New Year's Commitments for Leaders in 2025: Reconsidered
Elevating your leadership skills is essential for dedicated leaders, so here are some potential New Year's resolutions for 2025:
1. Challenge your "musts"
According to Katia Vlachos, a reinvention coach, speaker, and author of "Uncaged," freeing yourself from preconceived notions that might be hindering your impact is crucial. Leading based on inherited "musts," such as constantly appearing certain, preserving hierarchies, or adhering to traditional procedures, can stifle innovation, creativity, and connectivity. True leadership necessitates decisiveness in stepping beyond these constraints and embracing authenticity.
Start by scrutinizing your connection to expectations, Vlachos recommends. Are you making decisions based on convention rather than conviction about what serves your team and organization? Identify the choices that drain your energy. They may indicate a misalignment with your true priorities or values. Leadership that engages both you and your team is motivated by purpose, not obligation.
2. Invite constructive feedback
"In 2025, the world needs exceptional leadership more than ever," says Dr. Helmut Schuster, a career futurist and co-author of "A Groundhog Career." "Leaders must be prepared to make challenging, yet necessary, decisions."
Schuster emphasizes the importance of self-awareness for effective leadership and suggests inviting constructive criticism from others as a means of achieving self-awareness. "Having someone in your life with whom you are entirely honest is essential," he says. "No sugarcoating, no exaggeration, no spin, and independent of vested interests. Grant them permission to put you in your place."
Engaging with individuals outside your usual circles and those with diverse backgrounds is key, according to Schuster. Also, consider the impact of personal preferences on your decisions, versus what is truly necessary. Make decisions that steer humanity in the proper direction when given the choice.
3. Manage your nervous system
"Modern leadership frequently pushes us into a chronically activated fight-or-flight state, where high cortisol levels and mental fog jeopardize productivity and clarity," says Jen Mann, co-author of "The Secret Language of the Body" and co-founder of SoMiA International. Leaders can make nervous system regulation a cornerstone of their long-term stress management and decision-making by employing simple yet transformative practices like box breathing.
Box breathing entails inhaling for four seconds, holding the breath for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, and holding the breath again for four seconds. Practicing this technique for two to three minutes during moments of tension, meetings, difficult conversations, or impending deadlines can help shift your body into a parasympathetic "rest and digest" state, promoting calm and focus.
4. Serve as a wellbeing mentor
"If you want your teams to prioritize their wellbeing, you need to embody that behavior yourself," says Dr. Audrey Tang, a psychologist, performance coach, and author of "The Leader's Guide to Wellbeing." "Workplace wellbeing is not only about accessible tools but seeing that a strategy has worked for someone, who can then make that choice for themselves."
According to the World Health Organization, mental wellness is characterized by "a state of wellbeing in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and can make a contribution to his or her community." Encourage your teams to prioritize their wellbeing by sharing your support system, and acknowledge that acknowledgment can encourage others to make the same progress.
5. Adopt a broader perspective on cognitive diversity
"Cognitive diversity is becoming more widely accepted in the workplace," says Leanne Maskell, founder of ADHD Works and author of "ADHD an A-Z" and "ADHD Works at Work." Leaders who cultivate inclusive, supportive environments for neurodivergent individuals are fostering an environment that benefits the entire workforce, Maskell argues.
6. Utilize AI to improve human performance
"While AI's focus has been predominantly on operational improvement, it can have a significant impact on human performance as well," says Jeremy Campbell, CEO of Black Isle Group and creator of Nudge.ai, an interactive AI coach. "Leaders should recognize that AI is no longer merely a supporting tool. It's a strategic asset that can enhance workforce development, making it more efficient, tailored, and impactful."
By leveraging AI, leaders can create personalized growth journeys for employees, placing them on a path to continuous improvement. With the aid of AI, leaders can analyze performance metrics, identify skill gaps, and recommend learning opportunities on a scale that would be unachievable without it, thereby freeing up time for more complex challenges.
In the context of leadership, challenging your "musts" can help you move beyond inherited constraints and embrace authenticity, leading to more innovative, creative, and connected leadership. (Leadership)
Effective leadership requires self-awareness, and inviting constructive feedback from diverse sources can provide valuable insights and help leaders grow. (Leadership, constructive feedback)
