December 30, 2025 • 40 mins
What should leaders do in the first week of January to set their team up for success in 2026? How can middle managers use the first week back to re-engage their teams and set the tone for the entire year?
Most leaders waste the first week of January drowning in email and attending pointless meetings. But the first week of January isn't about catching up—it's about resetting. In this episode, Colby breaks down the specific conversations leaders need to have, why one-on-ones are non-negotiable, and how to build leadership habits that actually stick.
If you've been struggling with team engagement or haven't been doing one-on-ones consistently, this episode will give you the framework to start 2026 strong.
Key Takeaways
- Why the first week of January is the most important week of the year for leaders
- The three critical conversations every leader needs to have with their team in the first week back
- What the data says about one-on-one meetings and employee engagement (the numbers might surprise you)
- A vulnerable framework for admitting you haven't been doing one-on-ones—and how to start
- The Start/Stop/Continue framework for resetting your leadership in 2026
- How to set a leadership rhythm that prevents you from falling back into old habits by March
Featured Statistics
- Only 23% of employees globally are engaged at work (Gallup, 2024)
- Employee disengagement costs $8.9 trillion globally
- Employees who meet one-on-one with leaders weekly are 1.5x more likely to be highly engaged (Work Human, 2024)
- 70% of variance in team engagement is attributable to the manager (Gallup)
Who This Episode Is For
Middle managers and team leaders who want to start 2026 strong, re-engage their teams after the holidays, and build sustainable leadership habits that actually stick.
Connect with Colby
- Website: nxtstepadvisors.com
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colbymorris
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
People first leadership.
Actionable strategies, realresults.
This is Things Leaders Do withColby Morris.
SPEAKER_01 (00:10):
Here's a question for you.
What's the most important weekof the year for leaders?
If you said the first week ofDecember when everyone's doing
year interviews, you're close.
If you said the first week ofthe fiscal year when budget
resets, well, also close.
But the answer is actually thefirst week of January.
(00:33):
Because the first week ofJanuary isn't just about
surviving that post-holidayinbox avalanche and then
catching up on what you missed.
It's about setting the tone forthe next 51 weeks.
And here's the problem.
Most leaders waste it.
They dive straight into email.
(00:53):
They say yes to every meetingand request.
They try to catch up oneverything that happened while
they were gone.
And by Friday, they're burnedout.
Their team is confused aboutpriorities, and nothing
meaningful has changed at all.
So today we're talking about howto actually start 2026 strong,
what to do in that first weekback to set yourself up for
(01:17):
success all year long.
Hey leaders, this is ColbyMorris, and this is the Things
Leaders Do podcast.
This is week three of ouryear-in leadership survival
guide series.
We've got one more episodecoming next week for the first
full week of January, but todaywe're talking about how to
(01:38):
actually start 2026 strong.
As always, hoping this is goingto be about 15 to 23 minutes of
practical actionable tools thatyou can use immediately.
Again, no theory, no fluff, justreal guidance to help you be a
better leader faster.
(01:59):
So here's what typically happensin that first week of January.
And if this sounds familiar,you're not alone.
Let's set the scene.
It's Monday morning, first weekof January.
You just spent the holidaysdisconnecting or at least
attempting to disconnect.
You walk into the office or login from home, and what's the
(02:23):
first thing you do?
Well, if you're like mostleaders, you open your email.
And immediately you're drowning.
300 unread messages, Slack isblowing up like your phone
during a family group text, yourcalendar is already filling with
meeting requests from people whoapparently didn't get the memo
that you were on vacation.
And someone, there's alwayssomeone, who's asking if you saw
(02:48):
that urgent email from December23rd.
Spoiler alert.
If it was urgent, they wouldhave called.
Here's what happens next.
You spend the entire first weekjust reacting, responding to
emails, attending meetings,putting out fires, trying to get
caught up, and by Friday, you'reexhausted.
(03:10):
Your team still doesn't knowwhat's actually important this
quarter, and you haven't done asingle thing that moves the
needle.
Does that sound familiar?
Well, here's the thing.
The first week of January isn'tthe time to catch up.
It's the time to reset.
And if you use it right, thatfirst week sets the tone for how
(03:32):
you and your team show up forthe entire year.
So let's break down what to doin that first week back.
Not the stuff everyone tells youto do, but the stuff that
actually matters.
Fair warning (03:45):
if you haven't been doing regular one-on-ones
with your team, parts of thismight sting a little.
But it might also be the wake-upcall you need.
Because if there's one thingthat will change everything for
your team in 2026, it's this.
But first, let's talk about whatnot to do on Monday morning.
(04:08):
First thing first, Monday, don'topen your email.
I can already hear something.
But Kobe, I have to check myemail.
What if something importanthappened?
Here's the thing.
If something truly importanthappened over the break, you'd
already know about it, right?
Your phone would have rung.
(04:28):
Your boss would have text.
The building would be on fire.
But it's not.
Email isn't an emergency system.
Okay?
It's a guilt delivery mechanismdisguised as productivity.
Look, I get it.
You've got 300 unread messages.
Your inbox looks like alandfill.
(04:48):
Someone probably needs somethingfrom you.
But if you start Monday morningby diving into email, you're
letting everyone else set yourpriorities for the week.
You're reacting instead ofleading.
And once you start reacting, younever stop.
So here's what I'd suggestinstead.
(05:10):
I want you to block the firstone to two hours of Monday
morning for planning.
No meetings, not email, justyou, your calendar, and a
notebook.
And ask yourself threequestions.
Question one (05:26):
What are my top three priorities for Q1?
Not your top 10, okay?
Not everything on my to-do list.
Not the 47 things you promisedyourself you'd finally get to
this year.
Three things.
What are the three things thatif you and your team execute on
(05:47):
them this quarter, will actuallymove the business forward?
Write them down.
Bonus points if you can actuallyremember them next week without
looking.
Question two.
What meetings do I need to havethis week to set my team up for
set success?
Notice I didn't say whatmeetings am I already booked
(06:09):
for?
I said, what meetings do I needto have?
Here's the thing.
Your calendar's already fillingup with status updates,
recurring meetings that startedin 2019, and nobody remembers
why, and random check-ins thatcould have been emails.
Honestly, most of them shouldhave been emails.
(06:31):
But the meeting you actuallyneed, the ones that will make a
real difference, those areprobably not on there yet.
So before you say yes toeveryone else's agenda, block
time for the conversations thatactually matter.
Which brings me to the mostimportant question.
If you're squirming right now,good.
(06:53):
That means this is for you.
Question three.
When am I meeting one-on-onewith each person on my team this
week?
If the answer is I'm not, weneed to talk.
Actually, your team needs totalk to you.
That's kind of the whole point.
(07:15):
Okay, so let's talk about why101s matter so much.
And I'm going to share somestatistics that might make you
uncomfortable.
And that's good.
Sometimes we need to beuncomfortable to actually
change.
So here are the numbers.
According to Gallup, only 23% ofemployees globally are engaged
(07:39):
at work right now.
That means 77% of employees areeither not engaged or actively
disengaged.
And employee disengagement,that's costing the global
economy$8.9 trillion.
That's trillion with a T.
(08:00):
For context, that's enough moneyto buy every person on earth
about three cups of Airportcoffee.
Or fund approximately$4 billionleadership retreats where
everyone complains about lack ofengagement while doing trust
falls.
So what does this have to dowith one-on-ones?
Well, everything.
(08:21):
Because here's another stat.
Only 15% of employees who workfor a manager who doesn't meet
with them regularly are engaged.
Yikes.
I'm going to say that one againbecause it's hard to kind of
wrap your head around.
Only 15% of employees who workfor a manager who does not meet
with them regularly are engaged.
(08:44):
But managers who regularly meetwith their employees, they
almost triple that engagement.
