As we close out the year, I’ve been doing what I always encourage my clients to do: taking a hard look at the last twelve months. What did I learn? Where did I grow? Where did I fall flat on my face? (Yep, that happened too.) I’m sharing these reflections with you because I know you might be feeling the same mix of exhaustion and excitement right now. If you’re ready to make 2026 your most impactful year yet, here are six leadership goals (New Year’s resolutions), I’m leaning into, and I’d love for you to join me.

In case we haven’t met yet, I’m Mak. I’m a leadership coach for new managers, and I spend my days helping people navigate that messy in-between space where you care deeply about doing a good job… but aren’t always sure how to lead yet. I’m glad you’re here!

1. I’m Doubling Down on the Traits That Actually Predict Leadership Success

One of the biggest misconceptions about leadership is that it’s about charisma, confidence, or having all the answers.

It’s not.

After promoting managers myself and coaching hundreds more, I’ve seen the same four traits show up consistently in the most successful leaders:

• Resilience — the ability to bounce back when things don’t go as planned
• A team-first mindset — caring more about the team’s success than personal credit
• Clear, effective communication — written and verbal
• Active listening — being fully present and genuinely seeking to understand

What I love about these traits of successful leaders is that they’re buildable. You’re not either “born with them” or not. And if you’re already asking yourself, “Do I have what it takes?,” you’re starting from the right place.

In 2026, I’m being intentional about continuing to strengthen these skills, not assuming they’ll develop on their own or that I’m “as good as I can possibly be.” This is one of my biggest leadership goals.

2. I’m Committing to Making Myself More Visible

For a long time, I believed that if I just worked hard enough, the right people would notice.

And to be fair, in an ideal world, that would be true.

But here’s what experience has taught me (both as a leader and as someone who has sat in decision-making rooms): most of the time, people aren’t ignoring your work… they simply don’t see it. Or they see it, but they don’t fully understand why it matters to the organization.

That’s not a character flaw. It’s a reality of how busy decision-makers operate.

This year reminded me that every leader needs to prioritize personal branding (and that personal branding isn’t about ego, manipulation, or being “that person” who constantly self-promotes). If you struggle with making yourself visible, watch this video. I share how as an introvert, this has never come naturally to me. When I stopped thinking about it as promoting myself and started thinking about it as advocating for my people, everything changed.

In 2026, I’m ready to make myself even more visible because I want to help more leaders like you (the ones that care about their work and their team and the impact they have on other’s lives).

3. I’m Putting My Well-Being on the Priority List

Managing people is stressful. Full stop.

You’re juggling deadlines, expectations from above, needs from your team, and often your own self-doubt in the middle of it all. And while I don’t think stress magically disappears with experience, I do know this: ignoring it will eventually show up in your leadership. That’s why this needs to be on your list of leadership goals.

Whether we like it or not, stress doesn’t just affect how we feel. It affects how we communicate, how patient we are, and how clearly we think. And that’s why in 2026, I’m being far more intentional about managing it.

Not with elaborate routines or unrealistic self-care checklists, but with a few stress management practices I know actually work:

• Staying present instead of spiraling into worst-case scenarios
• Creating mental whitespace so I’m not constantly reacting
• Asking for help instead of trying to do everything myself
• And being honest about what I need to lead well

4. I’m Treating Communication as a Non-Negotiable Leadership Skill

If there’s one thing I know for sure after working with hundreds of managers, it’s this: leadership success rises and falls on communication.

Not confidence. Not personality. Communication.

I’ve watched incredibly capable leaders struggle—not because they didn’t care or weren’t smart enough—but because they didn’t speak up clearly, avoided direct conversations, or assumed their message landed when it hadn’t. And I’ve been there myself. Thinking I was being “nice” or “clear enough,” when in reality I was being vague.

Because I have the privilege of working with so many new managers, I see over and over again that unclear communication doesn’t just create confusion—it quietly erodes trust and authority.

I’ve always prioritized communication, but in 2026, I’m being even more intentional about how I communicate. That means focusing less on sounding perfect and more on being accurate, brief, and clear.

5. I’m Building Habits That Free Me Up to Actually Lead

It’s easy to stay busy. It’s much harder to create the space to think, plan, and lead intentionally.

What I’ve learned, both personally and through coaching hundreds of managers, is that successful leaders don’t rely on willpower or hustle. They rely on habits. Simple, repeatable practices that help them step out of firefighting mode and into strategic leadership.

In 2026, I’m being far more intentional about the habits I protect. Not because I need more to do, but because I know firsthand how the right habits give me clarity, help me focus on what actually matters, and prevent overwhelm from running the show.

If you want to grow into a confident, effective leader, this part matters more than most people realize. The difference between struggling managers and successful ones is rarely talent. Instead, it’s more often about the habits they have (and whether or not they support how they want to lead).

If you’re reading this and thinking about a few of your own bad habits, head to this post where I share my top three habits every successful manager should adopt.

6. I’m Embracing My Unique Leadership Style

For a long time, I thought strong leadership had a very specific look.

Confident. Outspoken. Always ready to jump in. Always comfortable being the loudest voice in the room.

And the truth is, that image made me question myself more than once.

What I know now that I didn’t know as a new manager, is that leadership doesn’t require you to become someone else. It requires you to understand yourself and lead from that place. Quiet leaders, reflective leaders, introverted leaders bring an enormous amount of value when they stop trying to compete with a version of leadership that was never meant for them.

If you’re an introvert like me, make sure to watch this video where I share how to thrive as an introverted manager.

Setting Leadership Goals for 2026

What I’ll say as I close this out is this: none of these lessons are new to me.

I’ve learned them, forgotten them, relearned them, and refined them again over the course of many years—as a leader, as a coach, and as someone who deeply cares about doing this work well. Leadership isn’t something you “figure out” once and then move on from. It’s a practice. One that evolves as you do.

No matter how experienced you are, there’s always another level of clarity, confidence, and effectiveness available to you if you’re willing to stay intentional.

And if you’re newer to leadership, or you’re feeling like you’re white-knuckling your way through it right now, I want you to know this: you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.

If you want support building the skills, confidence, and structure to lead well, I created a free training called How to Become an Effective Leader so You Can Build a High-Performance Team. It’s designed to help you delegate with confidence, navigate tough conversations, and stop relying on Google to do your job.

Leadership gets easier when you have the right tools and the right guidance. And I’d love to support you on that journey.