Happy New Year!
I hope you had time to Pause, Rest, and Reflect over the holidays. A new year brings the perfect opportunity for a “new you”! By now, I’m sure you’ve completed your 2028 Strategic Plan and 2025 Yearly Plan. But as leaders, our personal effectiveness is just as critical to achieving those goals.
While strategic plans focus on organizational priorities, the start of a new year is also a chance to set personal resolutions—actions that enhance your leadership impact, health, and wellness. Let’s explore four key areas where you can improve your personal effectiveness as a CEO:
1. Health & Wellness
As CEOs, we make countless sacrifices that impact our families and our health. If you’ve already established a consistent wellness routine, congratulations! For the rest of us, incremental changes can yield significant results.
Reading Labels: I’ve realized that even “organic” processed foods can contain harmful seed oils, which are inflammatory and fattening. This year, I’ll return to carefully checking labels to prioritize my health.
Lifting Weights: Strength training just three times a week—even for 15 minutes—can profoundly improve energy and overall fitness.
Take small, manageable steps to protect your most critical asset: your health.
2. Your Brand
What drives you every day? What is your purpose, and does your personal brand align with your leadership style?
Would others describe you as a servant leader? Are you fostering humility and authenticity?
As your organization grows, gaining unfiltered insights from your team becomes harder. Are you inadvertently creating a culture where people tell you what you want to hear?
Great leaders build trust by focusing on purpose over ego and ensuring their brand resonates with both their teams and families.
3. Time and Energy
Time and energy are finite resources, how are you managing yours?
Surround yourself with people who protect your time and understand what energizes or depletes you.
Reflect on whether you’re focusing on the tasks only you can do. If you’re not dedicating 4–8 hours per week to strategic thinking, ask yourself why.
Without discipline and clarity, your actions send mixed signals to your team. If everything matters, then nothing matters. Breaking free from the cycle of doing the same thing while expecting different results is essential for success in the new year.
4. Leadership Model & Perspective
What do you stand for as a leader? What is your non-negotiable standard, and what legacy do you hope to leave?
Your Senior Leadership Team (First Team) should have a crystal-clear understanding of your values and expectations. If they don’t, the first step is transparent communication. Reiterate your priorities regularly, and ensure your Executive Assistant is aligned to reinforce them in daily operations.
Focus on Three Things
As you step into this new year, challenge yourself to identify no more than three key actions that will make the greatest impact on your leadership effectiveness. Small, consistent steps in the right direction compound over time, driving not only personal but also organizational success.
Here’s to a purposeful and impactful 2025!