Think about that.
If you're not meeting with theirteam regularly, only 15% of them
are engaged.
If you're meeting with themregularly, that number jumps to
around 45%.
That is not a small difference.
That's a difference between ateam that shows up and a team
(09:06):
that checks out.
And here's the kicker (09:09):
70% of the variance in team engagement
is attributable to the manager,not the company, not the CEO,
not the benefits package.
You.
You.
So if your team is disengaged,burned out, or quietly quitting,
(09:32):
the first place to look is inthe mirror.
And the first thing to do, starthaving regular one-on-ones.
Now, I know some of you just hada visceral reaction to that.
You're thinking, Colby, I barelyhave time to eat lunch at my
desk while answering emails.
You want me to add moremeetings?
(09:54):
Here's the thing these thesearen't meetings, these are
investments.
Big difference.
But but let's be real for asecond.
And this is where it might stinga little.
If you haven't been doingone-on-ones, you need to admit
it.
Look, I I get it.
You've been busy.
(10:15):
Things have been chaotic.
You you had good intentions, butyou know, life happened.
The days got away from you.
You told yourself you'd startnext week for about 47 weeks in
a row.
Here's the thing (10:29):
your team knows you haven't been meeting
with them.
They know you've been too busy.
They know you've been inback-to-back meetings.
They know you've been puttingout fires.
And they've been drawing theirown conclusions.
Some of them think they're justnot a priority.
Some of them think you justdon't care.
(10:52):
And some of them have mentallychecked out because they don't
feel supported.
So if you're going to startdoing 101s in 2026, and I think
you should, you can't justquietly add them to the calendar
and pretend like everything'sfine.
You need to own it.
And here's what that soundslike.
(11:14):
This is, you know, the I haven'tbeen doing this and I should
have conversation.
It should sound something likethis.
Hey, team, I want to talk to youabout something.
I've been thinking a lot abouthow I've been showing up as your
manager.
And I need to be honest withyou, I haven't been doing
one-on-ones consistently or atall, really.
(11:37):
And I want to own that becausethe truth is you deserve a
manager who shows up for youregularly, not just when there's
a problem or when it'sperformance review time.
I've been telling myself I'm toobusy, or that we talk enough in
team meetings, or that I'll getto it when things calm down, but
that's not good enough.
Here's what I realized: one-on-ones aren't just a nice (11:57):
undefined
to have.
They're how I actually supportyou.
They're how you get to tell mewhat's working, what's not, and
what you need from me and whereyou want to grow.
And if I'm not creating thatspace for you, I'm not doing my
job.
(12:17):
So starting next week, we'rechanging that.
We're doing weekly 101s every,say, Thursday, 10 o'clock.
This is your time.
And I'm committed to showing upconsistently.
I know.
I know actions speak louder thanwords.
So I'm not asking you to believeme.
(12:38):
I'm actually asking you to holdme accountable.
If I try to cancel or reschedulewithout a real emergency, please
call me out.
Yikes.
How many of you just like headstop or just you feel the chills
running down your spine?
Look, this is why this works.
(13:00):
Number one, you're takingownership.
You're not blaming yourschedule, your boss, or how busy
things have been.
You're just saying, this is onme.
And two, you're explaining whatyou've learned.
Not just I should do these, butwhy shows you've actually
thought about it.
(13:21):
Three, you're making acommitment.
Not just I'll try to do better,but here's exactly what's
changing.
And then four, you're you'reinviting accountability.
You're giving them permission tocall you out if you slip.
And that builds trust.
(13:42):
Okay.
Here's what you should not say.
I've been so busy.
Translation, you weren't apriority.
Also, everyone's busy.
That's not a personality trait.
Leadership hasn't been giving ustime for this.
Translation, you're blamingsomeone else.
(14:02):
Classic move.
Doesn't work.
Or we talk all the time anyway.
Translation, you don't thinkthese matter.
Passing each other in thehallway doesn't count as a 101.
And then let's try doing theseand see how it goes.
Translation, you're not actuallycommitted.
(14:23):
This is like saying, I'll try toshow up to work this year.
Here's the thing (14:27):
vulnerability doesn't undermine your
credibility as a leader.
It actually builds it.
See, when you admit you haven'tbeen doing something well and
commit to changing it, you'remodeling the exact behavior you
want from your team.
You're showing them that it'sokay to admit when you've
dropped the ball, that thatgrowth comes from acknowledging
(14:48):
gaps and not hiding them, thatleadership is about continuous
improvement and not perfection.
And when you, you know, whenthey see you own it and then
actually follow through, that'swhen they'll trust you.
Now, some of you are thinking,this doesn't apply to me.
I've been doing one-on-ones.
(15:10):
Cool.
Good for you.
Gold star.
But hold on.
I've got a follow-up question.
So maybe you've been doingone-on-ones.
You've got them on the calendar.
They happen most weeks.
That's great.
But here's the question (15:25):
have they been meaningful?
Or have they turned into thoseweird speed dating sessions
where you both show up, checksthe box, you know, and leave
having accomplished nothing?
Because here's a stat worthnoting: 80% of employees who
report receiving meaningfulfeedback in the past week are
(15:49):
fully engaged.
Not just feedback, meaningfulfeedback.
So if your one-on-ones haveturned into how's that project
going?
Any blockers I should knowabout?
Cool, sounds good.
See you next week.
Then you're having check-ins,not one-on-ones.
(16:10):
And your team knows thedifference.
Trust me, they know.
They're just too polite to sayit.
So here's the challenge for thefirst week of 2026.
Don't just schedule one-on-ones.
Make them meaningful.
And speaking of meaningfulconversations, let's talk about
(16:30):
the three specific conversationsyou need to have in that first
week back.
Because if you nail these three,you'll set the tone for the
entire year.
So you've blocked Monday morningfor planning, you've committed
to 101s or recommitted,depending on how honest you were
with yourself in that lastsection.
(16:52):
Now let's talk about what you'reactually going to discuss in
those 101s during the first weekback.
Because the first week ofJanuary isn't the time for
status updates.
You don't need to know if theTPS reports are done or whether
someone responded to that emailfrom Q4.
It's time for three specificconversations that set the tone
(17:13):
for the year.
Think of these as thefoundation.
You get these right, andeverything else gets easier.
You skip them, and you'll spendthe rest of Q1 wondering why
your team seems checked out.
Conversation one, the check-in.
How are you really doing?
This is not how is yourvacation, small talk.
(17:35):
You know the conversation.
How is your break?
Good.
Cool.
Awkward silence.
Someone checks their phone.
This is the difference.
This is how are you actuallydoing?
What are you excited about for2026?
What are you worried about?
See why this matters is yourteam is either energized or
(17:57):
dreading coming back.
If they're dreading it, you needto know why.
This is when you re-engagepeople emotionally and not just
tactically.
And it sets the tone that youcare about them as people, not
just as you know, taskcompleters.
How to have this conversation isyou keep it informal, not a
(18:22):
formal sit-down meeting.
You know, ask open-endedquestions, actually listen to
the answers, and don'timmediately jump to problem
solving.
Some example questions you wantto ask.
What's one thing you're lookingforward to this year?
What's one thing you're nervousabout?
How did you actually disconnectover the break?
(18:44):
Did you struggle with it?
What would make this year feellike a win for you?
And then, and this is important,I want you to get this.
Actually listen.
Don't just nod and move on.
Don't dismiss our concerns with,yeah, I get it, but we all just
need to power through.
Yeah, don't immediately try tofix everything like you're a
(19:06):
corporate superhero.
Just listen.
Acknowledge what they're feelingand let them know you're, you
know, you're in this with them.
Because if they tell you they'renervous about Q1 and you
immediately launch into, well,here's the 47-point plan I
created over the break, you'vemissed the point.
