Dr. Leah’s Top Leadership Lessons of 2024 (Part 2)

It’s hard to believe the year 2024 is almost over. I believe it’s always healthy to reflect, pause, and grow with intention. In Part 1 we explored lessons that laid the foundation for 2024: embracing change, empathy in relationships, clear communication, mental well-being, and checking for blind spots. Now, we can keep building and learning in Part 2 which I am happy to share with you.

Here are five additional leadership tips to help bring this year to a close with purpose, along with a bonus lesson to step into the new year with confidence.

Lesson 6: Celebrate Small Wins

Making it through another year is a huge deal, but we can’t forget about celebrating the small wins along the way. Recognize the progress you and your team have made throughout 2024, as this is incredible for morale and momentum for the future. Winning isn’t easy, so as successes come point them out. If possible, find special ways to acknowledge accomplishments that are genuine, maybe you already have scheduled time for reflections but this is just a reminder that each win matters.

Lesson 7: Learn From Failures

No leader is perfect, so thankfully leadership isn’t the pursuit of perfection-it’s about resilience. So much of who we are as people is how we respond to when things don’t go the way we planned. Think about some challenges you may have faced this year, what have they taught you? I believe it’s also important to share some of these with your team to normalize learning through failure.

Lesson 8: Revisit Your Vision

This lesson was huge for me this year, the end of a quarter or the end of the year is a perfect time to revisit and refine. Does your current leadership vision still align with your objectives? To take things a step further, is my vision still meaningful to my purpose? Of course, not every task will have this deep overarching meaning, however, realignment is essential to keep focus clear. Setting a clear vision for you and your team is a great way to track results and create clarity.

Lesson 9: Commit to Consistency 

Leaders should always be learners and have the ability to consistently show up as the best version of themselves, whatever that may look like for that day. Stepping into a leadership role puts a lot of pressure on you to be dependable in who you are. Your colleagues need to know you are reliable. Do you show up when you say you are? Are you prepared? These things need to be steady as much as possible to continue building trust and confidence. 

Lesson 10: Prioritize Rest and Renewal 

Rest is not a weakness, it’s a strategic tool for sustainability. Think about any aspect of your life where you want increase. You put time in, but that’s not the only thing you do at all hours of the day. You may set aside time to work out, or set aside specific times for meetings, or meals. Rest and recovery should be no different. Block off time before diving headfirst into 2025 and encourage your team to do the same. 

Bonus Lesson: Empower Others to Lead

As leaders we can get comfortable in our roles and focus on continual guidance, however it’s also about developing future leaders. Help to create more individuals who are going to have a positive influence on this world; people who are going to help others along just as you have. When other people grow, the entire organization thrives. When the time comes look at delegating meaningful responsibilities to individuals who are ready to take on more in their current role. 

My hope is that this newsletter serves as a resource for you in your personal and professional leadership journey. Every step that you take towards becoming the best version of you should be focused on the practice, not the title. The resilience to lead through challenges, while staying consistent and intentional are qualities that set exceptional leaders apart.

I hope you can hold on to these lessons and continue to make an impact and inspire others. Let’s keep leading, learning, and building—together.