McKinsey · Ideas & Institutions
TIER 4 Fri, 9 Jan 2026 10:03:00 +0000
Emerging ideas for leaders | | --- | | | | | | --- | **Share this email** | | | ---|---|---|--- | ************ --- | | | | | Share this email on **LinkedIn** --- | --- | | Share this email on **X** --- | --- | | Share this email on **Facebook** --- | --- | | | | --- --- | | OUR BEST IDEAS FOR THE C-SUITE --- | | --- | | --- | | | | | | | Curated by Alex Panas, global leader of industries, & Becca Coggins, global leader of functional practices and growth platforms --- | | | Happy New Year and welcome to the latest edition of _The CEO Shortlist_ , a biweekly newsletter of our best ideas for the C-suite. This week, with global leaders gearing up for Davos, we’re highlighting two topics shaping executive conversations around the world: how companies can find new growth in emerging markets and how today’s trade agreements are reshaping global business. We appreciate the opportunity to connect and hope you find our perspectives useful and thought provoking. You can reach us at Alex_Panas@McKinsey.com and Becca_Coggins@McKinsey.com. Thank you, as ever. --- | | —Alex and Becca --- | | --- | | | | --- | | --- | | **The upside in unpredictable places.** Resilience isn’t just the right response to disruption: It’s becoming essential for growth, too. Emerging markets hold much of the world’s future demand, but winning there requires a playbook for resilience. This year’s report from the Resilience Consortium, drawing on insights from more than 270 private sector leaders, shows that top performers in emerging markets plan for volatility, invest in local capabilities, and build productivity over time. The lesson for CEOs: Growth is there, but it favors companies built for uncertainty, not just stability. **Trade winds are changing.** A new wave of regional and bilateral trade agreements is quietly reshaping how and where companies operate. Our latest article on the topic argues that these deals are supplanting multilateral agreements, creating new sets of rules that influence everything from supply chains to market access. Leaders who understand the shifts early can reposition their operations for resilience—and reach new markets before competitors do. We hope you find these ideas helpful. See you in a couple of weeks with more McKinsey ideas for the CEO and others in the C-suite. --- --- | | | | --- | | | | | --- | **Follow our thinking** | | | | ---|---|--- | | | | | **McKinsey Insights** \- Get our latest thinking on your iPhone, iPad, or Android. --- | | | | ---|---|--- | | | | --- | | **Share these insights ** --- | | **Did you enjoy this newsletter?** Forward it to colleagues and friends so they can subscribe too. Was this issue forwarded to you? Sign up for it and sample our 40+ other free email subscriptions here. --- | | | | This email contains information about McKinsey’s research, insights, services, or events. By opening our emails or clicking on links, you agree to our use of cookies and web tracking technology. For more information on how we use and protect your information, please review our privacy policy. --- | | You received this email because you subscribed to The CEO Shortlist newsletter. --- | | Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe --- | | Copyright © 2026 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007 ---