They weren't asking for asolution.
(19:26):
They were asking if you care.
And once you've connected on thehuman level, it's time for
conversation too.
The one where you actually gettactical.
So you set goals in December,hopefully.
If not, we need to have adifferent conversation, maybe
several conversations, andpossibly an intervention.
(19:49):
But assuming you did set goals,here's the problem goals set in
December and goals that actuallywork in January are often two
completely different things.
But now you need to clarify.
What are we actually focusing onin Q1?
Not what would be nice toaccomplish if we had unlimited
(20:10):
time and resources and nobodygot sick and the internet worked
perfectly.
What are we actually focusingon?
Because here's what happenspeople come back from break with
inbox overloaded and 47competing priorities screaming
for attention.
And without clarity from you,everyone just goes back to doing
what's urgent instead of what'simportant.
(20:33):
You know what they do?
They answer emails, they attendmeetings, they respond to Slack
messages, they look busy, theyare busy, but they're not making
progress on what actuallymatters.
So this is your chance to cutthrough the noise and say, these
three things matter most rightnow.
Everything else is secondary.
(20:55):
Here's why this matters.
People come back with inboxoverload and completing
competing priorities.
And without clarity, everyonegoes back to doing what's urgent
versus important.
This is your chance to say thesethree things matter most right
now.
And it gives people permissionto say no or not right now to
(21:16):
those other things.
So if you're wondering how tohave this conversation, you can
say, here's what we're focusingon in Q1.
Everything else is secondary.
You have to be specific aboutwhat gets priority.
And you're going to give peoplepermission to say no or not
(21:36):
right now to other things.
And then make sure everyoneleaves knowing what success
looks like this quarter.
This is especially critical if,one, you have big company goals
or trickle-down priorities fromleadership.
If your CEO just announcedaggressive growth targets for
Q1, you know, the kind oftargets that make you wonder if
(21:59):
they accidentally added an extrazero, your team needs to know
exactly how that impacts theirwork.
Not in a vague, you know, we allneed to do more kind of way.
That's not helpful.
That just makes people panic.
In a, here are three specificthings for focusing on to
contribute to that goal kind ofway.
Here's what happens when youdon't translate company goals
(22:22):
into team priorities.
People either panic and try todo everything, which means
nothing gets done well, or theyshrug and just keep doing what
they've always done, which meansthe goal definitely doesn't get
hit.
Neither one gets you closer tothe goal, but both end with you
in an awkward conversation withyour boss in March.
(22:42):
So in your 101s this week,you're going to say, here's what
leadership is focusing on thisyear.
Here's how that translates toour team.
And here's specifically what Ineed from you in Q1 to make that
happen.
All right, number two, you'refacing big changes in the
(23:03):
company.
Maybe there's a restructurecoming.
Maybe there's a new systemrollout.
Maybe leadership just announceda strategic pivot in which a
corporate, you know, it's justcorporate speak for we're
changing everything and hopingit works.
Whatever it is, the big changeis coming and your team needs to
hear about it from you first.
(23:24):
Not from the company-wide emailthat they'll read at 6 p.m.
and immediately text or workfriends about.
Not from the rumor mill.
And there's always a rumor mill,someone heard something from
someone who overheard somethingin the elevator.
They need to hear it from you ina one-on-one, where they can ask
questions, where they can tellyou how they're actually feeling
about it, where they can panic alittle bit in a safe space.
Here's the truth (23:47):
change is scary.
And when people are scared, theydisengage.
They update their LinkedInprofiles, they start looking at
job postings just to see what'sout there.
But when they have a managerwho's honest with them, who
gives them context, who listensto their concerns, they stay
engaged.
They trust you.
(24:08):
And they're way less likely topiece out to the competitor down
the street.
So if there's big change coming,use this first week to have that
conversation.
Say something like, here'swhat's happening.
Here's what I know.
Here's what I don't know yet.
And here's what I need from youas we navigate this.
(24:30):
Okay.
All right.
Two conversations down, one togo.
And this last one is the resetbutton your team didn't know
they needed.
So conversation three is thefresh start talk.
Okay.
This is where you acknowledgewe're starting fresh.
Whatever happened in 2025, goodor bad, it's done.
(24:53):
It's over.
It's it's in the past.
We're not carrying it into 2026like emotional luggage.
Why does this matter?
Well, some people had a rough2025 and need permission to move
on.
They're still thinking aboutthat presentation that went
sideways in March.
Some people crushed it and theyneed to know you noticed because
(25:17):
if you don't tell them, they'llassume you didn't.
And everyone needs a cleanslate.
January is psychologically areset button.
Use it before someone else wasteit on a juice cleanse.
So, how are you going to havethis conversation?
Well, you need to acknowledgewhat went well in 2025,
(25:39):
acknowledge what didn't withoutdwelling on it or making it
weird, and frame 2026 as anopportunity to build on wins and
learn from losses, and then givepeople permission to start
fresh.
So here's an example.
Look, 2025 was a mixed bag forall of us.
(25:59):
You did some really great workon the Johnson account.
That didn't go unnoticed.
But I also know there are somechallenges, and you can name
that specific challenge.
And that was hard.
Here's what I want you to know.
We're starting fresh in 2026.
Whatever happened last year,good or bad, we're not carrying
(26:20):
it into this year.
We're building on what worked.
We're learning from what didn't,and we're moving forward.
So if you've been worried thatI'm still thinking about that
thing from last year, I'm not.
We're good.
Clean slate.
Let's focus on what's ahead.
See, this conversation doesthree things.
(26:40):
One, it acknowledges reality.
You're not pretending 2025 wasperfect if it wasn't.
Nobody believes that anyway.
Two, it gives people permissionto move on.
If someone's been beatingthemselves up about a mistake
from last year, this releasesthem from that.
Free therapy, courtesy of theirmanager.
And three, it re resets therelationship.
(27:02):
You're both starting the year onthe same page.
You're focused instead ofbackwards.
All right.
Time for some self-reflection.
Don't worry, it's not gonnahurt.
Well, it might sting a little,but that's how you know it's
working.
So you've had threeconversations with your team.
(27:23):
You've checked in emotionally,you've clarified priorities,
you've hit the reset button.
Now comes the hard part.
Looking in the mirror.
Because if your team is going tochange how they show up in 2026,
you need to change how you showup.
Let's look at three questions.
What do I need to start, stop,and continue as a leader in
(27:45):
2026?
This isn't just a cuteframework.
It's not a fun exercise from aleadership book you skimmed on
the plane.
It's how you actually getbetter.
Here's the thing (27:56):
if you keep doing the exact same things you
did in 2025, you're going to getthe exact same results.
And if 2025 was perfect for you,congratulations.
You can skip this section and goget yourself a trophy.
But if you're like the rest ofus, there's room for
improvement.
So let's break this down.
(28:16):
What to start in 2026?
I want you to pick one to twothings you're going to start
doing as a leader.
Not 10 things, not a laundrylist of New Year's resolutions
that you'll abandon by February3rd when you realize you're so
human and change is hard.
One to two things.
That's it.
Things that will make thebiggest difference.
(28:37):
So, for examples, start doingone-on-ones if you haven't been.
We've already covered thisextensively.
Like I really drove this pointhome.
But if you're still not doingthem after everything we just
talked about, this is yournumber one priority.
Actually, it might be your onlypriority until you get this
right.
(28:57):
We talked about the numbersearlier.
Employees who meet weekly withtheir manager are one and a half
times more likely to be highlyengaged.
That's not a small bump.
That's the difference between ateam that actually wants to show
up and a team that's quietlyupdating the resumes.
So if you're wondering, doesthis actually matter?
(29:17):
Yes.
Yes, it does.
