But clarity creates a new challenge. Once you know what matters most, you have to make room for it, and that’s often easier said than done.

Most leaders I know aren’t short on ideas or opportunities. They’re short on time. Every day presents another meeting, another request, another problem to solve. And before long, everything begins to feel equally important.

That’s when I come back to one of John Maxwell’s leadership principles: The Law of Priorities.

Because as we mature in our leadership journeys, we learn that leadership isn’t measured by how much we do. It’s measured by whether we’re giving our attention to the things that matter most.

Let’s learn more.

Activity Isn’t the Same as Accomplishment

One of the simplest yet most challenging ideas John Maxwell shares in the Law of Priorities is this: Activity is not necessarily accomplishment. It sounds obvious when we read it, but it’s much harder to live in practice.

As leaders, it’s entirely possible to spend an entire day answering emails, attending meetings, solving problems, and checking things off a list. By the end of the day, we’re exhausted. We were certainly busy. But were we actually moving the organization forward? Those aren’t always the same thing.

As much as I hate to admit it, if I’m not focused on the important purpose-driven priorities, I often find myself lost in managing my inbox. Whatever is in there screaming for my attention becomes the urgent priority of the moment. But just because it’s urgent doesn’t mean it’s the highest and best use of my time.

One of the greatest challenges in leadership is that urgency has a way of disguising itself as importance. The loudest issue often gets our attention first, while the work that creates lasting impact quietly waits its turn. Before long, our calendars become filled with activity instead of intention.

That’s where priorities become so important. They help us distinguish between what simply needs attention and what truly deserves it.

Three Questions That Bring Clarity

So, how do we decide what deserves our attention?

Maxwell encourages leaders to filter their priorities through three simple questions. I’ve found they’re just as helpful today as when I first encountered them.

What is required?
Some responsibilities simply belong to you as the leader. Certain conversations can’t be delegated. Some decisions require your judgment. There are relationships only you can build and responsibilities only you can carry. Part of leadership is recognizing what only you can do — and making sure those responsibilities don’t get crowded out by everything else competing for your attention.

What gives the greatest return?
Not every task creates the same value. Some activities keep the wheels turning. Others move the organization forward in meaningful ways. Great leaders learn to spend more of their time where their influence produces the greatest impact.

We talked about how to identify the best uses of your time in this article.

What brings the greatest reward?
This isn’t simply about doing what you enjoy most. It’s about investing your energy in work that aligns with your strengths, your purpose, and the kind of leader you’re trying to become. When those three areas begin to overlap, priorities become much clearer.

Your Team Already Knows Your Priorities

One of the interesting things about leadership is that people rarely learn your priorities from what you say. They learn them by watching where you consistently invest your time and attention.

Your calendar tells a story. The meetings you never miss tell a story. The questions you ask, the projects you personally involve yourself in, and the things you celebrate all communicate what matters most.

Similarly, the meetings you miss and the conversations you don’t have also tell a story. If a leader says people are the organization’s greatest asset but never makes time to coach or develop them, the calendar speaks louder than the mission statement. If safety is the stated priority but production volume is consistently rewarded, people notice that too.

Whether we realize it or not, we’re constantly teaching our teams what our priorities really are.

The Cost of Saying Yes

Every “yes” carries a hidden “no.”

When we say yes to one more meeting, we may be saying no to coaching someone on our team. When we say yes to every request that lands on our desk, we may be saying no to strategic thinking. Essentially: When we try to make everything important, we unintentionally communicate that nothing is.

That’s why priorities — and protecting them — genuinely require courage.

Sometimes leadership means saying “no” in the moment so you can serve the organization better in the long term. It takes true confidence in your convictions to protect time for the work that only you can do, even when there are plenty of worthwhile things competing for your attention.

It’s very rarely going to be an easy choice. But more often than not, you’ll find it’s the right one.

