E312: What Great Leaders Do at the End of the Year and the Start of a New One

It's?not?about?goals met or milestones achieved;?it's?about?the?journey of impact, transformation, and purpose. For?an?experienced?leader?like?yourself, the year's end is more than a time to celebrate successes or plan ahead; it is a?key?pivotal moment to pause, reflect, and set the tone for the future.?How?great leaders close one chapter and begin another often defines their impact.

Here are the practices that?define?great?leaders?as?the?year?transitions into a very pivotal turn:

1. Reflect on the Year with?Intention

Great leaders make reflection?rituals.?Great?leaders?do?not?count successes?or?failures?but?seek to understand the lessons?hidden?in experiences. What?went?right? What could have been?different? Reflection is not about?beating yourself up; it's?about?learning.

What They Do:

• Reflect?on?performance, culture, and?the?resilience?of?the?team to deal with setbacks.
• Evaluate?if?their?(your) practice of?leadership?was?appropriate?for?core values and vision.
• Celebrate?success?and?sacrifices?that?the?team?members have made.

Reflection Question: Did my leadership this year strengthen the organization and inspire others to grow? (Your honest answer to yourself?)

2. Reaffirm and Redefine the Vision

A new year?can?become?a time?of?re-engagement?to?the?mission and vision?of?an?organization and re-refine?if needed.?Great?leaders?make sure?their?teams?know?what?and?why. Clarity?around?purpose?inspires action?toward?growth.

What They Do:

• Revisit?the?long-term?view?to?align?current realities?with?future aspirations.
• Clearly?paint?the?picture?to inspire alignment?in vision?and momentum.

Reflection Question:?Does?our vision?remain?clear, inspiring, and relevant for the year ahead?

3.?Hold?Open?Conversations

The?best?leaders?listen (average ones talk a lot). As the year?closes out, they?find?time?to have frank,?no-holds-barred?conversations?with their teams, peers, and mentors. They?ask for?feedback-not just about?how?the organization?is performing?but about?themselves.

What They Do:

• Hold end-of-year one-on-ones to understand?the perspectives of their?team members.
• Ask?for?active?feedback on?how?they?lead?and?make?decisions.
• Use insights to?drive?intentional?improvement.

Reflection Question: Have I created a culture where people feel safe?sharing?their insights and concerns with me?

4. Invest in Strategic Renewal

Leadership is (very) demanding, and the end of the year is an opportunity to recharge-not just personally, but organizationally. Great leaders know that burnout hinders progress and creativity.

What They Do:

• Encourage their teams to rest and reset during the holidays.
• Take time for?their?personal reflection, reading, or?mentors.
• Spend?some?downtime?analyzing?the?SWOT: look at?the?strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Reflection Question:?Do?I?come?into?the New Year with clarity, focus, and energy to lead??

5. Set the Stage for Empowerment

The?beginning?of?the?year is?a?time?of?renewal?for?trust and autonomy?throughout?the organization.?Great?leaders?make?sure?to empower?others?around them?to take ownership,?so?the organization?can continue?on?without?them.

What They Do:

• Delegate effectively, ensuring teams feel trusted and valued.
• Identify?up-and-coming?leaders;?provide opportunities for?growth?in leadership.
• Set?up supporting?systems and structures that?help?people?be independent yet responsible.

Reflection Question: Am I equipping others to lead and succeed in the year ahead?

6. Lead with Gratitude and Compassion

Gratitude is a powerful leadership tool, and compassion?builds?strong?relationships.?As?the?year?closes, great leaders?take?time?to?show appreciation?for?their teams, partners, and communities. They?recognize the personal and professional?hardships?their people?endure.

What They Do:

• Write personalized thank-you notes or deliver?sincere?messages of appreciation.
• Create?connecting?moments-team lunches, acknowledgments, or celebrations.
• Commit to leading with empathy in the coming year.

Reflection Question: Am I showing my team that they are valued beyond their contributions?

7. Anticipate Challenges and Opportunities

While others make resolutions, great leaders craft strategies. They anticipate what lies ahead and prepare their teams to navigate both opportunities and obstacles with confidence.

What They Do:

• Analyze trends and potential disruptions in their industry or community.
• Plan?for?contingencies?and?innovate.
• Prioritize?resources?on?the?greatest?opportunities.

Reflection Question: Am I positioning the organization to thrive in the face of uncertainty?

8. Commit to Continuous Growth

Great?leaders model lifelong learning. As the calendar turns, they set personal and professional growth goals that challenge them to evolve. This commitment inspires their teams to do the same.

What They Do:

• Choose?an?aspect?of their leadership to?build?such?as:?communication,?delegating,?decision-making.?
• Study?in books, courses?or mentorship to expand?knowledge.?
• Set?an?example?in leading?the?way with regards to the?value?in?self-improvement.

Reflection Question: Am I growing as a leader in ways that will benefit those I serve??

Final Thought:

Leadership is a Year-Round Endeavor

Great leadership?is?less?about?one particular point in time, nor even?a?singular?decision; rather,?it's the?aggregation?of?intentional action?overtime.?

Reflect on?last?year and?this?year?as you?ask yourself:

• Was?I?able to?build trust and inspire growth?
• Do?I?lead?into?legacy,?empowering?leaders and?impacts?that endure?
• Is?the best?of?people, systems, and?community brought forward by my leadership?

Leadership is a journey that?gets?better?with?each new?day.? As?this?year turns,?let?yourself reflect, recharge, and recommit.? Lead with clarity, compassion, and purpose-and watch as?the?ripples?of?your?actions shape?the future for?good.

Michael Kouly

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