And then start protecting yourcalendar better.
If your calendar is afree-for-all where anyone can
book you anytime for any reason,you're not leading, you're
reacting.
You're a human vending machinefor everyone else's priorities.
So start blocking time forstrategic thinking, you know,
(29:40):
the things that you're supposedto do as a leader, for
one-on-ones, for deep work onyour top three priorities.
The ones you wrote down Mondaymorning, you did write them
down, right?
And when someone tries to bookover that time, say no.
I know.
Saying no feels uncomfortable.
But you know what's moreuncomfortable?
(30:02):
Burning out in Q2 because yousaid yes to everything.
And then start delegatingauthority, not just tasks.
Here's a difference, and itmatters.
Delegating tasks is can youhandle this for me?
Translation.
Do this exactly how I would doit, but I don't have time.
(30:22):
Delegating authority.
Hey, you own this.
Make the call.
I trust you.
Translation, I trust you tofigure this out.
Call me if the building's onfire.
If you're still the bottleneckon every decision, you're not
scaling your team.
You're limiting them.
You're like a traffic cop in themiddle of a highway, making
everyone wait for your approvalbefore they can move.
(30:45):
Stop being the traffic cop.
And start giving real-timefeedback instead of saving it
for reviews.
If the only time your team hearsfeedback is during annual
reviews, you're doing it wrong.
You're basically collectingreceipts all year and dumping
them on people in December.
And that's not helpful.
(31:06):
That's ambush management.
Start giving feedback in themoment.
When something goes well, tellthem right then.
Not three weeks later when youfinally get around to it.
When something needs to improve,tell them in the moment.
Not in six months during aperformance review when they're
blindsided.
Don't save it.
(31:26):
Don't wait.
Don't let it marinate.
Do it now.
Here's the key.
Don't pick 10 things.
Pick one to two that will makethe biggest difference.
All right.
Now comes the hard part.
The stuff you need to let go of.
And yes, this is harder thanstarting new things, but we're
(31:47):
weirdly attached to ourdysfunctional habits.
What to stop in 2026?
This is the hard one.
The one that makes you squirm.
The one where you realize you'vebeen doing things that don't
serve you, but you've been doingthem for so long that they feel
normal.
What are you going to stop doingthat isn't serving you or your
(32:07):
team?
Every time you say yes tosomething, you're saying no to
something else.
Every meeting you attend is timeyou're not spending on strategic
work.
Every email you answer at 11p.m.
is a signal to your team thatyou expect them to do the same.
Every decision you refuse todelegate is a message that you
don't trust them.
(32:28):
So what are you going to stop?
A few examples.
Stop attending meetings whereyou don't add value.
Okay?
If you're sitting in a meetingand you're not contributing, not
learning, and not makingdecisions, why are you there?
Seriously, why?
Are you there because you wereinvited and you didn't want to
seem rude?
Are you there because someonefrom leadership should be there?
(32:51):
Are you there because you'vebeen going to this meeting for
three years and just nobody'squestioned it?
None of those are good reasons.
Start saying no.
Your calendar will thank you.
Your sanity will thank you.
And then stop being thebottleneck on decisions your
team can make.
If you're still the finalapprover on everything, every
(33:12):
email, every decision, everytiny choice, you're not
managing.
You're micromanaging and you'reslowing everyone down.
Trust them.
Let them make the call.
And if they mess up, great.
That's called learning.
Coach them through it.
But if they never get to makedecisions because you're
hovering over everything like ahelicopter parent, they'll never
(33:33):
grow.
And they'll eventually leave fora job where someone actually
trusts them.
And then stop checking emailfirst thing in the morning.
Do your most important workfirst, not your most urgent
work.
Your most important work.
Email can wait.
(33:53):
I promise.
The world will not end if youdon't respond to that message
from 11 p.m.
last night until 9.30 a.m.
And if someone needs youurgently, they'll call or text
or show up at your desk.
Email is not an emergencysystem.
It's a to-do list other peoplewrite for you.
(34:13):
Stop saying yes to everyrequest.
You can't be everything toeveryone.
And when you try, you end upbeing nothing to anyone.
Start protecting your time.
Start saying no.
Start setting boundaries.
If saying no makes you feelguilty, remember every yes to
someone else is a no toyourself, your priorities, and
(34:34):
your team.
The key is stopping somethingthat's creating space for
something.
Okay, stopping something createsspace for starting something.
You can't add more to an alreadyfull calendar without taking
something away.
Math, remember?
Okay, we talked about what tostart and stop.
(34:57):
Now let's talk about what'sactually working.
Because not everything needs tochange.
What to continue in 2026?
What worked in 25 that you wantto keep doing?
Because here's the thing.
January feels like a reset.
The calendar flips.
Everyone's making resolutions.
There's this pressure toreinvent everything.
(35:18):
And that's that's good for somethings, but it's terrible for
the things that are actuallyworking.
Don't throw out what's workingjust because it's a new year.
Don't be the person who cancelsa team lunch that everyone loves
because you decided 2026 is theyear we get serious and stop
having fun.
So, some examples.
Keep having those team lunches.
(35:40):
If uh team lunches have beenbuilding connection and trust,
keep doing them.
Don't sacrifice relationshipbuilding on the altar of
productivity.
Okay.
Turns out people work bettertogether when they actually like
each other.
Weird, right?
Keep recognizing wins publicly.
Okay.
If public recognition has beenmotivating your team, don't stop
(36:03):
now.
Keep it going.
Because the minute you stoprecognizing good work, people
assume you stopped noticing.
Then they stop trying.
If that thinking time has beenhelping you stay ahead instead
of constantly reacting, protectit.
(36:24):
Guard it like it's your lastvacation day.
Because strategic thinking ishow you lead.
Email is how you react.
And keep investing in yourteam's development.
If coaching and development havebeen paying off, if you've seen
people grow, step up, take onmore responsibly, double down,
(36:44):
keep doing it.
Because developing your teamisn't just a nice to have.
It's how you scale withoutburning out.
The key here, don't throw outwhat's working just because it's
a new year.
All right.
We've covered a lot, so let'sbring it home.
(37:06):
Here's what I'd suggest for thefirst week of 2026.
Monday morning, don't dive intoemail.
Block one to two hours to planyour first week and set your
priorities.
Resist the urge to just quicklycheck your inbox.
That's a trap.
For the first few days, have thethree conversations with your
(37:26):
team.
Check in on how they're reallydoing.
Reset priorities for Q1 and givethem a fresh start for the year.
This week, if you haven't beendoing one-on-ones, own it.
Have that vulnerableconversation.
Commit to starting.
If you have been doing them,make sure they're actually
meaningful and not just statusupdates or speed dates.
(37:49):
And by the end of the week,decide what you'll start, stop,
and continue in 2026.
Set your leadership rhythm forthe year.
Put it on the calendar.
Tell your team and protect it.
Look, the first week of Januaryisn't just another week.
It's a week that sets the tonefor the next 51.
So don't waste it drowning inyour inbox and attending
(38:12):
pointless meetings that couldhave been emails.
Use it to reset, re-engage yourteam, and set yourself up to
actually lead in 2026, not justsurvive it.
And if you haven't been doingone-on-ones, this is your year
to start.
No more excuses, no more.
When things calm down, they'renever going to calm down.
(38:33):
You have to make this apriority.
The stats are clear.
Employees who meet one-on-onewith their managers weekly are
one and a half times more likelyto be highly engaged.
And 70% of the variance in teamengagement is on you.
If your organization isstruggling with engagement and
(38:53):
needs help building a structurewhere leaders actually show up
for their teams, I'd love tohelp.
I work with organizationsthrough keynote speaking,
executive coaching, andleadership training to build
sustainable, people-firstcultures.
