Phoenix (STN) – Leadership is evolving.
According to three Arizona leaders, the future belongs to those willing to be transparent, embrace collaboration, and create opportunities for others to succeed.
During the Season 4 finale of ‘It Happens at STN,’ UMOM CEO Monique Lopez, Ability360 President and CEO Chris Rodriguez, and Bank of America Phoenix President Scott Vanderpool took the stage for a ‘Leading in the Moment’ discussion about what leadership looks like in 2026 and beyond.
Lopez, who stepped into her role earlier this year, said today’s leaders face a different set of expectations than previous generations.
“People are not looking for direction,” she said. “They want context. They want transparency. They want to feel part of the bigger picture.”
She described a leadership environment that is becoming more connected and collaborative, where leaders challenge one another, share ideas, and learn alongside their teams.
“I think leadership is feeling more human, but with more accountability,” Lopez said.
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Vanderpool said leadership begins with creating opportunities for others.
Whether in business, education, or the nonprofit sector, he believes leaders should focus on helping people achieve their goals and realize possibilities they may not have otherwise seen.
“How do you create opportunity?” he asked. “How do you foster that opportunity and then let the human take over?”
Rodriguez said one of the most important responsibilities of modern leadership is being honest about uncertainty while keeping teams focused on solutions.
Discussing the challenges facing nonprofit organizations, he emphasized the importance of transparency and collaboration.
“If you ignore what’s happening, that creates more anxiety,” Rodriguez said. “People want to understand how you’re approaching challenges.”
All three leaders agreed the future will require stronger partnerships and a greater willingness to work across sectors.
Their collective call to action was simple: believe in people, invest in community, and avoid leading in isolation.
“There’s an opportunity,” Lopez said, “to raise the level of leadership across our entire community.”
That, the panel suggested, may be the defining leadership challenge of the years ahead.
