One practice I have incorporated into my yearly discipline is creating leadership themes for each year. These themes are not goals. Instead, I write them down as themes that are helpful reminders of the person I want to be.
To create these, I started by reviewing my themes from 2025, which were:
Leadership Themes for 2025
- I am practicing a slowed-down spirituality
- I am leading with optimism and a growth mindset
- I am doing the best I can
- I am “living like I am dying” (Time is limited)
I have reviewed these every single morning in 2025. They have helped guide my leadership throughout the year. Some have become ingrained in me (#2 and #4), while others (#1) are still a work in progress.
Next, I started taking notes in October. There was no method to this, but when I thought of something, I wrote it down.
For example, I was at a conference in October and heard someone describe my friend, Alex Judd, as always being “for things” — in a world where it’s easy to be “against” things, constantly critiquing, pointing out problems, and complaining, Alex prioritizes being “for” the things that matter. He’s someone I respect greatly, and I have experienced his constructive heart firsthand. Wouldn’t it be something if that was true about me, I thought? So, I wrote it down.
Another example: Amid some chaos at work (I could point to numerous instances in 2025), I realized that my true calling is stewardship. I’m not just managing tasks; I’m called to lead and take care of people. It is a biblical calling that dates back to the Garden, and it’s a truth I’ve now written down to live by.
You get the idea.
In November, I started highlighting the ideas that really stirred my soul, like the two I just mentioned. My idea is to live with them and try them on. Do they fit right? Do I need to make adjustments?
What is missing?
This reflection forced me to confront a 2025 theme I felt I hadn’t made enough progress on: a slowed-down spirituality. When I asked myself why that happened, I discovered two things: I was too rigid, and I didn’t have any time in my calendar to make that theme a reality. So, I added these to my list of themes for the new year.
My 2026 Leadership Themes
Here’s what I’ve come up with so far for this year’s leadership themes:
- I am pursuing my calling to bring order out of chaos, guiding myself and others toward clarity and peace.
- I am choosing to speak from a place of hope — focusing on what I am for, not what I am against.
- I am cultivating a slowed-down, flexible spirituality that continually asks, “What is good for my soul right now?
- I am practicing intentional solitude, with regular times on my calendar devoted simply to being with God.
Next week, I’ll share a bonus post with a few thoughts about these themes and why they matter to me. For now, I would encourage you to create your own list of themes for the year. Even if you don’t implement until February or March, who cares? You will be blessed by the effort of your intentionality.