What do you want to be known for this year?
Aaaaaand… 2025 is in full swing! As we bump into February, my work with teams usually involves some conversations about what an awesome year looks like, and how they’ll make it happen. Sometimes you’ll feel fully in control of that, other times fate rolls some dice for us and we get to deal with the consequences. If you’re like me and live in the ever-changing weather landscape that is Wellington, you might have even heard the “survive til ‘25” maxim many times leading up to the end of last year. Did you survive? Of course you did. Is everything exactly as you wanted? Maybe, but probably not. If you’re not in Wellington, the same questions ring true, right?
So – you survived til ‘25, and now what? It’s a bit disempowering to rely on the march of time to get us through whatever challenges are standing in front of us. So ditch that idea. If you’re reading this for yourself, decide what you want this year to look like, and have a go at making it happen. If you’re reading it and thinking about an important conversation to have with your team, try these questions below as a way of getting set and into gear. I find this process to be a great way of figuring out what matters and where to put my energy, attention, love and commitment.
I’ve shared versions of this post near the beginning of previous years. I get some very cool feedback from leaders as they jump into these conversation with their people. If you try this out, feel free to let me know how it all goes!
So, to decide what’s worthy of my time and will get the scoreboard moving in ’25, here’s what I’ve found works:
At the end of 2025, what do I want to be known for as a leader? What words would I love people to hear using when they talk about what it’s like to be in the team I lead?
Who are other leaders I can connect with who are known for similar things?
What do those leaders actually do that gets them that reputation? What can I learn from that?
What do I already do that lines up with what I want to be known for?
What can I start doing that will help me make progress?
What do I need to drop or stop doing so I can make better progress?
When will I routinely hit the pause button. That time of the week where I’ll deliberately slow down, review how I’m going, what I’m learning, and how the experiences I’m having are helping me become more of that person I aspire to be.
What’s one thing I can do this week that I think will help me take another small step towards that leader I want to be? (You’ve got 42 weeks until November, so set your sights on small stretches – what will get you 2-3% closer where you want to be this week?)
Have a go at it and see where you (or your team) get to!