PLDT says adaptability is becoming a leadership imperative

• IN PHOTO: PLDT Senior Vice President and Enterprise Business Group Head Blums Pineda

As adaptability becomes increasingly important in a business environment shaped by fast-moving technology, changing customer expectations, and stronger competition, PLDT Enterprise said leaders can no longer rely on past success to stay ahead.

PLDT Senior Vice President and Enterprise Business Group Head Blums Pineda shared this view during the panel discussion, “Decisions Under Pressure: How Leaders are Navigating 2026,” at the inaugural ACC CXO Forum in Hong Kong.

The forum gathered decision-makers from the telecommunications, technology, digital infrastructure, finance, and enterprise sectors to discuss leadership and the trends influencing the future of business.

For Pineda, companies must continually reassess the strategies that helped them grow, particularly as technology and market conditions evolve.

“It’s not as simple anymore to rest on your laurels as a B2B or enterprise company and build up to a certain size because you’re not sure that what got you there is going to keep you at the top. And that holds true for B2C companies as well,” Pineda said.

The discussion highlighted how long-term planning has become more difficult as businesses face shifts in technology, customer behavior, and competitive conditions.

This means leaders increasingly need to adjust decisions as conditions change rather than assuming established strategies will continue to work.

Pineda also pointed to the importance of learning from different leadership styles and management approaches, saying leaders can strengthen their ability to respond to problems by continuously expanding their own set of skills.

“I’ve always had the benefit of paying attention to my leaders above and trying to pick up little things. I think leadership is a story of evolving your craft and evolving yourself and really reflecting on what you can add and what you can steal with pride from others, because if it works in that situation, and if you have that in your toolkit, then you have a much more diverse way to begin to tackle problems that you will find,” he said.

The message reflects a broader shift in how companies approach leadership as digital transformation accelerates across industries.

New technologies can create opportunities for businesses, but they can also quickly change how customers interact with companies, how employees work, and how competitors enter established markets.

For enterprise leaders, this places greater importance on the ability to respond to change while continuing to deliver value to customers.

The discussions at the ACC CXO Forum also underscored that business size, history, and market position alone may no longer be enough to guarantee continued success.

Instead, organizations must be willing to evolve their strategies, learn from changing conditions, and make decisions even when the business environment remains uncertain.

Pineda said this reality has also changed what is expected of leaders.

“It’s a harder time to be in business. It’s a harder time to be a leader. You can no longer think that you’re entitled to something. You have to earn it every day, unfortunately, and I think that’s a new normal,” he said.

For businesses navigating rapid technological and market shifts, adaptability is increasingly becoming more than a leadership advantage. It is becoming part of what allows organizations to remain relevant and competitive.