What’s Next: 2026 Priorities & Predictions for Inclusion & Belonging - Impact & Belonging Exchange
What does it take for impact and belonging leaders to operate as true business drivers in an era of heightened oversight amid rising complexity?
Eric Davis, Research Lead for the Impact & Belonging Leader Board at i4cp emphasized insights from i4cp’s 2026 Priorities & Predictions report alongside new data from the Impact & Belonging Leader Board.
Davis underscored the following top priorities for I&B leaders:
- Promoting and embedding inclusive leadership practices and habits
- Strengthening DE&I strategies to ensure alignment with organizational goals
- Leveraging AI to enhance DE&I program effectiveness
- Eliminating bias in processes, decisions, and systems
What’s rising to the top
Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Exchange members selected “using AI to improve effectiveness and outcomes” as a top priority, making it the clear front-runner. Other top priorities include:
- Embedding inclusive leadership practices (52%)
- Advancing talent, retention, and mobility (48%)
- Strengthening employee communities (44%)
- Improving measurement and insights (36%)
- Navigating pushback and polarization (32%)
The signal is clear: while structural evolution continues, the immediate imperative is demonstrating measurable impact, through AI enablement, inclusive leadership, and talent outcomes, within an increasingly complex and scrutinized environment.
What will be most challenging?
When asked to predict their biggest challenges in 2026, i4cp’s Impact and Belonging Leader Board members cited:
- Providing evidence of impact on strategic initiatives (50%)
- Collaborating effectively across functions (44%)
- Effectively leveraging AI (38%)
- Adapting to changing business needs (29%)
- Building required skills within the function (27%)
- Delivering priorities with fewer resources (27%)
Impact & Belonging leaders are under pressure to deliver enterprise value with greater precision, stronger partnerships, and elevated performance discipline.
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