I'd love for you to connect withme on LinkedIn or visit my
website.
Both those links are in the shownotes.
And if this episode hit home foryou, would you do me a favor?
(39:17):
Subscribe to the show whereveryou listen to podcasts and leave
a review, please.
And share this episode withanother leader who needs to hear
that the first week of Januarymatters more than they think.
And remember, keep planningbefore you react.
Keep showing up for your team inone-on-ones and keep setting the
rhythm that will carry youthrough the year.
(39:38):
And you know why?
Because those are the thingsthat leaders do.
SPEAKER_00 (39:47):
Thank you for listening to Things Leaders Do.
If you're looking for more tipson how to be a better leader, be
sure to subscribe to the podcastand listen to next week's
episode.
Until next time, keep working onbeing a better leader.
leader by doing the things thatleaders do.
People first leadership.
Actionable strategies, realresults.
This is Things Leaders Do withColby Morris.
SPEAKER_01 (00:10):
Here's a question for you.
What's the most important weekof the year for leaders?
If you said the first week ofDecember when everyone's doing
year interviews, you're close.
If you said the first week ofthe fiscal year when budget
resets, well, also close.
But the answer is actually thefirst week of January.
(00:33):
Because the first week ofJanuary isn't just about
surviving that post-holidayinbox avalanche and then
catching up on what you missed.
It's about setting the tone forthe next 51 weeks.
And here's the problem.
Most leaders waste it.
They dive straight into email.
(00:53):
They say yes to every meetingand request.
They try to catch up oneverything that happened while
they were gone.
And by Friday, they're burnedout.
Their team is confused aboutpriorities, and nothing
meaningful has changed at all.
So today we're talking about howto actually start 2026 strong,
what to do in that first weekback to set yourself up for
(01:17):
success all year long.
Hey leaders, this is ColbyMorris, and this is the Things
Leaders Do podcast.
This is week three of ouryear-in leadership survival
guide series.
We've got one more episodecoming next week for the first
full week of January, but todaywe're talking about how to
(01:38):
actually start 2026 strong.
As always, hoping this is goingto be about 15 to 23 minutes of
practical actionable tools thatyou can use immediately.
Again, no theory, no fluff, justreal guidance to help you be a
better leader faster.
(01:59):
So here's what typically happensin that first week of January.
And if this sounds familiar,you're not alone.
Let's set the scene.
It's Monday morning, first weekof January.
You just spent the holidaysdisconnecting or at least
attempting to disconnect.
You walk into the office or login from home, and what's the
(02:23):
first thing you do?
Well, if you're like mostleaders, you open your email.
And immediately you're drowning.
300 unread messages, Slack isblowing up like your phone
during a family group text, yourcalendar is already filling with
meeting requests from people whoapparently didn't get the memo
that you were on vacation.
And someone, there's alwayssomeone, who's asking if you saw
(02:48):
that urgent email from December23rd.
Spoiler alert.
If it was urgent, they wouldhave called.
Here's what happens next.
You spend the entire first weekjust reacting, responding to
emails, attending meetings,putting out fires, trying to get
caught up, and by Friday, you'reexhausted.
(03:10):
Your team still doesn't knowwhat's actually important this
quarter, and you haven't done asingle thing that moves the
needle.
Does that sound familiar?
Well, here's the thing.
The first week of January isn'tthe time to catch up.
It's the time to reset.
And if you use it right, thatfirst week sets the tone for how
(03:32):
you and your team show up forthe entire year.
So let's break down what to doin that first week back.
Not the stuff everyone tells youto do, but the stuff that
actually matters.
Fair warning (03:45):
if you haven't been doing regular one-on-ones
with your team, parts of thismight sting a little.
But it might also be the wake-upcall you need.
Because if there's one thingthat will change everything for
your team in 2026, it's this.
But first, let's talk about whatnot to do on Monday morning.
(04:08):
First thing first, Monday, don'topen your email.
I can already hear something.
But Kobe, I have to check myemail.
What if something importanthappened?
Here's the thing.
If something truly importanthappened over the break, you'd
already know about it, right?
Your phone would have rung.
(04:28):
Your boss would have text.
The building would be on fire.
But it's not.
Email isn't an emergency system.
Okay?
It's a guilt delivery mechanismdisguised as productivity.
Look, I get it.
You've got 300 unread messages.
Your inbox looks like alandfill.
(04:48):
Someone probably needs somethingfrom you.
But if you start Monday morningby diving into email, you're
letting everyone else set yourpriorities for the week.
You're reacting instead ofleading.
And once you start reacting, younever stop.
So here's what I'd suggestinstead.
(05:10):
I want you to block the firstone to two hours of Monday
morning for planning.
No meetings, not email, justyou, your calendar, and a
notebook.
And ask yourself threequestions.
Question one (05:26):
What are my top three priorities for Q1?
Not your top 10, okay?
Not everything on my to-do list.
Not the 47 things you promisedyourself you'd finally get to
this year.
Three things.
What are the three things thatif you and your team execute on
(05:47):
them this quarter, will actuallymove the business forward?
Write them down.
Bonus points if you can actuallyremember them next week without
looking.
Question two.
What meetings do I need to havethis week to set my team up for
set success?
Notice I didn't say whatmeetings am I already booked
(06:09):
for?
I said, what meetings do I needto have?
Here's the thing.
Your calendar's already fillingup with status updates,
recurring meetings that startedin 2019, and nobody remembers
why, and random check-ins thatcould have been emails.
Honestly, most of them shouldhave been emails.
(06:31):
But the meeting you actuallyneed, the ones that will make a
real difference, those areprobably not on there yet.
So before you say yes toeveryone else's agenda, block
time for the conversations thatactually matter.
Which brings me to the mostimportant question.
If you're squirming right now,good.
(06:53):
That means this is for you.
Question three.
When am I meeting one-on-onewith each person on my team this
week?
If the answer is I'm not, weneed to talk.
Actually, your team needs totalk to you.
That's kind of the whole point.
(07:15):
Okay, so let's talk about why101s matter so much.
And I'm going to share somestatistics that might make you
uncomfortable.
And that's good.
Sometimes we need to beuncomfortable to actually
change.
So here are the numbers.
According to Gallup, only 23% ofemployees globally are engaged
(07:39):
at work right now.
That means 77% of employees areeither not engaged or actively
disengaged.
And employee disengagement,that's costing the global
economy$8.9 trillion.
That's trillion with a T.
(08:00):
For context, that's enough moneyto buy every person on earth
about three cups of Airportcoffee.
Or fund approximately$4 billionleadership retreats where
everyone complains about lack ofengagement while doing trust
falls.
So what does this have to dowith one-on-ones?
Well, everything.
(08:21):
Because here's another stat.
Only 15% of employees who workfor a manager who doesn't meet
with them regularly are engaged.
Yikes.
I'm going to say that one againbecause it's hard to kind of
wrap your head around.
Only 15% of employees who workfor a manager who does not meet
with them regularly are engaged.
(08:44):
But managers who regularly meetwith their employees, they
almost triple that engagement.
Think about that.
If you're not meeting with theirteam regularly, only 15% of them
are engaged.
If you're meeting with themregularly, that number jumps to
around 45%.
That is not a small difference.
That's a difference between ateam that shows up and a team
(09:06):
that checks out.
And here's the kicker (09:09):
70% of the variance in team engagement
is attributable to the manager,not the company, not the CEO,
not the benefits package.
You.
You.
So if your team is disengaged,burned out, or quietly quitting,
(09:32):
the first place to look is inthe mirror.
And the first thing to do, starthaving regular one-on-ones.
Now, I know some of you just hada visceral reaction to that.
You're thinking, Colby, I barelyhave time to eat lunch at my
desk while answering emails.
You want me to add moremeetings?
