The ground is shaking under our feet. Do you feel it too?
If you are in the knowledge industry, few moments are as disruptive as 2026 will be.
At a macro-economic level, we are experiencing the symptoms of a shifting world order.
Knowledge is being commoditized. AI promises to displace many jobs, yet there is no social support in place for workers.
And on top of it all: deepfakes, misinformation, distorted research data protecting corporate greed, and a flood of conspiracy theories have created a crisis of trust.
"Business as usual" is shaking under our feet. But what does this really mean for the knowledge industry? I think it means three things:
- The need to become fully relational.
- Having a bold stance is critical.
- Integrating AI is essential.
#1 - The need to become fully relational
People trust people. AI is great for quick answers, but true transformation happens with accountability and presence. Your presence is your superpower, and your relationships are your #1 asset.
The truth is, you don’t need 20,000 people to see you as a trusted expert. The real number is two orders of magnitude smaller.
Become a relationship wizard. Be intentional, loving, and caring in your interactions. Who are the 100 closest people in your network? How do you stay connected and relevant to them?
Remember the CPR of Trust: Consistency, Presence, and Respect.
- Frequent heartfelt check-ins
- Birthday and work anniversary notes
- Yearly lunches
- High-value email newsletters
In a world inundated with ultra-transactional practices, automated messages, and bots… double down on being relational.
#2 - A bold stance is critical
I couldn’t stress this enough. AI is trained on past information. As of now, AI advice is great, but it is not disruptive enough. This is not the time to be conforming or to do business as usual. This is the time to be BOLD and edgy. This is the time for revolutionary ideas.
Don’t tell people what they already know, or what they can find easily online or in a chatbot. Instead, answer questions they didn’t know they had and offer insights they didn’t know they needed.
But most importantly: Take a bold and unique stance.
- What is the old paradigm under which most people are operating?
- What is the new paradigm?
- How does the new paradigm render traditional business obsolete?
- What is your unique approach to this new paradigm?
These are not easy questions to answer. But these are the kinds of questions we need to think about in times of major disruption.
#3 - Integrating AI is essential
Integrating AI into your business is essential. I see three levels where Professional Services can integrate AI right now:
- Learn to be an effective AI user.
- Improve efficiency with GenAI.
- Turn your IP into AI Tools.
3.1. Becoming an efficient user
First, you can start by becoming a good user of AI. This includes knowing which AI tools to use, how to write good prompts, and having a series of prompts ready for repeated use cases.
This also means knowing when NOT to use AI. You absolutely should never:
- Fully automate your client relationships with AI.
- Delegate your voice to AI.
- Expect that AI will substitute your presence, your human connection, or the trust people place in you.
3.2. Using agentic AI to save time
Many repetitive tasks can be automated and accelerated with AI, far beyond just generating text or images. Agentic AI is the next frontier. This is where we get AI to actually execute tasks for us. There are so many amazing tools out there, for example:
- Claygent
- Lindy
- Reclaim
3.3. Turning your IP into AI Tools
This is the most exciting one for me. You can create AI tools that are trained on your IP. That way, your audience gets a response based specifically on your knowledge. Your knowledge is protected behind closed doors, so it’s not easy to replicate.
A client who has been working with me for over 5 years has published 167 pieces of content. That is a lot of IP. So, I put all of this data into a vector database (a way for an AI model to understand the meaning of text and images) and created a chatbot that drives people to the right piece of content.
II also recently created an "AI Content Idea Generator"—a simple tool to offer great content ideas. It uses my IP to generate the answers.ains unique.
Duarte, a leading communications skills company, created and “Empathy Walk™ Tool”— a tool that helps you find emotionally-resonant talking point to create a better presentation.
* * *
I know this is a lot to digest. The landscape is changing fast, and it can feel overwhelming. But remember: disruption always creates space for new leaders.
Which of these three rules feels the most challenging for you right now? I’d love to hear your take.