Welcome

The start of a new year is always exciting. Except maybe that return to work, but as they say new year, new you.

I do always like the start of the new year and I am one of those that heads back on the 2nd January ready to go but find still many people out of the office. With a new year I always use these times to review and think about how I can improve and some wisdom that I can use going into this year. One thing I have been thinking about is the period of advent.

In advent the Christian faith light four candles over the four weeks of advent. These candles represent:

• Hope

• Peace

• Love

• Joy

This got me thinking about Leadership and in a similar matter what would be the four rays of light that leaders should be ensuring are always burning. I was hit by how when I am having coaching calls and coaching leaders a lot of what I see as foundational for great leaders are hit across 4 key things:

1. Yourself

2. Communication

3. Goals

4. Feedback

Each of these play huge parts in all the other areas of leadership and if you fail to do one of these areas really well, from my experience this is where leadership starts going wrong.

So in 2025 I want you to really focus and explore these areas with me as the leadership journey to help you become a better leader.

Why the Four Pillars Matter

Leadership is built on a foundation of intentional skills. Without attention to the fundamentals, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, ineffective, or disconnected from your team.

Reflecting on this over the Christmas break, I’ve identified four key areas that leaders—especially new and developing ones—must focus on:

1.  Knowing Yourself

2.  Communication

3. Setting Clear Goals

4. Giving Feedback

These four pillars form the backbone of leadership success. When you strengthen one, the others benefit as well.

Your Focus for 2025: A Pillar-by-Pillar Guide

1. Knowing Yourself:
Leadership starts with self-awareness. The better you understand your strengths, weaknesses, and triggers, the more authentically and confidently you can lead.

Action: Dedicate time for self-reflection. Use journaling, feedback, or assessments to identify areas for growth.

2. Communication:
Leadership is about connection, and communication is how you build it. Without clear, empathetic dialogue, teams can’t thrive.

Action: Work on one communication skill at a time—whether it’s active listening, providing context, or simplifying complex ideas.

3. Setting Clear Goals:
Goals give your team direction and purpose. Without them, even the hardest workers can feel lost.

Action: Align your team’s goals with larger business objectives and make sure every goal is SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

4. Giving Feedback:
Feedback is what drives growth. Done well, it can empower and inspire your team.

Action: Practice giving regular, constructive feedback. Balance praise with actionable advice, and make feedback a habit, not a surprise.

Your 2025 Challenge

This year, commit to developing these four pillars. Alternate your focus between them every few weeks or months. Growth takes time and intention, but the results are worth it: stronger leaders, empowered teams, and better outcomes.

Question for You:
Which of these pillars do you think will have the biggest impact on your leadership in 2025?

This year I will be intentionally diving deeper into these pillars and building out the systems that I use and have seen work well in each area and topic. I want to help as many aspiring and new leaders as I possibly can to be the leader they want to be.

Book Recommendation

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

Overview: Sinek explores how leaders can create environments where people feel valued and supported. He uses examples from various organizations, including the military, to illustrate how leadership based on trust and cooperation rather than authority leads to more successful teams.

Takeaways/Action Items:

• Build Trust: Foster a culture where trust is paramount by showing vulnerability and empathy. Implement regular team-building activities to strengthen bonds.

• Circle of Safety: Create a "circle of safety" where team members feel secure to take risks, share ideas, and support each other, leading to higher innovation and productivity.

• Lead by Example: Demonstrate the behaviors you want to see in your team, like putting the team's needs before your own, which encourages loyalty and motivation.

And that’s a wrap for this week, over the coming months I will be covering more on these pillars and lessons and examples of all these in practice to help you as leaders.

PS I have some room for coaching calls; book them here