Leadership will always demand more than we have time to give. The question isn’t whether there will be competing priorities, because there always will be. The question is whether we’re intentionally choosing what deserves our best attention. Being busy isn’t the goal. Progressing is.

Thanks for being here this week, and thanks for continuing to do the work. As always, if you’d like to continue the conversation, you know where to find me: steve@upvantagestrategies.com.

Reflection Questions

• If someone looked at my calendar, what would they say my priorities are?

• Where have I confused activity with accomplishment?

• What responsibilities are ones that only I can fulfill, as a leader?

• What do I need to say “no” to so I can say a better “yes”?

It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through the year, isn’t it?

For many of us, January feels both recent and distant at the same time. We can probably remember some of the goals we set, the projects we were excited about, and the hopes we had for the year ahead. But if you’re anything like me, the reality of the year has likely introduced a few surprises along the way.

Last fall, we talked about creating a Year-in-Review deck for your team. Then, as we looked ahead to the new year, we worked through the “Isn’t It Great That...?” exercise to clarify what we hoped this year would become. If you worked through either of those exercises, now is the perfect time to pull them back out.

Not to grade yourself, but to learn from yourself.

The best leaders don’t wait until December to reflect. They create intentional moments to pause, take stock of where they are, and make thoughtful adjustments while there’s still plenty of year ahead. It can be hard to do while you’re caught up in work, life, and everything in between. But making space to pause, even briefly, often gives us the clarity we need to move forward with greater intention.

So, before we race into the second half of the year, let’s do exactly that.

Look Back at Where You Started

One of the interesting things about leadership is how quickly our perspective changes.

Six months ago, you were making decisions with the information you had at the time. Since then, you’ve had new experiences, solved new problems, navigated unexpected challenges, and learned things you couldn’t have anticipated.

That’s why I think it’s valuable to revisit the goals we set at the beginning of the year. Not because we expect every one of them to be completed, but because they remind us where we started, and give us a chance to see how we’ve changed.

Last December, we worked through a simple exercise called “Isn’t It Great That...?” It was designed to help clarify what we hoped this year would look like. Not just what we wanted to accomplish, but who we wanted to become as leaders.

If you completed that exercise, pull it back out this week. Read it with fresh eyes; not to judge how you’ve done, but to see how you’ve changed as a leader.

• Which goals still matter?

• Which ones have quietly fallen away?

• Which have you accomplished without stopping to celebrate?

• What have you learned that you couldn’t have known six months ago?

Leadership isn’t just about accomplishing goals. It’s about growing through the pursuit of them. Sometimes the biggest win isn’t checking every box. Sometimes it’s realizing the right goal has changed.

Build a Six-Month Highlight Reel

Last fall, we talked about creating a Year-in-Review deck: A simple way to tell the story of your team’s year through milestones, challenges, lessons, and wins. The goal wasn’t just to recap what happened. It was to pause long enough to recognize progress that might otherwise go unnoticed.

But here’s my question:

Why wait until the end of the year?

The middle of the year is just as valuable a time to step back and reflect.

If I asked you what your team was working on back in February, you’d probably have to stop and think about it. That’s exactly why this exercise matters.

When we slow down and look back, we’re often surprised by what we find. The project that seemed impossible at the beginning of the year, or the challenge the team worked through together. The process improvement that quietly made everyone’s job easier. The relationship that grew stronger through consistent effort.

Progress is often difficult to recognize while we’re living it. The pace of everyday work has a way of hiding growth from us. So this week, I’d encourage you to build a six-month highlight reel.

Pull up your calendar. Scroll through your notes. Review your project plans. Re-read your emails with your colleagues.

Then ask yourself:

• What am I most proud of?

• What challenge taught me the most?

• Where did my team surprise me?

• What quiet win deserves more recognition?

• What lesson do I want to carry into the second half of the year?

