Early January often feels familiar.
A clean slate. New plans. Fresh intentions.
And yet, I find myself – and many leaders I work with – asking the same question:
How do we make sure this year doesn’t become unnecessarily heavy again?
Not heavy in ambition.
But heavy in agendas, decisions, and mental noise.
Because growth itself is rarely the problem.
The way we grow often is.
What I see at the start of the year
In conversations with entrepreneurs and leadership teams, January tends to unfold quickly:
• Goals are clear
• Energy is high
• But within weeks, everyone is back in execution mode
Decisions remain with the same people.
Teams hesitate just a bit longer.
And leaders feel, once again, that everything runs through them.
Not because the team isn’t capable.
But because direction, priorities, and ownership haven’t been made explicit enough.
The quiet trap of growth
Growth tends to amplify existing patterns.
What once “worked fine” slowly becomes exhausting:
• short lines turn into constant interruptions
• involvement turns into control
• responsibility turns into burden
Many leaders respond by tightening their grip.
More oversight. More alignment. More personal involvement.
It works – for a while.
But over time, growth becomes increasingly expensive in energy.
The shift that actually helps
Leaders and teams who grow with focus and calm make a different move.
They stop asking “What should we do?”
and start asking:
• What truly matters this year?
• What does that require from leadership?
• What needs to be organised differently so everything doesn’t flow back to me?
These are not fast questions.
But they are the ones that create space.
Why now matters
January is not the month to lock everything down.
It is the month to lay the foundation:
• clear choices
• clear roles
• agreements that provide direction, especially when things get busy
Not big or dramatic.
But deliberate.
And often, that is the difference between a year that drains energy
and a year that gives it back.
Ready to make this concrete?
If growth is starting to cost more energy than it delivers, that is not a coincidence.
It is often a signal that your organisation is ready for sharper choices in leadership, structure, and collaboration.
Depending on where you are right now, I work with leaders and teams in 2026 in three ways:
1. 1-on-1 Business & Leadership Coaching
For entrepreneurs and leaders who want to grow without getting stuck in operations, control, and constant firefighting.
2. In-company Leadership Programme – “My Best Team Ever”
For leadership teams and organisations that want stronger ownership, better collaboration, and clear ground rules.
3. Strategy & Scaling-up Session (half-day or full day)
For leaders who want clarity: where are we now, where do we want to go, and what needs to change now?
👉 Want to explore what fits your situation best?
Send me a message with COACHING, TEAM, or STRATEGY,
and we’ll schedule an initial conversation.
Final thought
Perhaps the most important question at the start of 2026 is not:
“What do we want to achieve?”
But:
“How do we want to work and lead while we grow?”
The answer determines not only your results,
but also whether you still have energy along the way.
— Gwen
