Happy Holidays. I hope you’re finding what you need as this year comes to a close.
Before the calendar resets, I want to invite a different kind of reflection.
Not a highlight reel. A leadership inventory.
This year, we looked closely at what leadership requires when things get complex. When trust wobbles. When tension goes unnamed. When speaking up feels risky, but staying silent costs more.
The pattern was clear. Instead of adding new tools, the work asked for deliberate focus. Clearer choices. Braver conversations. More intentional decisions and presence.
Here are eight shifts we explored. Each one is a practical invitation to lead with more clarity and courage in the year ahead.
1. Reframe change as skill expansion
Many experienced leaders resist change because they fear losing what made them valuable, not because they can't adapt. Your strengths don't disappear when you evolve. They expand.
What’s one skill you could build next year without letting go of who you are?
2. Redesign leadership by doing less, better
Busy calendars and constant oversight feel productive, but they often drain focus and dilute impact. Sustainable leadership comes from simplifying the right things and empowering others to lead.
What’s one leadership habit you could simplify without losing effectiveness?
3. Earn trust by investing in your team’s future
Too many leaders focus on output and performance metrics, only to miss the clearest trust signal available: supporting development. When people know you’re committed to their growth, they trust your leadership more deeply.
What’s one small way you could support your team’s growth in January?
4. Strengthen self-trust through consistent reflection
Many leaders reflect only when things go wrong, but self-trust is built through regular check-ins with your own patterns, impact, and intent. The more consistently you pause and notice, the more confidence you build in how you show up, especially in uncertain moments.
What’s one leadership pattern you noticed in yourself this year?
Want support for this? Try the 7-Step Weekly Leadership Check-In.
5. Protect your team’s focus by addressing tension early
Tension doesn't need to be loud to be costly. Even a dismissive glance can break focus and erode trust. Leaders who pause, repair, and normalize conflict help their teams recover faster and think more clearly.
Which habit would support your team’s focus in 2026: Protect, Reset, or Restore?
6. Use emotional triggers as leadership data
Emotional reactions are not flaws. They are feedback. Triggers often point to a deeper psychological need that’s being threatened, like status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, or fairness (the SCARF model).
Which of these five needs feels most activated in your leadership right now?
7. Turn insight into action, one small step at a time
Knowing what to do is not always enough. Growth happens through small, repeated actions that teach your system it’s safe to lead differently.
Where are you still standing at the edge, even though you already know what to do? Maybe it's delegating a project you've always owned, or naming a pattern you've been avoiding.
8. Make space for hard conversations
Smooth meetings are not always a sign of trust. If your team never disagrees, someone is probably holding back. Avoiding tension might keep things pleasant, but it often silences the truth your team needs to say. Safety means people can speak hard truths without fear, and leaders are willing to receive them.
What conversation have you been avoiding? What might shift if you finally had it?
Looking Ahead
As you step into the year ahead, use these reflections as reference points when leadership feels unclear, tense, or stretched.
Growth doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from noticing, making conscious choices, and adjusting as you go.
Pick one shift. Try one small thing in your first week back. Which one feels most relevant right now?
Thank you for reading and for staying in the work.
Wishing you a Happy New Year. Here’s to leading with clarity, courage, and care in 2026!
The Art of Human-Centered Leadership: Coaching Notes
Every weekday, I share insights on human-centered leadership, team dynamics, and workplace culture on LinkedIn. Here are 4 posts from the past month that capture these themes:
Thank you for reading!
Know that I am here for you and your leadership journey.
With love and support, Michelle
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