You’ll probably discover you’ve accomplished more than you remembered — and that perspective has a way of creating fresh momentum. It could even be valuable to pull your team together to revisit your accomplishments. Just like reflection, congratulating your colleagues on a job well done doesn’t need to wait until the end of the year.

Choose How You’ll Finish

Reflection only becomes valuable when it influences what comes next.

It’s easy to keep doing something simply because we’ve been doing it for six months. But good leaders regularly ask whether their time, energy, and attention are still being invested in the right places.

Ask yourself:

• What’s working that deserves more attention?

• What’s consuming energy without producing meaningful results?

• What conversations have I been avoiding?

• Where do I need to invest more in my team, my priorities, or my own leadership?

The best leaders stay committed to the purpose while remaining flexible in the path.

A Simple Mid-Year Check-In

If you’re looking for a practical way to put all of this into action, block 30 uninterrupted minutes on your calendar this week.

Then work through these three prompts:

Continue: What habits, priorities, or leadership practices are serving you well and deserve to continue?

Change: What needs to be adjusted, simplified, or left behind as you move into the second half of the year?

Celebrate: What progress, accomplishment, or lesson deserves more recognition than you’ve given it?

Sometimes 30 minutes of honest reflection creates more momentum than 30 days of simply staying busy.

Sometimes we think leadership is about always looking ahead.

But halfway through the year is a reminder that good leaders occasionally stop, look back, and ask whether they’re still headed in the right direction.

Before you jump into the next meeting, project, or goal, take a little time to revisit where you started. My guess is you’ll discover you’ve learned more, grown more, and accomplished more than you realized.

And that may be exactly what you need to finish the year well.

We’re not used to using the summer for reflection. It’s a time to hopefully make the most of the season and enjoy some quality time with family and friends. But if you make time for it, you’ll find that the middle of the year gives us something we don’t get very often: perspective.

It’s far enough from January to see what’s changed, but early enough to make meaningful adjustments before the year is over. So don’t wait until December to reflect — take a little time this week to look back, recognize how far you’ve come, and make the adjustments that will help you finish the year strong.

Thanks for being here, and thanks for continuing to do the work. If you’d like to continue the conversation, you know where to find me: steve@upvantagestrategies.com.

Reflection Questions

• What has surprised me most about the first half of this year?

• What accomplishment or lesson deserves more recognition?

• What do I need to continue, change, and celebrate before moving forward?

• If I make these adjustments now, what could be different by December?

One of the most common leadership traps is also one of the hardest to recognize.

At first, it feels like success. Maybe people come to you with questions because you have answers. Or problems get routed your way because you’re capable of solving them. It could be important decisions landing on your desk because you’ve earned people’s trust.

And for a while, that can feel pretty good. But over time, something starts to happen. The team becomes increasingly dependent on you. Decisions slow down when you’re unavailable. Opportunities get delayed waiting for your input. People begin looking up instead of stepping up. What once felt like leadership starts becoming a bottleneck.

The challenge isn’t that people lack potential. More often, it’s that we haven’t spent enough time developing them. And while that cost may not show up immediately, eventually it shows up everywhere.

A Different Kind of Lid

Last year, we talked about John Maxwell’s Law of the Lid. The idea is simple: organizations rarely grow beyond the leadership capacity of the people leading them.

I’ve experienced this personally. There have been seasons in my career where I felt stuck. The organization had reached a certain point, but we couldn’t seem to break through to the next level. We were working hard, doing many of the right things, and yet progress felt limited.

As much as I hated admitting it, what I often discovered was that I needed to take a look in the mirror. The issue wasn’t always the market, the competition, or the circumstances around me. I had reached the limits of my own leadership. My organization had hit a ceiling because I had hit a ceiling.

That’s one version of the lid. But there’s another version that shows up as organizations grow.

Sometimes the leader becomes the lid not because they’ve stopped growing, but because too much of the organization depends on them. Instead of developing people to solve problems, the leader becomes the solution to every problem. Instead of building decision-makers, they become the primary decision-maker. Instead of creating capacity around them, they become the capacity.

