent trends shaping 2026. From leaner organisations and the rise of fractional talent, to more focus on high-performing cultures, the team unpack what high performance will actually look like next year, and why middle managers may become the most influential layer in your organisation. If you’re looking to scale your team, embed new technology or simply want no-BS guidance on hiring and retaining top talent, then this episode is for you. Episode Chapters: ️ The rise of leaner and more efficient teams [05:10] ️ AI hype vs reality [12:00] ️ Defining high performance [25:45] ️ The biggest people challenges heading into 2026 [31:00] ️ What top candidates are really looking for [35:00] ️ Bold people predictions for the year ahead [40:00] Find out more: Find out more about Foundation Partners Find out more about Unleashed ⭐ Enjoyed this episode?
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