As the year wraps up, many employees are asking themselves, "Should I stay or should I go?" Strong, relationship-focused leadership can make all the difference. Discover how genuine connection, belonging, and self-awareness can help leaders inspire loyalty - and handle departures with respect when they do happen.

As the calendar winds down to the end of the year, leaders, particularly CEOs, often feel the pressure ramping up. It’s a time when strategic decisions are made, deadlines loom, teams push to meet targets, and goals are set for next year. But what if we reframed what CEO stands for during this critical period? Imagine CEO meant “Chief Encouragement Officer” - a leader focused not just on steering the ship but on fuelling the energy and morale of their team. This shift can have a profound impact on how a leader navigates the busy months ahead. Here’s why it matters and how you can put it into practice.

As organisations enter the "Decade of Disorientation," characterised by rapid changes in technology, societal expectations, and market dynamics, the need for strong, adaptive leadership has never been more critical. This period of unpredictability challenges leaders at all levels to reflect on how their organisation is evolving and how to stay relevant. In this disruptive environment, defensiveness is a significant red flag. When leaders resist inquiry or deflect tough questions, it often signals a deeper problem- a reluctance to challenge the status quo and make necessary changes. For boards and CEOs, this period presents both a challenge and an opportunity: how can they steer the ship effectively while maintaining high performance and strategic alignment?

Recently, I was reminded of how much language impacts performance during a round of golf. My negative self-talk -“I’ll probably miss this shot” - led to poor results. But when I shifted to constructive phrases like “Let’s see how I can make this work,” my focus improved, and so did my shots. This lesson holds true in leadership: the words we use shape our thinking, strategy, and outcomes.

Meetings can often feel routine, especially when they follow the same format over and over. But as a leader, you have the power to change that dynamic by introducing fun, quirky questions into your sessions. Adding a bit of intelligent humour helps energise the room, spark creativity, and, most importantly, build stronger relationships within your team.

As leaders, we’re often expected to have the answers, to guide with certainty, and to keep our teams moving forward. But what if one of the most critical skills we could develop isn’t about finding comfort, but rather, learning to sit with discomfort?

As leaders, our focus is often outward—on guiding our teams, achieving results, and navigating the complexities of our organisations. But there’s another layer to leadership that’s equally important.