A Steady Focus for the Year Ahead.
This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
In the field of leadership, there is no shortage of mantras. You know, those short, pithy phrases we use to communicate our core values and steady ourselves when hard decisions come.
Start with why. People first. Leave it better than you found it. Meet people where they are. Lead by example. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Make it easy to do the right thing. Progress, not perfection. Fail forward…
I've leaned on several of these over the years, in different seasons of leadership, and they’re all helpful…until they’re not. Because being the leader already means carrying a lot, and in the most tenuous moments, we need more than words to carry us forward.
We need a steady focus.
As we begin this new year, there is, of course, uncertainty. There are hard questions that will require your answer. There will be difficult decisions. And through it all, I suspect you have a desire to lead in a way you’ll be proud of when you look back.
So while your team may feel uncertain about what’s ahead, they will most certainly look to you as their guide and yes, as their steady focus.
There's a saying I keep next to my desk that reads: "Be the things you loved most about the people who are gone." I practice these things quietly and consistently, as I think about the people who instilled them in me: care for others, a curiosity to learn, clarity of purpose, and the moral courage to act, even when there's risk. It's a prompt that reminds me of how I wish to lead and how I wish to show up, particularly in challenging moments.
So let me ask you two questions as we start this new year:
What do you hope people will carry forward from your leadership?
And how will your actions of today turn that hope into a real legacy?
Your team won’t remember every decision you made this year.
They won't remember every action you took.
But they will remember how it felt to work with you.
Especially in the tougher moments.
You don’t need a dozen principles to guide you this year. You need one that can carry you forward and help you stay steady—especially on the hard days. And whatever it is, it has to be right for you.
Think of it as a grounding practice. A daily prompt. An intention for your leadership—and your life.
Because when you have that grounding practice, it becomes easier—more natural, even—to show up as a steady force in your words and actions. For your mission, your team, and for those who are counting on you
So whether you choose to practice care, courage, or your own set of commitments in the year ahead, know this: How you choose to lead today will shape how people remember you tomorrow.
This post is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
