5 Simple Leadership Habits to Ease You into the New Year

By James Fleming, Managing Director of The Power Within Training

 

If you’re reading this with one eye still on your inbox and the other on your half-finished to-do list, welcome back. The start of a new year can feel like hitting “refresh” and “panic” at the same time.

The calendar might have reset, but the workload hasn’t… and neither have the expectations. Everyone’s talking about “hitting the ground running”, when, if we’re honest, most of us are still stretching and trying to remember our passwords.

So before you jump straight back into the chaos, this is your reminder that leadership isn’t about sprinting out of the gate. It’s about building the kind of steady, consistent habits that keep you moving in the right direction all year long.

Here are five simple leadership habits to help you ease into the new year with purpose, clarity and balance, and build habits for better leadership that actually last.

 

1. Start Your Day with a Check-In (with Yourself)

Every great leader knows how to check in with their team. But how often do you check in with yourself?

Before you open your emails, take five quiet minutes. No meetings, no notifications, no “quick replies.” Ask yourself:

• What’s the one thing I need to achieve today?
• Where am I mentally, focused or frazzled?
• What’s the attitude I want to bring into the day?

This is self-leadership, the foundation of every strong team. As we teach in our Leading with Motivational Intelligence programme, how you lead yourself sets the tone for how you lead everyone else.

When your mindset starts in the right place, your decisions, communication and performance all follow. That’s the first small daily leadership practice that makes a big difference.

 

2. Swap the To-Do List for a “Must-Do” List

Every leader we work with at The Power Within Training has one thing in common: they’re busy. But being busy isn’t the same as being effective.

A practical leadership habit we teach in our leadership and management training is the “Must-Do List”. It’s a simple shift that changes everything.

Instead of writing down 25 things and finishing the day feeling guilty about the 10 you didn’t touch, choose three to five high-payoff activities; the tasks that truly move your business, your team or yourself forward.

This helps you focus on what matters most. And when you get those done, you’re not just productive; you’re strategic.

 

3. Make Feedback a Two-Way Habit

If feedback in your organisation still feels like an annual event, it’s time to rethink.

The best leaders build feedback into their daily leadership practices. They don’t wait for performance reviews or “the right time.”

Ask your team regularly:

• “What’s working well for you right now?”
• “Where can I support you better?”
• “What’s getting in your way?”

You’ll be amazed at what people tell you when they know you’re genuinely listening.

And don’t forget to ask for feedback on yourself. Great leaders aren’t the ones who get it right all the time, they’re the ones who are open enough to learn when they don’t.

 

4. Create Space to Think

If your calendar is back-to-back meetings, you’re not leading, you’re reacting.

High-performing leaders make thinking time non-negotiable. Even 30 minutes a week of uninterrupted space to step back, reflect and plan is where clarity lives.

Ask yourself:

1. What’s working?
2. What’s not?
3. What’s next?

At The Power Within Training, we call this building your leadership mindset muscle. It’s how you move from firefighting to foresight; the difference between being a manager and being a leader.

And if you’re worried you don’t have time to think, that’s probably the biggest sign you need to.

 

5. End the Week with Reflection, Not Regret

Before you switch off for the weekend, take ten minutes to review your week. It’s a habit that can transform how you lead.

Ask:

1. What did I achieve that made a difference?
2. Where did I get stuck, and why?
3. What am I proud of?
4. What can I carry forward into next week?

This small reflection builds self-awareness, one of the most powerful habits for better leadership. It also gives you perspective, helping you see progress rather than just problems.

As leaders, we spend so much time focusing on what’s next that we forget to notice how far we’ve come.

 

The Mindset Behind It All

These leadership habits are simple, but they all stem from one thing: mindset.

Motivational Intelligence (MQ), the science behind why people do what they do, teaches that adaptability, ownership and resilience are what separate good leaders from great ones.

That’s what we help leaders across the UK develop at The Power Within Training. Our leadership development UK programmes aren’t about theory. They’re about helping you and your team think, lead and act with purpose, every day.

 

Consistency

Easing into the new year doesn’t mean doing less. It means doing better.

Five small leadership habits, done consistently, will do more for your performance and your team than any motivational quote or New Year’s resolution ever could.

So before you rush into another busy year, pause. Refocus. Start with the small things that keep you grounded, and watch how much smoother the year ahead feels.

Because great leadership isn’t built on grand gestures. It’s built, quietly and consistently, one habit at a time.

 

James Fleming
The Power Within Training
The Motivational Intelligence Company
james@tpwtd.com