Hello 2026 - Another Year of Chaos?

Last year gave us the shock of a world ruled by competing superpowers and the chaos created by an American President who is a ruthless reckless egomaniac exercising his power over the world’s largest economy and greatest military power.

He started negotiations to increase his influence over the world by holding American consumers hostage and demanding they pay their own ransom in the form of punitive tariffs on imports from every country on the planet. The era of globalisation and integration of economies with rigorously negotiated trade agreements and corporate supply chains optimized to the benefit of consumers and workers around the world was declared at an end.

The Trump tactics of bullying, bluff and bullshit are being applied to geopolitics and global economies and are leaving us all stunned in disbelief that intelligent and responsible American leadership and the institutions protecting freedom, democracy and civil rights and trusted to enforce the law are useless at restraining him from indulging his ego and his fantasies for America ruling the world. (Not to mention his demands for gratitude, respect, and a Nobel Peace Prize.)

We have learned that wishful thinking and hoping ‘this too shall pass’ is not an effective response and boycotts and ‘elbows up’ are not sufficient either. We need to be more strategic and accept that we have to play the game by new rules with new teammates against aggressive unpredictable new competitors.         

In this environment, how do you and your family live a safe, prosperous and rewarding life? And how do you plan to build, or contribute to, a successful and sustainable business?  

Some old rules still apply:

·       Choose your friends and business associates wisely.

·       Accept the facts of life, including the inconvenient truth that some old friends and allies can no longer be trusted or counted on for support.

·       Distinguish between the situations and circumstances you cannot control or avoid and those that you are able to influence to better conclusions.

·       Keep your head up to check for incoming missiles and changes in the environment, then get your head down and work on building good relationships and processes that deliver the better results that you really want.

·       Don’t settle for less than what you are capable of achieving.

We can all make difference and expedite an earlier end to this period of chaos and exploitation by the rich and powerful and return to a more generous, kind and caring world that will allow us all to take better care of each other.     

I wish you well in your plans for 2026.

Be better. Do Better. Be an Enlightened Entrepreneur.

Your Uncle Ralph,

Del Chatterson

Learn more about Enlightened Entrepreneurship at: LearningEntrepreneurship.com 

For more of Uncle Ralph's advice for Entrepreneurs read Don't Do It the Hard Way & The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans.

Read the most recent blog posts at LearningEntrepreneurship Blogs. 

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