“She truly embodies what it means to be a future leader through her curiosity and sincere commitment to always doing high-quality work.” 

“He leads through enablement: coaching and standardizing interpretation, turning analytics into shared operating knowledge rather than “numbers on a page.” 

“She has an unusual skill set: she combines deep technical expertise with genuine strategic thinking about how those systems drive business outcomes. Most people are either operators or strategists. She is both.” 

When we asked B2B executives to nominate an early-career team member for our first-ever Future Leaders program at Forrester’s B2B Summit NA last month, we knew we’d be pleased with the nominees. Turns out, we were blown away, not only by the nominations sampled above, but also by the delivery of their promise once we met our Future Leaders in person.  

Future Leaders Proved Mentorship Is A Two-Way Street 

Forresterites have long discussed finding a way to formalize what already occurs informally at most of our events. We have all been inspired by early-career attendees who are excited to learn, quick to absorb, and eager to network. We asked ourselves, “How do we find more of them?” Last month in Phoenix, we made it formal, hosting 25 Future Leaders at our B2B Summit. These were first-time attendees who made it through the gauntlet of our nomination committee.

Despite rumors of younger generations not being invested in their careers, we found the exact opposite with this group. In fact, mentorship goes both ways. Search LinkedIn for #ForrB2BSummit and you’ll see what they learned. But let us tell you what we learned from them: 

We Can Hold Space To Be Apprehensive And Curious 

Are Gen Z and Gen Alpha worried about the future of their careers? Of course. Is AI (and all those two letters entail) adding to the volatility with which we are all grappling? Yes. Yet the Future Leaders showed interest in learning. They showed enthusiasm about exploring new territory: using GenAI and agents to become more efficient in their own work, reconsidering go-to-market changes, and experimenting with AI features in the systems they already use.  

  • Turn this into action: Practice curiosity when you are apprehensive. It might take time to develop this muscle, but it’s worth it for your career and peace of mind. Think about how “this makes me anxious” can also turn into “what opportunity does this reveal?” 

It’s Never Wrong To Show Up As Our Real Selves 

The Future Leaders had the opportunity to sit at topic tables with some of our own Forrester leaders (thank you James McQuivey and Brett Kahnke for your stewardship of the “How AI Will Impact Your Career” and “Negotiating 101” tables). Paul Ferron hosted a table about making the most of opportunities, and at my table, we had some real talk about networking. This cohort came to the conclusion (much earlier in their careers than I did), that “networking” doesn’t have to mean walking up to strangers at a cocktail event and cold-introducing yourself. Sure, do that if you want, but there are so many other ways to make connections. Online. Offline. Through joint work on a project. Shared interests. Common ground.  

  • Turn this into action. As a group we determined, when in doubt, ask about dogs. If you don’t have a dog yourself, as one Future Leader said, “borrow one!” Your neighbor, your grandmother, an old roommate – surely among them there is a dog about which to tell a story.  

The Key To Success: Refuse To Stop Learning 

At the Forrester Women’s Leadership Exchange event at Summit, we did a crossover episode with Future Leaders, uniting the groups for lunch and a panel. One executive in our audience noted that everyone seated should think of themselves not only as mentors, but as mentees. Up-and-coming leaders have much to teach everyone, and we have much to learn.  

  • Turn this into action: Find yourself a mentor. You might not have our embarrassment of riches with 25 Future Leaders to mentor you. But there is little doubt you have people in your professional life who have a lot to share. At minimum, they can help you raise your selfie game.  

Have a Future Leader in mind for next year? Familiarize yourself with the requirements and make a note to check in when nominations open for B2B Summit North America 2027. If you’re attending our other events, such as our CX Forum, check out the Future Leaders programs launching there, too.