What does growth look like through the eyes of today’s business leaders? The DREAMS 2026 study brings together the perspectives of more than 200 leaders from Finland, alongside individual respondents from Europe and the United States. The responses are exceptionally direct, honest and highly relevant to the current moment.
This report should be read as the collective voice of growth‑oriented business leaders — reflecting where organisations stand today and how they are preparing for the future.
The Growth Landscape – Cautiously positive, yet demanding
63% of leaders assess the current situation as one in which both the organisation and its people are performing well — the highest figure in the six-year history of the DREAMS study.
Key results of the Dreams Survey – Leaders evaluation of current stage of their organization
83% of leaders consider their courage to take growth‑related risks to be either good or excellent. Leaders are cautiously optimistic, but realistic. Growth is seen as achievable, yet dependent on clear choices, capable leadership and the ability to operate under uncertainty.
The main barriers to growth are rooted in leadership and resources. The study identifies the key obstacles to growth as:
- Economic conditions and market uncertainty
- Availability of skilled workforce
- Challenges in strategy execution and leadership
In day‑to‑day operations, leaders most frequently seek solutions related to leadership and work culture, followed by resourcing, recruitment and talent shortages, and shifting market conditions. Compared to earlier studies, responses were more varied — indicating that leadership realities and organisational contexts are increasingly divergent.
Leaders perceived challenges and need for solutions from 2020 to 2026
Growth requires transformational leadership
One message is consistent throughout: without a unified and people‑focused leadership approach, growth will not materialise. Leadership matters. Growth is delivered through execution. Many organisations struggle with unclear responsibilities, slow decision‑making and inconsistent supervisory practices. The fastest levers for driving change are:
- a shared and systematic leadership model
- firm priorisation
- coaching-oriented, human centered leadership
- new ways of creating value for customers
Interestingly, leaders rate their own performance clearly higher than the overall performance of their organisations, highlighting both the central role of leadership in enabling growth and the responsibility that comes with it.
Growth, technology and people go hand in hand
Over the next three years, organisations plan to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, automation and data‑driven decision‑making. AI is viewed as a transformation of the operating model — not as a standalone project. People development is particularly emphasised in growth‑capable organisations.
While talent availability remains a key constraint, leaders are equally concerned about employee workload and wellbeing. Solutions extend beyond recruitment to include upskilling, career‑path management and reducing everyday complexity through digitalisation, clearer priorities and role redesign.
The message is clear: organisations cannot grow if their people are exhausted.
Leaders’ personal aspirations point toward future growth
For the first time in the multi-year history of the DREAMS study, career and professional growth emerged as the most common personal aspiration among leaders. Financial independence and life balance followed closely.
This reflects a leadership mindset in which responsibility, influence and meaningful leadership are central motivators. Leaders want to grow personally in order to enable sustainable growth for their organisations.
The future of growth builds on courageous and human-centered leadership
The DREAMS 2026 findings are ultimately encouraging. Leaders’ self‑reported energy levels, sense of capability and courage remain high — despite economic uncertainty and global geopolitical instability.
The foundations for growth do not emerge by chance. They are built through leadership that combines strategic courage with care for people and a strong ability to execute change. When direction is clear and people are genuinely engaged, growth becomes not just an ambition, but a realistic and sustainable outcome.
Six Recommendations for Business Leaders to Enable Growth in an Unstable Operating Environment
- Strengthen future‑oriented thinking: develop three alternative future scenarios and clarify the decisions that hold true across all of them.
- Protect cash flow and optimise the cost structure without undermining the foundations for growth.
- Focus investments on initiatives with the shortest payback period and the greatest impact on growth.
- Expand market channels: leverage new customer segments, partnerships and service design approaches.
- Ensure execution: assign each leader accountability for one critical strategic capability.
- Reinforce a shared direction: communicate goals openly and make progress transparent and visible.
Learn more and download the full research report from our materials page.
Related Blog Posts
DREAMS Research 2024 – Key Results
Leadership in Uncertain Times – From Strategy to Shared Success
Experts
Päivi Frantsi, PhD (Economics and Business Administration), Myth Shatterer
Päivi is an experienced and enthusiastic trainer for people and work communities, and she relates to the challenges of humane life with curiosity. She knows how to use her professional expertise in supporting communities and individuals to succeed and reach their goals. Supporting comprehensive well-being is meaningful to Päivi, and it inspires her time after time.
Tapani Frantsi, PhD (Economics and Business Administration), Leadership Cultivator
Tapani is an experienced trainer of managers. He has trained people from top leaders to line managers of listed companies. He has studied self-awareness in 360-degree appraisals and written a doctoral thesis on leadership. Tapani is a fearless reformer of working life.
Antti Äikäs – CEO at Freia Ltd, MSc, PhD candidate
Antti is an experienced expert in predictive analytics and strategic people development. He is specialized in identifying early‑stage signals in workforce metrics that influence organizational performance. Antti designs impactful leadership and people development initiatives, conducts agile organizational audits and advances work ability management practices.
About Freia
Freia is a sparring partner for leadership and work ability, delivering impactful solutions for both private and public sector organizations. Our mission is to create shared success.
References
- Agazu, B. G., Kero, C. A., & Debela, K. L. 2025. Transformational leadership and firm performance: a systematic literature review, Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 14(29)
- Franklin, Melanie. 2021. Agile Change Management. A practical framework for successful change planning and implementation 2nd edition. Kogan Page.
- Frantsi P, Frantsi T, Äikäs A. 2024. Executives DREAMS –Survey. Freia Ltd. Lahti. Finland. www.freialife.com/en/materials
- Freia Ltd. 2021. The New Normal or the New Now? From Strategy to Shared Success -webinar.
- Ojakangas V, Frantsi T, Äikäs A. 2022. Executives DREAMS –Survey. Freia Ltd. Lahti. Finland. www.freialife.com/en/materials
- Lauer, Thomas. 2021. Change Management. Fundamentals and Success Factors.