(09:54):
Here's the thing these thesearen't meetings, these are
investments.
Big difference.
But but let's be real for asecond.
And this is where it might stinga little.
If you haven't been doingone-on-ones, you need to admit
it.
Look, I I get it.
You've been busy.
(10:15):
Things have been chaotic.
You you had good intentions, butyou know, life happened.
The days got away from you.
You told yourself you'd startnext week for about 47 weeks in
a row.
Here's the thing (10:29):
your team knows you haven't been meeting
with them.
They know you've been too busy.
They know you've been inback-to-back meetings.
They know you've been puttingout fires.
And they've been drawing theirown conclusions.
Some of them think they're justnot a priority.
Some of them think you justdon't care.
(10:52):
And some of them have mentallychecked out because they don't
feel supported.
So if you're going to startdoing 101s in 2026, and I think
you should, you can't justquietly add them to the calendar
and pretend like everything'sfine.
You need to own it.
And here's what that soundslike.
(11:14):
This is, you know, the I haven'tbeen doing this and I should
have conversation.
It should sound something likethis.
Hey, team, I want to talk to youabout something.
I've been thinking a lot abouthow I've been showing up as your
manager.
And I need to be honest withyou, I haven't been doing
one-on-ones consistently or atall, really.
(11:37):
And I want to own that becausethe truth is you deserve a
manager who shows up for youregularly, not just when there's
a problem or when it'sperformance review time.
I've been telling myself I'm toobusy, or that we talk enough in
team meetings, or that I'll getto it when things calm down, but
that's not good enough.
Here's what I realized: one-on-ones aren't just a nice (11:57):
undefined
to have.
They're how I actually supportyou.
They're how you get to tell mewhat's working, what's not, and
what you need from me and whereyou want to grow.
And if I'm not creating thatspace for you, I'm not doing my
job.
(12:17):
So starting next week, we'rechanging that.
We're doing weekly 101s every,say, Thursday, 10 o'clock.
This is your time.
And I'm committed to showing upconsistently.
I know.
I know actions speak louder thanwords.
So I'm not asking you to believeme.
(12:38):
I'm actually asking you to holdme accountable.
If I try to cancel or reschedulewithout a real emergency, please
call me out.
Yikes.
How many of you just like headstop or just you feel the chills
running down your spine?
Look, this is why this works.
(13:00):
Number one, you're takingownership.
You're not blaming yourschedule, your boss, or how busy
things have been.
You're just saying, this is onme.
And two, you're explaining whatyou've learned.
Not just I should do these, butwhy shows you've actually
thought about it.
(13:21):
Three, you're making acommitment.
Not just I'll try to do better,but here's exactly what's
changing.
And then four, you're you'reinviting accountability.
You're giving them permission tocall you out if you slip.
And that builds trust.
(13:42):
Okay.
Here's what you should not say.
I've been so busy.
Translation, you weren't apriority.
Also, everyone's busy.
That's not a personality trait.
Leadership hasn't been giving ustime for this.
Translation, you're blamingsomeone else.
(14:02):
Classic move.
Doesn't work.
Or we talk all the time anyway.
Translation, you don't thinkthese matter.
Passing each other in thehallway doesn't count as a 101.
And then let's try doing theseand see how it goes.
Translation, you're not actuallycommitted.
(14:23):
This is like saying, I'll try toshow up to work this year.
Here's the thing (14:27):
vulnerability doesn't undermine your
credibility as a leader.
It actually builds it.
See, when you admit you haven'tbeen doing something well and
commit to changing it, you'remodeling the exact behavior you
want from your team.
You're showing them that it'sokay to admit when you've
dropped the ball, that thatgrowth comes from acknowledging
(14:48):
gaps and not hiding them, thatleadership is about continuous
improvement and not perfection.
And when you, you know, whenthey see you own it and then
actually follow through, that'swhen they'll trust you.
Now, some of you are thinking,this doesn't apply to me.
I've been doing one-on-ones.
(15:10):
Cool.
Good for you.
Gold star.
But hold on.
I've got a follow-up question.
So maybe you've been doingone-on-ones.
You've got them on the calendar.
They happen most weeks.
That's great.
But here's the question (15:25):
have they been meaningful?
Or have they turned into thoseweird speed dating sessions
where you both show up, checksthe box, you know, and leave
having accomplished nothing?
Because here's a stat worthnoting: 80% of employees who
report receiving meaningfulfeedback in the past week are
(15:49):
fully engaged.
Not just feedback, meaningfulfeedback.
So if your one-on-ones haveturned into how's that project
going?
Any blockers I should knowabout?
Cool, sounds good.
See you next week.
Then you're having check-ins,not one-on-ones.
(16:10):
And your team knows thedifference.
Trust me, they know.
They're just too polite to sayit.
So here's the challenge for thefirst week of 2026.
Don't just schedule one-on-ones.
Make them meaningful.
And speaking of meaningfulconversations, let's talk about
(16:30):
the three specific conversationsyou need to have in that first
week back.
Because if you nail these three,you'll set the tone for the
entire year.
So you've blocked Monday morningfor planning, you've committed
to 101s or recommitted,depending on how honest you were
with yourself in that lastsection.
(16:52):
Now let's talk about what you'reactually going to discuss in
those 101s during the first weekback.
Because the first week ofJanuary isn't the time for
status updates.
You don't need to know if theTPS reports are done or whether
someone responded to that emailfrom Q4.
It's time for three specificconversations that set the tone
(17:13):
for the year.
Think of these as thefoundation.
You get these right, andeverything else gets easier.
You skip them, and you'll spendthe rest of Q1 wondering why
your team seems checked out.
Conversation one, the check-in.
How are you really doing?
This is not how is yourvacation, small talk.
(17:35):
You know the conversation.
How is your break?
Good.
Cool.
Awkward silence.
Someone checks their phone.
This is the difference.
This is how are you actuallydoing?
What are you excited about for2026?
What are you worried about?
See why this matters is yourteam is either energized or
(17:57):
dreading coming back.
If they're dreading it, you needto know why.
This is when you re-engagepeople emotionally and not just
tactically.
And it sets the tone that youcare about them as people, not
just as you know, taskcompleters.
How to have this conversation isyou keep it informal, not a
(18:22):
formal sit-down meeting.
You know, ask open-endedquestions, actually listen to
the answers, and don'timmediately jump to problem
solving.
Some example questions you wantto ask.
What's one thing you're lookingforward to this year?
What's one thing you're nervousabout?
How did you actually disconnectover the break?
(18:44):
Did you struggle with it?
What would make this year feellike a win for you?
And then, and this is important,I want you to get this.
Actually listen.
Don't just nod and move on.
Don't dismiss our concerns with,yeah, I get it, but we all just
need to power through.
Yeah, don't immediately try tofix everything like you're a
(19:06):
corporate superhero.
Just listen.
Acknowledge what they're feelingand let them know you're, you
know, you're in this with them.
Because if they tell you they'renervous about Q1 and you
immediately launch into, well,here's the 47-point plan I
created over the break, you'vemissed the point.
They weren't asking for asolution.
(19:26):
They were asking if you care.
And once you've connected on thehuman level, it's time for
conversation too.
The one where you actually gettactical.
So you set goals in December,hopefully.
If not, we need to have adifferent conversation, maybe
several conversations, andpossibly an intervention.
(19:49):
But assuming you did set goals,here's the problem goals set in
December and goals that actuallywork in January are often two
completely different things.
But now you need to clarify.
What are we actually focusing onin Q1?
Not what would be nice toaccomplish if we had unlimited
(20:10):
time and resources and nobodygot sick and the internet worked
perfectly.
What are we actually focusingon?
Because here's what happenspeople come back from break with
inbox overloaded and 47competing priorities screaming
for attention.
