10 Leadership To-Dos In 2026

It’s the first week of the year. Time for a realignment of leadership goals, tools, and strategies.

The start of a new year isn’t about making dramatic changes or setting unrealistic resolutions. Beginning with a long list of self-imposed changes for yourself, your life, or your team just isn’t sustainable.

Consider this: in the first week, nearly 23 percent of people abandon their resolutions. By the end of January, that number jumps to about 43 percent. And by mid-February, as many as 80 percent have let go of their goals. Instead of overwhelming yourself, focus on steady progress and meaningful growth because long-lasting leadership and transformation happen one purposeful step at a time.

Keeping that in mind, let’s start the year with some things you could do. Not a mandate, but a gentle nudge toward changes and improvements for you as a leader and the teams you work within. Pick one or a few to help improve your teams in the coming year.

Here are 10 leadership to-dos in 2026.

1. Shift From Performative Leadership To Measurable Impact

Connect leadership behaviors explicitly to measurable outcomes such as employee retention, operational efficiency, and customer trust. Do not conflate visibility with actual value.

If an action cannot be quantified through retention, revenue protection, or risk mitigation, it may be good branding but not necessarily based on clear leadership.

2. Treat AI As Infrastructure, Not A Party Trick

Integrate AI where it removes friction such as forecasting, knowledge management, and customer insight. Create clear data sets and desired outcomes rather than rolling out AI tools without changing workflows. Remember: AI tools that do not change the ways we work prove to be an expensive investment in automation.

3. Learn To Ask Better Questions

• This year let’s focus on asking better, more detailed questions, allowing ourselves as leaders on question the systems we operate within and the tools we use. Instead of asking, ‘How can we improve this process?’ try: ‘What specific steps in our workflow cause delays, and how might we address them?’
• Reframing the question helps leaders and their teams visualize actionable steps. When we build strategic questions during the input and ideation stages, teams will require fewer reworks, resulting in cleaner execution, and more profitable outcomes.

4. Audit Policies And Processes Not Just People And Culture

Before blaming generational mindset or lack of culture fit, spend time auditing policies that are disproportionally impacting teams. When systematic support is lacking, culture is often the compensatory default. However, no one can outwork a toxic culture. A good culture does not fix misaligned incentives, unclear roles, or burnout-level workloads. Creating clear business outcomes and communicating them systemically can lower attrition and make performance management cycles more productive.

5. Make Psychological Safety A Performance Strategy

Reward leaders who uncover risks early. Uncovering broken processes is a brave endeavor. It requires understanding systems the way they are while also seeing how they could be improved. By having psychological safety, we stop penalizing people for saying the current working strategy or process is not efficient. Remember that silence is expensive. Fear delays truth. Delayed truth kills margins.

6. Use AI To Support People, Not Replace Judgment

2025 taught us that AI is a useful tool. It can be used for scenario modeling, trend analysis, and preparation. However, we cannot hide behind the data or AI automations to avoid accountability for uncomfortable decisions. Remember, humans are empowered to make choices even when those choices lead to uncomfortable outcomes. AI may inform judgment, but leaders still have ownership over the outcomes.

7. Build Fewer Priorities And Defend Them Ruthlessly

By placing a limit on strategic initiatives, organizations can focus on what teams can realistically execute. Everyone loves a stretch goal, but at what point does stretch become stressful? Overloaded teams do not innovate; they survive from quarter to quarter. Business outcomes ideally include successful execution of projects alongside a conscious effort to reduce collective burnout.

8. Invest In Manager Capability, Not Just Executive Vision

Managers need comprehensive training in feedback, delegation, and AI-assisted coaching to effectively lead their teams and embrace new technologies. Like strong individual contributors, leaders too require additional skills and support to succeed. Middle management is critical for linking strategy with operations, which ultimately boosts team performance, internal mobility, and organizational growth.

9. Replace Control With Clarity

Define what success looks like based on desired financial outcomes, constraints, and ownership then step back. Stop micromanaging under the guise of accountability. Give clear direction so that you as the leader can release control.

10. Lead Like The System Is Changing Because It Is

To prepare your organization for an unpredictable future shaped by automation and social challenges, leaders must focus on building capacity rather than chasing certainty. Accept that stability is not returning soon; instead, prioritize developing resilience and long-term relevance. In 2026, effective leadership isn’t about being the loudest or the fastest, nor simply adopting more technology but about fostering adaptability and strength in the face of ongoing change.

This year, focus on enhancing your leadership by ensuring it is transparent, empathetic, and driven by strategic inquiry. While major transformations may not be necessary, a thoughtful realignment will support continual growth and improved effectiveness as leaders in 2026 and beyond.

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Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash