Here’s What Leadership Lessons Mattered Most in 2024
As the year comes to a close, we’re reflecting on the incredible growth and breakthroughs of the leaders we’re proud to support. The lessons they’ve shared with us are powerful reminders of the transformative impact of purpose-driven leadership. Harnessed from our clients’ stories of empowerment and growth, here are the four leadership lessons that defined 2024.
1. Recognize, Embrace, and Function Within Your Strengths
Understanding and leveraging personal strengths emerged as a cornerstone of leadership growth this year. For many leaders, the journey began with self-reflection and acknowledgment of innate talents, then learning to embrace and work within them. By recognizing the unique ways they contribute to their teams and how their strengths play off of each other–or when their own strengths could get in their way—leaders were able to achieve new levels of impact.
One of our clients struggled with being stretched thin and feeling responsible for everything. By harnessing her strength as an arranger and applying it to delegation, she was able to build her team’s capacity and to spend more of her time focused on areas that aligned with her motivation and purpose. Not only has this empowered her team, it has grown her sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. For another leader, identifying her strengths gave her the clarity and courage to embrace them and thrive in a new role. She’s also been able to mentor others to find and leverage their strengths, too.
TIP: Identify your strengths and reflect on them each week. Ask yourself, “How can I lean into this strength to solve a challenge or seize an opportunity?”
2. Slow Down to Reflect and Challenge Your Thoughts
Amid the fast pace of leadership demands, the practice of slowing down to reflect on and reframe unhelpful thought patterns has proven invaluable, helping ensure leaders’ effectiveness. This practice enabled them to navigate complex emotions and reactions with clarity and purpose—and to take chances and move forward, despite self-doubt or the fear of failure or others’ judgments.
One leader emphasized the significance of learning to challenge their thinking and assess how their thoughts and actions aligned with their vision or goals. Because of this shift, she was able to advocate for transformative programs and organizational restructuring to benefit the organization and the people they serve. Ultimately, it strengthened her belief in herself, helping her embrace the realization that other people’s approval, judgments, and opinions don’t determine her worth or value as a capable and deserving leader.
For another Changemaking leader, improving reactions to situations and people has been extremely powerful, brought about by a shift in approaching situations with a focus on cohesion, honesty, grace, and effective communication.
TIP: Each month, identify an unhelpful thought or belief, practice reframing it, and choose a constructive action to take to support your desired mindset.
3. Build Trust and Cultivate Community
Whether transitioning into new roles or fostering collaboration within existing teams, the ability to build a supportive and positive culture was a monumental focus in 2024.
As one leader noted, “Leadership isn’t just about making decisions but about listening, being transparent, and genuinely understanding the unique needs” of those around you. By prioritizing trust and respect, leaders created environments where teams felt valued and empowered. The result? Improved alignment, stronger collaboration, and noticeable progress in achieving organizational goals.
Building connections was a crucial focus for one leader we worked with this year, who recognized the importance of creating a community. By establishing clear channels of communication, setting a shared vision, and aligning on high-impact goals, the staff and stakeholders achieved new levels of collaboration and cohesion–directly improving student performance. It’s one example that shows the stronger the foundation of trust and respect leaders build with their teams, the more they can overcome challenges together.
TIP: Identify a significant professional relationship where building trust could help amplify your impact, such as with one of your top leaders. Outline an action plan to build trust with that individual, such as by practicing active listening in one-on-one check-ins, setting clear goals that are consistent with your leadership values, and showing vulnerability and authenticity, like admitting when you’re mistaken or don’t know something.
4. Understand–And Honor–Your Why
Perhaps the most significant lesson of 2024 was for leaders to discover and honor their “why”—their core motivations and the legacies they wish to leave. One leader summed it up powerfully: “I believe in order to really lead others, you must be true to yourself, understand your ‘why’, and leverage your strengths to best accomplish your ‘why’ and beyond.”
Aligning purpose and action helped leaders move with confidence, making strategic and purposeful decisions that drove their legacies and resonated with their values. Even when faced with external pressures, others’ judgments, or seemingly overwhelming responsibilities, centering their leadership actions on their ‘why’ allowed them to persevere, grow, and believe in their own potential—and build up those around them to do the same.
As one so poignantly put it, “I have become comfortable with being challenged on the decisions that I make based on the ‘why’ and not just the ‘what’. I don’t make excuses for my choices anymore—instead, I explain the benefit in them.”
TIP: Write your “why” down and keep it somewhere you’ll see it often. Before every big decision, use it to reflect on if your choice aligns with your leadership purpose and legacy.
Define Your 2025
2024 was a year of profound learning, growth, and transformation for the leaders we work with. From embracing their strengths to challenging their thinking patterns, these lessons remind us that leadership is truly a continuous journey of self-reflection, self-improvement, and building connections.
As 2025 approaches, it’s time to ask yourself: What will define your leadership in the year ahead? Schedule a FREE discovery call today to explore how you can elevate your leadership, strengthen your team, and build a legacy that lasts.