Five Questions Every Leader Should Ask This Year

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2026.

I hope you had a lovely holiday season.

I was lucky enough to spend two weeks in Costa Rica with my family and it was an absolute blast! Stepping away from emails, meetings and my day-to-day work was a wonderful way to get some perspective. I also read a couple of books, which is something I love to do.

So I was thinking, how can I help you to start this new year with impact?

Well, the best leaders don’t start a new year by doing more.

They start by getting clearer.

So, before you dive back into your crazy schedule, I have crafted five questions worth asking as you reset your leadership for the year ahead:

1. How do you want your team to experience you this year?

This question is not about your results but your presence, your tone and your impact. What tone do you want to set in 2026? Perhaps you want to be more curious or more collaborative. Maybe you’d like to be more innovative or maybe practice deeper listening.

2. Where do you need to create more clarity?

Unclear expectations create unnecessary stress and conflict. How can you create more clarity for your team to build their confidence and gain momentum?

3. What is draining your energy and what needs to change?

Your energy sets the pace on your team. When you’re reactive, stressed or running on empty, that pressure ripples through every interaction. How can you be more intentional about where you spend your time and energy?

4. Where do you need to strengthen trust?

Trust is the key to any high-performing team. To build trust, your behaviour needs to be consistent over time. You can build trust in small moments by listening, keeping your commitments or clarifying your expectations.

5. What is one leadership behavior you will commit to practicing consistently?

Progress comes from repetition, so pick one area that you want to work on throughout the year. Maybe you want to give more timely feedback or provide more clear, concise communication.

One final thought:

2026 doesn’t necessarily need a new version of you.

It needs a more intentional one!

So, start this year with a pause. Take a minute to reflect and reset.

The impact you make this year starts with the intentions you set today!

Here’s to a fulfilling and successful 2026!

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