And without clarity from you,everyone just goes back to doing
what's urgent instead of what'simportant.
(20:33):
You know what they do?
They answer emails, they attendmeetings, they respond to Slack
messages, they look busy, theyare busy, but they're not making
progress on what actuallymatters.
So this is your chance to cutthrough the noise and say, these
three things matter most rightnow.
Everything else is secondary.
(20:55):
Here's why this matters.
People come back with inboxoverload and completing
competing priorities.
And without clarity, everyonegoes back to doing what's urgent
versus important.
This is your chance to say thesethree things matter most right
now.
And it gives people permissionto say no or not right now to
(21:16):
those other things.
So if you're wondering how tohave this conversation, you can
say, here's what we're focusingon in Q1.
Everything else is secondary.
You have to be specific aboutwhat gets priority.
And you're going to give peoplepermission to say no or not
(21:36):
right now to other things.
And then make sure everyoneleaves knowing what success
looks like this quarter.
This is especially critical if,one, you have big company goals
or trickle-down priorities fromleadership.
If your CEO just announcedaggressive growth targets for
Q1, you know, the kind oftargets that make you wonder if
(21:59):
they accidentally added an extrazero, your team needs to know
exactly how that impacts theirwork.
Not in a vague, you know, we allneed to do more kind of way.
That's not helpful.
That just makes people panic.
In a, here are three specificthings for focusing on to
contribute to that goal kind ofway.
Here's what happens when youdon't translate company goals
(22:22):
into team priorities.
People either panic and try todo everything, which means
nothing gets done well, or theyshrug and just keep doing what
they've always done, which meansthe goal definitely doesn't get
hit.
Neither one gets you closer tothe goal, but both end with you
in an awkward conversation withyour boss in March.
(22:42):
So in your 101s this week,you're going to say, here's what
leadership is focusing on thisyear.
Here's how that translates toour team.
And here's specifically what Ineed from you in Q1 to make that
happen.
All right, number two, you'refacing big changes in the
(23:03):
company.
Maybe there's a restructurecoming.
Maybe there's a new systemrollout.
Maybe leadership just announceda strategic pivot in which a
corporate, you know, it's justcorporate speak for we're
changing everything and hopingit works.
Whatever it is, the big changeis coming and your team needs to
hear about it from you first.
(23:24):
Not from the company-wide emailthat they'll read at 6 p.m.
and immediately text or workfriends about.
Not from the rumor mill.
And there's always a rumor mill,someone heard something from
someone who overheard somethingin the elevator.
They need to hear it from you ina one-on-one, where they can ask
questions, where they can tellyou how they're actually feeling
about it, where they can panic alittle bit in a safe space.
Here's the truth (23:47):
change is scary.
And when people are scared, theydisengage.
They update their LinkedInprofiles, they start looking at
job postings just to see what'sout there.
But when they have a managerwho's honest with them, who
gives them context, who listensto their concerns, they stay
engaged.
They trust you.
(24:08):
And they're way less likely topiece out to the competitor down
the street.
So if there's big change coming,use this first week to have that
conversation.
Say something like, here'swhat's happening.
Here's what I know.
Here's what I don't know yet.
And here's what I need from youas we navigate this.
(24:30):
Okay.
All right.
Two conversations down, one togo.
And this last one is the resetbutton your team didn't know
they needed.
So conversation three is thefresh start talk.
Okay.
This is where you acknowledgewe're starting fresh.
Whatever happened in 2025, goodor bad, it's done.
(24:53):
It's over.
It's it's in the past.
We're not carrying it into 2026like emotional luggage.
Why does this matter?
Well, some people had a rough2025 and need permission to move
on.
They're still thinking aboutthat presentation that went
sideways in March.
Some people crushed it and theyneed to know you noticed because
(25:17):
if you don't tell them, they'llassume you didn't.
And everyone needs a cleanslate.
January is psychologically areset button.
Use it before someone else wasteit on a juice cleanse.
So, how are you going to havethis conversation?
Well, you need to acknowledgewhat went well in 2025,
(25:39):
acknowledge what didn't withoutdwelling on it or making it
weird, and frame 2026 as anopportunity to build on wins and
learn from losses, and then givepeople permission to start
fresh.
So here's an example.
Look, 2025 was a mixed bag forall of us.
(25:59):
You did some really great workon the Johnson account.
That didn't go unnoticed.
But I also know there are somechallenges, and you can name
that specific challenge.
And that was hard.
Here's what I want you to know.
We're starting fresh in 2026.
Whatever happened last year,good or bad, we're not carrying
(26:20):
it into this year.
We're building on what worked.
We're learning from what didn't,and we're moving forward.
So if you've been worried thatI'm still thinking about that
thing from last year, I'm not.
We're good.
Clean slate.
Let's focus on what's ahead.
See, this conversation doesthree things.
(26:40):
One, it acknowledges reality.
You're not pretending 2025 wasperfect if it wasn't.
Nobody believes that anyway.
Two, it gives people permissionto move on.
If someone's been beatingthemselves up about a mistake
from last year, this releasesthem from that.
Free therapy, courtesy of theirmanager.
And three, it re resets therelationship.
(27:02):
You're both starting the year onthe same page.
You're focused instead ofbackwards.
All right.
Time for some self-reflection.
Don't worry, it's not gonnahurt.
Well, it might sting a little,but that's how you know it's
working.
So you've had threeconversations with your team.
(27:23):
You've checked in emotionally,you've clarified priorities,
you've hit the reset button.
Now comes the hard part.
Looking in the mirror.
Because if your team is going tochange how they show up in 2026,
you need to change how you showup.
Let's look at three questions.
What do I need to start, stop,and continue as a leader in
(27:45):
2026?
This isn't just a cuteframework.
It's not a fun exercise from aleadership book you skimmed on
the plane.
It's how you actually getbetter.
Here's the thing (27:56):
if you keep doing the exact same things you
did in 2025, you're going to getthe exact same results.
And if 2025 was perfect for you,congratulations.
You can skip this section and goget yourself a trophy.
But if you're like the rest ofus, there's room for
improvement.
So let's break this down.
(28:16):
What to start in 2026?
I want you to pick one to twothings you're going to start
doing as a leader.
Not 10 things, not a laundrylist of New Year's resolutions
that you'll abandon by February3rd when you realize you're so
human and change is hard.
One to two things.
That's it.
Things that will make thebiggest difference.
(28:37):
So, for examples, start doingone-on-ones if you haven't been.
We've already covered thisextensively.
Like I really drove this pointhome.
But if you're still not doingthem after everything we just
talked about, this is yournumber one priority.
Actually, it might be your onlypriority until you get this
right.
(28:57):
We talked about the numbersearlier.
Employees who meet weekly withtheir manager are one and a half
times more likely to be highlyengaged.
That's not a small bump.
That's the difference between ateam that actually wants to show
up and a team that's quietlyupdating the resumes.
So if you're wondering, doesthis actually matter?
(29:17):
Yes.
Yes, it does.
And then start protecting yourcalendar better.
If your calendar is afree-for-all where anyone can
book you anytime for any reason,you're not leading, you're
reacting.
You're a human vending machinefor everyone else's priorities.
So start blocking time forstrategic thinking, you know,
(29:40):
the things that you're supposedto do as a leader, for
one-on-ones, for deep work onyour top three priorities.
The ones you wrote down Mondaymorning, you did write them
down, right?
And when someone tries to bookover that time, say no.
I know.
Saying no feels uncomfortable.
But you know what's moreuncomfortable?
(30:02):
Burning out in Q2 because yousaid yes to everything.
And then start delegatingauthority, not just tasks.
Here's a difference, and itmatters.
Delegating tasks is can youhandle this for me?
Translation.
Do this exactly how I would doit, but I don't have time.
