As we step out of 2024 and prepare for 2025, it’s the perfect time to pause, reflect, and set the tone for the year ahead. Here’s some key pointers for leaders to approach the new year with purpose and ease, setting up a strong start for themselves and their teams.
Reflect on 2024: Celebrate and learn from success.
· Take a moment to list your three most important wins in 2024, and three lessons from these.
· Share these insights with your team, and acknowledge their part in the wins.
Action: Dedicate 10 minutes in your next team meeting to celebrate collective wins and reflect on lessons. (Important: Ensure the focus remains exclusively on your biggest successes in this session)
Define Your “Ease and Flow” Plan
· Define three moat important things that will make 2025 a success. Write them down (Hint, consider both process/input and outcomes/output)
· Ask yourself, “What can I do less of to achieve these?”
Action: Define these success criteria, then identify one task or commitment you can delegate or streamline in Q1.
Align with Your Purpose
· Purpose drives motivation. Reconnect with what energizes you most about your role.
Action: Write a one-sentence purpose statement to guide your decisions in 2025 and share it with your team. (Hint, while not everyone knows their purpose, you can get very close to it by playing to your strengths to serve a worthy cause greater than yourself.)
Prioritize People and Energy
· People are the backbone of success. Plan how you’ll invest in your human capital.
Action: Schedule one meaningful 1:1 conversation with a team member each month.
Keep It Light
· The start of a new year is a marathon, not a sprint. Focus on steady progress rather than trying to achieve everything at once.
Action: Create a “progress not perfection” mantra for your team and integrate it into early 2025 meetings.
By setting clear, intentional plans and focusing on ease over effort, you can lead yourself and your team into 2025 with energy and optimism.
