19 Resolutions for Leaders in 2019

It’s that time of year again. Unwind with family, party late into the night, disconnect from work, reconnect with loved ones- we will all ring in the new year in our own way. However, one thing many of us will do is to make resolutions. Whether we write them down or make vague promises, this is the time of year when many of us take stock of our lives and resolve to make changes for the better. We aren’t the first to do so, and we won’t be the last. The earliest recorded new year resolutions go back 4000 years to the ancient Babylonians, who resolved to honour their gods and pay their debts. I don’t know if they had more success with their resolutions than our modern ones to lose weight, drink less and spend more time with family. As we all usher in 2019 together, I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve learned about leadership in 2018- from my own experiences and by seeing other leaders in action. I thought I’d pull together some resolutions we could all make as leaders in the new year. Whether you lead one person, a small team, or an organization of thousands of employees, am sure you’ll find something you could reapply. And if you don’t lead a team, and these points ring true, pass on the link to your leaders. Here goes with 19 resolutions leaders could make for 2019.

1.     Have an all-consuming quest for your team, not a priority list. Mere mortals have priority lists. Great leaders are on an all-consuming quest to create something magical and take people along with them. Define that quest and get your people on board. Tell them the story you will all be part of creating. It’ll be much more fun and you’ll get much more done than just ticking off priorities.

2.     Challenge the status quo or become the status quo. In today’s world, change is a fact of life. Embrace it and keep reinventing and obsoleting yourself and your business, no matter how successful you are today. Otherwise, someone else will obsolete you. It applies to your business and to yourself- see point 5.

3.     Don’t blame the ‘old regime’. Even if those before you messed things up, don’t diss them. Learn from their mistakes and remember you’ll mess up as well sometime. You will be the ‘old regime’ to someone someday.

4.     Stop saying ‘I’m still new’. You will all lead new teams at some point. Even if you’re a week into the new role, stop saying you’re new. It tells your team you’re not one of them. No matter how tough things are or how clueless you feel, dive into the trenches with your people and learn with them.

5.     Become a student again. Being a leader doesn’t mean you know it all. If anything, the older and more senior you get, the more you risk being out of touch. So, learn something new- a hobby, a language, a new skill related to your work, a course you’ve long put off- anything. Get the humility that comes with knowing nothing and reinvent yourself.

6.     Just show up. Yes, in today's world, we can connect virtually, but there’s something to be said for showing up face to face, especially when your teams need help or support. Just showing up when you’re needed counts for a lot. Don’t be the leader who tries to lead through slides and emails from ‘headquarters’. People follow people. It’s much harder to follow a PowerPoint slide.

7.     Halve meeting times. Work, slides and random conversation expand to fill the time allotted to a meeting in the leader’s calendar. Is there a law like that? Well, there should be. Take a long, hard look at what you actually get done in meetings and try and halve the time. You’ll probably find your business will do just fine, you’ll get a lot of time back to get some real work done, and your people will thank you for it. While you’re at it, reduce the pain that goes into preparing for meetings- see point 9.

8.     Help someone land on their feet. There’s a lot to like about the corporate world, but one thing I still struggle to come to grips with is how people are sometimes left in the lurch when structures or priorities change. You can’t help every single person you know who needs a new job, but help just one person if you can. Be a referee, help someone write a resume, make an introduction- there are many ways you could help. One day you too will rely on the kindness of strangers.

9.     Be a leader, not an Editor. Try not to be the leader who makes their people do multiple iterations of a PowerPoint presentation or document. Know when it’s good enough and run with it. All those extra editorial comments don’t really matter, don’t add value and your people hate you for it.

10.  Call a childhood friend. When you’ve spent years in the corporate world surrounded by people like you, the danger is that you become your business card and forget who you were before you sat in a cubicle. Reconnect with an old friend who knew you when you had a crush on the English teacher, or when you acted as a tree in the school play. Keep in touch with who you once were- for you won’t always have that business card you hand out today.

11.  Say ‘I don’t know’ more often. Leaders need not know it all, and you don’t need to have all the answers. Success as a leader is often not in having all the answers but in asking the right questions.

12.  Say ‘It was my decision’ more often. We all make mistakes. Just don’t throw your people under the bus when things go wrong. Own up to your choices and you may find you’re actually respected more than pretending to be successful all the time. Plus, you’ll teach your people to be accountable.

13.  Take your team out for drinks for no reason regularly. They work hard to make you look much smarter than you perhaps are. You don’t need official agendas and offsites to celebrate and thank them. 

14.  Let your people take the credit. When things go right, let your people get the spotlight. You shine through them. The day it becomes about you and your personal success alone, you’ve lost the plot in being a leader.

15.  Take the fall for your people. When things go wrong, step up. No, you don’t need to be a martyr, but the leader who takes the hits for his team is a leader people will follow even when things go wrong.

16.  Don’t always press ‘send’. You may have a brilliant idea and want to get it out to your team, but do you have to do it at midnight or over the weekend? When a leader reaches out, many people assume they have to respond. Let your people have a life outside of work. And while you’re at it, gift yourself a life outside work as well- see point 18.

17.  Go easy on the coffee or soda. When you’re trying to sit through long meetings, catch redeye flights all the time and deal with multiple issues, the temptation is to grab that coffee or soda (and countless servings through a day) to keep yourself going. For a healthier alternative, see point 19.

18.  Refresh relationships, not just mail. Your people are not the only ones who need a life outside of work- so do you. When you’re with family, stop checking your mail. It’s something I am guilty of and will try and fix in the new year. You should too.

19.  Get some exercise every day. It’s not about losing weight or looking younger, but if there’s one thing you need to lead people, it’s energy. When you have it, it’s obvious to those around you and the best way of getting that energy to come naturally is to get some exercise. So, run, jog, swim, walk- whatever works for you, do a little bit each day.

20.  Just one more. Wait, there were 19 resolutions, right? Well, you won’t do all of them, or even remember all of them, and it doesn’t really matter. Just pick something that makes sense to you and harness the power of doing ‘just one more’- add one of these habits to what you already do so well that makes you successful and you’ll have made a start.

I hope you and your families have a wonderful new year ahead in 2019!