(30:22):
Delegating authority.
Hey, you own this.
Make the call.
I trust you.
Translation, I trust you tofigure this out.
Call me if the building's onfire.
If you're still the bottleneckon every decision, you're not
scaling your team.
You're limiting them.
You're like a traffic cop in themiddle of a highway, making
everyone wait for your approvalbefore they can move.
(30:45):
Stop being the traffic cop.
And start giving real-timefeedback instead of saving it
for reviews.
If the only time your team hearsfeedback is during annual
reviews, you're doing it wrong.
You're basically collectingreceipts all year and dumping
them on people in December.
And that's not helpful.
(31:06):
That's ambush management.
Start giving feedback in themoment.
When something goes well, tellthem right then.
Not three weeks later when youfinally get around to it.
When something needs to improve,tell them in the moment.
Not in six months during aperformance review when they're
blindsided.
Don't save it.
(31:26):
Don't wait.
Don't let it marinate.
Do it now.
Here's the key.
Don't pick 10 things.
Pick one to two that will makethe biggest difference.
All right.
Now comes the hard part.
The stuff you need to let go of.
And yes, this is harder thanstarting new things, but we're
(31:47):
weirdly attached to ourdysfunctional habits.
What to stop in 2026?
This is the hard one.
The one that makes you squirm.
The one where you realize you'vebeen doing things that don't
serve you, but you've been doingthem for so long that they feel
normal.
What are you going to stop doingthat isn't serving you or your
(32:07):
team?
Every time you say yes tosomething, you're saying no to
something else.
Every meeting you attend is timeyou're not spending on strategic
work.
Every email you answer at 11p.m.
is a signal to your team thatyou expect them to do the same.
Every decision you refuse todelegate is a message that you
don't trust them.
(32:28):
So what are you going to stop?
A few examples.
Stop attending meetings whereyou don't add value.
Okay?
If you're sitting in a meetingand you're not contributing, not
learning, and not makingdecisions, why are you there?
Seriously, why?
Are you there because you wereinvited and you didn't want to
seem rude?
Are you there because someonefrom leadership should be there?
(32:51):
Are you there because you'vebeen going to this meeting for
three years and just nobody'squestioned it?
None of those are good reasons.
Start saying no.
Your calendar will thank you.
Your sanity will thank you.
And then stop being thebottleneck on decisions your
team can make.
If you're still the finalapprover on everything, every
(33:12):
email, every decision, everytiny choice, you're not
managing.
You're micromanaging and you'reslowing everyone down.
Trust them.
Let them make the call.
And if they mess up, great.
That's called learning.
Coach them through it.
But if they never get to makedecisions because you're
hovering over everything like ahelicopter parent, they'll never
(33:33):
grow.
And they'll eventually leave fora job where someone actually
trusts them.
And then stop checking emailfirst thing in the morning.
Do your most important workfirst, not your most urgent
work.
Your most important work.
Email can wait.
(33:53):
I promise.
The world will not end if youdon't respond to that message
from 11 p.m.
last night until 9.30 a.m.
And if someone needs youurgently, they'll call or text
or show up at your desk.
Email is not an emergencysystem.
It's a to-do list other peoplewrite for you.
(34:13):
Stop saying yes to everyrequest.
You can't be everything toeveryone.
And when you try, you end upbeing nothing to anyone.
Start protecting your time.
Start saying no.
Start setting boundaries.
If saying no makes you feelguilty, remember every yes to
someone else is a no toyourself, your priorities, and
(34:34):
your team.
The key is stopping somethingthat's creating space for
something.
Okay, stopping something createsspace for starting something.
You can't add more to an alreadyfull calendar without taking
something away.
Math, remember?
Okay, we talked about what tostart and stop.
(34:57):
Now let's talk about what'sactually working.
Because not everything needs tochange.
What to continue in 2026?
What worked in 25 that you wantto keep doing?
Because here's the thing.
January feels like a reset.
The calendar flips.
Everyone's making resolutions.
There's this pressure toreinvent everything.
(35:18):
And that's that's good for somethings, but it's terrible for
the things that are actuallyworking.
Don't throw out what's workingjust because it's a new year.
Don't be the person who cancelsa team lunch that everyone loves
because you decided 2026 is theyear we get serious and stop
having fun.
So, some examples.
Keep having those team lunches.
(35:40):
If uh team lunches have beenbuilding connection and trust,
keep doing them.
Don't sacrifice relationshipbuilding on the altar of
productivity.
Okay.
Turns out people work bettertogether when they actually like
each other.
Weird, right?
Keep recognizing wins publicly.
Okay.
If public recognition has beenmotivating your team, don't stop
(36:03):
now.
Keep it going.
Because the minute you stoprecognizing good work, people
assume you stopped noticing.
Then they stop trying.
If that thinking time has beenhelping you stay ahead instead
of constantly reacting, protectit.
(36:24):
Guard it like it's your lastvacation day.
Because strategic thinking ishow you lead.
Email is how you react.
And keep investing in yourteam's development.
If coaching and development havebeen paying off, if you've seen
people grow, step up, take onmore responsibly, double down,
(36:44):
keep doing it.
Because developing your teamisn't just a nice to have.
It's how you scale withoutburning out.
The key here, don't throw outwhat's working just because it's
a new year.
All right.
We've covered a lot, so let'sbring it home.
(37:06):
Here's what I'd suggest for thefirst week of 2026.
Monday morning, don't dive intoemail.
Block one to two hours to planyour first week and set your
priorities.
Resist the urge to just quicklycheck your inbox.
That's a trap.
For the first few days, have thethree conversations with your
(37:26):
team.
Check in on how they're reallydoing.
Reset priorities for Q1 and givethem a fresh start for the year.
This week, if you haven't beendoing one-on-ones, own it.
Have that vulnerableconversation.
Commit to starting.
If you have been doing them,make sure they're actually
meaningful and not just statusupdates or speed dates.
(37:49):
And by the end of the week,decide what you'll start, stop,
and continue in 2026.
Set your leadership rhythm forthe year.
Put it on the calendar.
Tell your team and protect it.
Look, the first week of Januaryisn't just another week.
It's a week that sets the tonefor the next 51.
So don't waste it drowning inyour inbox and attending
(38:12):
pointless meetings that couldhave been emails.
Use it to reset, re-engage yourteam, and set yourself up to
actually lead in 2026, not justsurvive it.
And if you haven't been doingone-on-ones, this is your year
to start.
No more excuses, no more.
When things calm down, they'renever going to calm down.
(38:33):
You have to make this apriority.
The stats are clear.
Employees who meet one-on-onewith their managers weekly are
one and a half times more likelyto be highly engaged.
And 70% of the variance in teamengagement is on you.
If your organization isstruggling with engagement and
(38:53):
needs help building a structurewhere leaders actually show up
for their teams, I'd love tohelp.
I work with organizationsthrough keynote speaking,
executive coaching, andleadership training to build
sustainable, people-firstcultures.
I'd love for you to connect withme on LinkedIn or visit my
website.
Both those links are in the shownotes.
And if this episode hit home foryou, would you do me a favor?
(39:17):
Subscribe to the show whereveryou listen to podcasts and leave
a review, please.
And share this episode withanother leader who needs to hear
that the first week of Januarymatters more than they think.
And remember, keep planningbefore you react.
Keep showing up for your team inone-on-ones and keep setting the
rhythm that will carry youthrough the year.
(39:38):
And you know why?
Because those are the thingsthat leaders do.
SPEAKER_00 (39:47):
Thank you for listening to Things Leaders Do.
If you're looking for more tipson how to be a better leader, be
sure to subscribe to the podcastand listen to next week's
episode.
Until next time, keep working onbeing a better leader.
leader by doing the things thatleaders do.
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