2026 Will Reward This Kind of Leader
Jan 03, 2026
If your strategy for 2026 is to just hang on and hope things settle down, I have some tough news: they won’t. The pace of change that defined 2025 isn’t slowing, and Glassdoor’s word of the year fatigue is proof that the old ways of leading simply aren’t working anymore. More effort without adjustment isn’t leadership; it’s depletion. Success in 2026 will belong to leaders who are willing to reassess often, re-strategize in real time, and let go of what no longer works before burnout makes the decision for them. I know this may sound a little harsh but, you know, I call myself the “Mayor of Realville” and I’m here to help.
Fatigue Isn’t a Personal Failure: It’s a Strategic Signal
After enjoying time off for the holidays, fatigue may not be on your “Bingo Card” for the new year but if we’re not careful, it won’t take long to show up.
Let’s reframe this for a moment. Fatigue doesn’t mean you’re weak, unmotivated, or “not cut out” for leadership. More often, it means you’re operating with strategies that no longer match the reality around you.
Too many leaders set a plan once a year and then cling to it like a life raft even as the waters get rougher. Remember the “TITANIC” didn’t end well. That disconnect between what we planned and what’s actually happening is exhausting.
Fatigue is often your cue to pause and ask:
- What assumptions am I still operating under that aren’t accurate?
- What has changed that I haven’t adjusted for yet?
- What am I carrying forward out of habit, not impact?
Once you have answers to those questions, STOP doing them immediately. You don’t need five meetings to discuss them with your team. One meeting to share we’re going in a new EXCITING direction will do the job.
In 2026, Agility Beats Endurance
For years, leadership culture rewarded endurance: power through, push harder, don’t let up. But endurance without adjustment is a fast track to burnout and failure and I’m not talking about the good kind that teaches you things. I’m talking about extinction.
The leaders who will thrive in 2026 aren’t the ones muscling their way through chaos; they’re the ones who regularly step back, reassess, and make intentional course corrections. They treat strategy as a living conversation, not a static document.
That means:
- Checking in more often instead of waiting for “annual planning”
- Inviting diverse voices into strategic discussions
- Being willing to change direction without viewing it as failure
- Making space for reflection, not just execution
Re-Strategizing Doesn’t Have to Feel Heavy
Here’s the good news: reassessing and re-strategizing doesn’t have to be another draining task on your to-do list. In fact, done well, it can be energizing. I’m the self-proclaimed “QUEEN OF THE PIVOT.” If a strategy isn’t working in four to six weeks, I believe it’s time for a change.
Some of the most effective leaders I work with are finding ways to make strategy more human and more interactive turning it into dialogue, collaboration, even play. I call it “play with purpose” and I have lots of strategies that work. When people are invited to think, contribute, and experiment together, energy returns. Clarity replaces chaos. Momentum follows.
When teams feel ownership over the strategy, fatigue loosens its grip.
Three Questions for 2026
Try starting here:
- What no longer fits? (Processes, priorities, or expectations that made sense once but don’t anymore.)
- What deserves more attention? (People, conversations, or opportunities you’ve been postponing.)
- How can we stay flexible on purpose? (What rhythms or check-ins will help us adjust before burnout sets in?
You don’t need all the answers right now. What you need is a commitment to keep asking better questions.
The Bottom Line
2026 will reward leaders who are willing to pause, reflect, and adapt, not those who simply push through exhaustion. Fatigue isn’t a sign to quit; it’s an invitation to lead differently.
Reassess often. Re-strategize together. And remember: sustainable success comes from alignment, not depletion.
Here’s to a year of clearer thinking, lighter loads, and leadership that actually feels good again.
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