Signal Cultural resistance to geopolitical adaptation tracks organizational energy levels

Summary

McKinsey's 2026 survey finds that resistance from organizational culture, one of the four main barriers to handling geopolitical fragility, varies by region and by the energy of the workforce. It is cited more in North America at 32 percent and Europe at 29 percent than in Asia-Pacific at 23 percent. The sharper contrast is between fatigued and energized organizations. In fatigued organizations, 45 percent of employees see cultural resistance as a barrier, compared with 28 percent in highly energized teams. The report's interpretation is that resistance hits hardest where energy runs low. This implies that maintaining workforce energy is part of building geopolitical resilience, not a separate human resources concern.