Choosing Differently at 57

Looking back at 2025, looking ahead at 2026, and actually trusting where I want to go

Many leaders I talk to ended 2025 ready for a reset. Not because they didn’t accomplish things - they absolutely did. But because they’re wondering if all that effort was building toward something sustainable or just getting really good at being busy.

As I read social media posts about goals for 2026, so many people are talking about wanting to slow down and breathe. This reminds me of why I focus on Leadership Endurance. We can’t sprint all of the time without hitting the wall.

I spent last year operating from three anchor words: Believe. Committed. Energy. Believing in myself and what I was focused on. Committing to do the work to make the impact I wanted. Protecting my energy so that I could run at the speed I wanted.

On paper, 2025 was a success, and the anchor words served me well. I spoke at Disrupt HR DC, on several podcasts, and for two corporate events, maintained a fractional leadership role, ran a half marathon, got to Oktoberfest in Germany for the first time, joined my mom on a mission trip in Guatemala and did some of the best client work of my career. I also started using AI as a thinking partner - not to replace my strategic brain, but to challenge it and improve my writing.

But I also noticed something: I was executing at a high level but reverted to some of my past corporate stress behaviors. I stopped prioritizing some of the things that keep me healthy in mind and body. I sat at my desk too long and worked too many weekend hours. I rushed from meeting to meeting and was too often a few minutes late.

Which is exactly what I see happening with the leaders I work with.

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So here’s how I’m shifting in 2026.

My three words for 2026: Clear. Trust. Spacious.

Clear - because I know who I work best with and how. I’m working with leaders who are carrying high-stakes people decisions alone - often stuck in second-guessing because they’re too close to see clearly and don’t have a safe person to say out loud what they’re actually thinking. Offering Strategic Decision Sessions for leaders who want someone to think through critical decisions with them so they can move forward with confidence. Leadership Endurance Partnerships for those who’ve been running the marathon alone and want someone thinking alongside them for the long haul because they realize it’s not a strength to go it alone. Not another framework or program, but strategic thought partnership with someone who can think WITH you, not AT you.

Trust - earned confidence in my own pattern recognition and the value I offer. I’ve spent 25+ years in enterprise HR and organizational strategy. I’ve seen what breaks leaders and what builds them. I’m trusting that more in 2026 - both in my client work and in how I run my own business. I’m going to second-guess myself less.

Spacious - because I don’t want to constantly feel rushed and behind and that was the 2025 feeling. I’ve been booking myself back-to-back, which means I’m often running a few minutes behind and not fully present. Spacious means letting conversations go the full duration they need. Not over-delivering out of sense of proving, but being the right amount of present for what’s in front of me. I want to feel at my best, not wiped out like at the end of a marathon when you weren’t properly trained.

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2026 and Turning 57

Today is my 57th birthday. Not a milestone year, but it feels like the right year to get serious about building from a place of clarity versus second-guessing and rethinking.

I’ve spent a lot of years proving I could do the work - to clients, to colleagues, but mostly to myself. This year is about trusting in the foundations I’ve built. It’s time to feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

If you’re stepping into 2026 wondering whether you can keep running at this pace, or if you’re ready to build something more sustainable from the start - let’s talk. I’ve got openings in January for Strategic Decision Sessions and ongoing partnerships.

I’ll show you what this actually looks like in practice next week through my social media posts: how I plan my year, build my own endurance strategy, and approach the work itself.

Here’s to a year of less spin, more clarity, and building something that actually sustains you.

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Thoughts for Reflection

"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." - Ayn Rand

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"Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not." - Cal Newport

Announcements

📣 I’d love to hear your insights about leadership in 2025 and 2026. What made it great? What made it hard? If you’re willing to spend 15 minutes with me to share your thoughts, I’ll offer 15 minutes of support to address a leadership challenge you may be facing today. You can schedule time with this link.

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Leadership Learning Content

Articles

29 Eye-Opening Leadership Development Statistics 2025

We’re investing in leadership development substantially, yet 77% of organizations still admit they’re coming up short. The awkward truth reveals most leadership programs resemble trying to fill a bathtub with a thimble. One-size-fits-all approaches consistently fail to deliver results. The real success occurs when development becomes personal, targeting each leader’s specific gaps rather than providing everyone with identical content.

Podcasts

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