Five Humanity At Scale Leadership Resolutions For 2025
Bruce Temkin
Human experience visionary, dynamic keynote speaker and executive advisor who helps organizations better understand and cater to human beings in ways that drive success and improve humanity
Let’s be honest: most New Year’s resolutions don’t make it past January. The gym shoes stay in the closet, the ambitious plans get buried under deadlines, and life moves on. But if you’re thinking about resolutions this year, why not choose ones that matter? As a leader, you have the chance to make a real difference—not just for yourself, but for the people you lead.
What if we make 2025 a year of Humanity at Scale? A year where we lead with purpose, empower others, and create spaces where people can thrive. These resolutions aren’t about adding more to your plate. They’re about committing to practices that amplify your impact while putting humanity at the center of your leadership.
To help you stay on track, each resolution includes reflective questions to revisit throughout the year—small moments to pause, recalibrate, and ensure your leadership is aligned with your intentions. If that resonates, here are five resolutions to inspire you for the year ahead.
Repeat after me… In 2025, I resolve to:
1) Give More Power to the People Around Me
You already empower your team—every leader does, to some extent. But next year, challenge yourself to take it further by finding new ways to help people grow and succeed. Empowering others isn’t just about delegation; it’s about deliberately creating opportunities for your team to step into their full potential. Maybe it’s offering someone the chance to lead a project outside their usual scope or encouraging them to pursue a skill they’ve always wanted to develop. By broadening the ways you empower, you’re not only investing in their growth but also strengthening your team’s capacity to handle bigger challenges.
Reflective Questions:
2) Keep a Spotlight on My Purpose
Your purpose isn’t just a statement—it’s the foundation of your leadership. But let’s face it: in the chaos of daily demands, it’s easy to lose sight of it. Next year, commit to defining your purpose with clarity and making it a consistent part of how you lead. Write it down, share it with your team, and use it as a guidepost for decisions. Build small rituals to keep it front and center: before a major choice, ask yourself, “Does this align with what I stand for?” or spend a few minutes each week reflecting on whether your actions are staying true to your values. Purpose isn’t a one-time declaration—it’s a commitment you live, day by day, moment by moment.
Reflective Questions:
3) Build on Strengths, Not Weaknesses
Too often, leadership focuses on fixing what’s wrong. Next year, flip that script. Commit to spending more time celebrating what your team does well and helping them build on their strengths. Take time in meetings or one-on-ones to ask questions like, “What’s a recent win you’re proud of?” or “What part of your work feels most rewarding right now?” Shifting the conversation to strengths over weaknesses fosters a more positive, growth-oriented culture—one where people feel motivated, recognized, and empowered to lean into what they do best.
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Reflective Questions:
4) Deepen My Empathy Through Reflection
Leadership moves fast, but empathy requires slowing down. Next year, commit to making reflection a regular practice. After major decisions or interactions, take a moment to ask yourself, “How might this feel to someone else?” or “What ripple effects could this create?” At week’s end, reflect on whether your actions supported and understood those around you. Empathy isn’t about perfect answers—it’s about taking the time to ask the right questions and letting them guide your next steps.
Reflective Questions:
5) Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
Complexity is a silent drain—it slows teams down, clouds priorities, and saps energy. Next year, commit to stripping away unnecessary complexity wherever you find it. Whether it’s refining a cumbersome process, eliminating redundant steps, or clarifying expectations, simplicity creates space for people to thrive. Start by asking, “What can we simplify here?” whenever you encounter confusion or inefficiency. Simplicity isn’t about doing less—it’s about making room for meaningful work and human connection. By cutting the noise, you help create a culture where clarity, focus, and purpose drive both individual and collective success.
Reflective Questions:
Propelling Humanity At Scale Next Year
The year ahead will be filled with challenges, decisions, and opportunities to shape the experience of those you lead. These resolutions aren’t meant to add complexity to your leadership—they’re a reminder to pause, refocus, and lead with intention. Whether it’s giving your team more room to grow, staying true to your purpose, or simplifying how work gets done, each small shift can ripple out in meaningful ways. In 2025, let’s commit to leadership that doesn’t just aim for results but fosters a culture where people thrive. Humanity at Scale starts with the choices we make every day.
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CX Executive Advisor
1 个月Very informative
Senior Advisor & Consultant / Experto en Artificial Intelligence aplicada a negocio por el MIT: Implications for Business Strategy
1 个月What an inspiring way to start 2025, Bruce Temkin! ?? Your call for Humanity at Scale resonates deeply in a time when leadership needs to go beyond just hitting KPIs and focus on creating meaningful impact. ?? Empowering others by giving them space to grow ??, keeping purpose front and center ??, and celebrating strengths over weaknesses ?? are timeless yet essential shifts for any leader. And your emphasis on empathy ??—through reflection and understanding—is a reminder that true leadership starts with listening and connecting on a human level. Simplification ?? is another powerful resolution. By cutting unnecessary complexity, we create room for clarity, focus, and creativity. It’s not about doing less, but about doing what matters most. ?? These resolutions are more than goals—they’re a roadmap to building teams and cultures where people thrive. ?? Thank you for this timely reminder to lead with purpose, empathy, and simplicity. Let’s make 2025 a year where leadership truly amplifies humanity at scale! ??? #Leadership #HumanityAtScale #PurposeDriven
Customer Experience Consultant & Mental Fitness Coach
1 个月These are wonderful but the reality is that the leaders who will adopt these are already prone to believe in them and act accordingly most of the time. The leaders who really need to adopt them and influence their organizations positively are not likely to. But these are excellent reminders to us for when we are tempted to do otherwise.
CEO and Co-founder at commonFont
1 个月I love these resolutions and reflections, Bruce! Thank you for sharing.
Performance Marketing Director and Dynamic Team Leader, Public Speaker and Magician
1 个月Insightful vision, Bruce Temkin. If more leaders would heed your advice perhaps it would influence more companies to examine human(ity) in their own cultures. “Human Resources” typically dishes out empty platitudes about much of what you’ve discussed here. Small Business leaders have a real opportunity here and I know of many who dedicate themselves to many of these recommendations. I’ve found this to be quite rare in enterprise level businesses; at least the several I’ve had the opportunity to work in. Huge opportunity.