At first, this can feel productive. The organization may continue growing for a while. But eventually growth slows, and not because people lack potential, but because that potential isn’t being developed.

Building the People Who Build the Organization

This is where another of Maxwell’s leadership principles becomes so powerful. He teaches that the leader’s job is to build the people who will build the organization. That’s a very different mindset than simply leading followers.

In fact, Maxwell says that if you want to add growth to an organization, you lead followers. But if you want to multiply growth, you lead leaders. And this distinction matters.

Most leaders understand the importance of developing themselves. We read books, attend conferences, seek coaching, and work to improve our skills. That’s important work. But eventually the question changes. It shifts from: “How do I become more effective?” to: “How do I help others become more effective?” That’s where multiplication begins.

Leaders who develop leaders understand something many others miss: they want to be succeeded. They’re intentionally preparing others to carry responsibility, make decisions, and eventually lead at a higher level than they do today. That requires time, trust, and investing in people — arguably the most valuable resource a leader has.

It also requires treating people differently. Not everyone has the same strengths, the same motivations, or the same leadership potential. Strong leaders learn how to identify those differences and help draw the best out of each person.

That’s what creates explosive growth. Not doing more yourself, but building more leaders.

The Cost We Don’t Always See

The cost of not developing others isn’t always obvious at first. It usually appears gradually. People stop taking initiative because they know decisions will eventually come back to the leader, or potential leaders remain stuck because no one is helping them grow. Or maybe the organization becomes dependent on a few key individuals instead of building strength throughout the team.

You can see it when a leader can’t take a vacation without getting dozens of calls. Or when every decision, large or small, gets escalated upward. You can see it when talented people stop taking ownership because they’re conditioned to wait for approval. And eventually, the leader becomes exhausted carrying weight that was never meant to rest on one person’s shoulders.

Ironically, many leaders step in because they care deeply about results. But when everything depends on one person, the future becomes limited by that person’s capacity. That’s a heavy burden for anyone to carry.

Passing the Baton

At some point, every leader leaves. Whether they retire, move into a different role, or just pursue a new opportunity. Eventually, someone else takes their place. The question isn’t whether that day will come. It’s what remains when it does.

A leader’s legacy isn’t measured solely by what they accomplished while they were present. It’s measured by what continues after they’re gone. Did people grow? Did future leaders emerge? Did the organization become stronger because they were there? Or did everything depend on them staying?

John Maxwell teaches that legacy requires intention. We have to decide what we want to leave behind, live in a way that supports it, and invest in the people who will carry it forward. Without someone to carry it forward, the legacy falls apart.

That’s why developing others isn’t just about growth. It’s about succession. It’s about passing the baton.

Jackie Robinson once said, “A life isn’t significant except for the impact it has on other lives.” Leadership works much the same way. The most enduring leaders understand that their greatest contribution may not be the work they personally completed. It may be the people they helped develop along the way.

Leadership isn’t just about what we accomplish ourselves. It’s about what continues because we were there. Sometimes growth requires us to look in the mirror and raise our own lid. Sometimes it requires us to invest more intentionally in the people around us. And over time, the leaders who leave the greatest legacy are often the ones who spend the most time helping future leaders emerge.

Thanks for being here this week and for continuing to do the work. If you’d like to continue the conversation, you know where to find me: steve@upvantagestrategies.com.

Reflection Questions

• Where might I be unintentionally becoming the bottleneck?

• Who on my team has leadership potential that needs more investment?

• What am I doing today to prepare others to lead tomorrow?

• If I stepped away tomorrow, what would continue because of the leaders I’ve developed?

A while back in Wisdom Rumblings, we talked about how to give feedback with both clarity and care. And more recently, we spent time discussing trust and timing in leadership, and how both shape the way people respond to us.

The more I’ve reflected on those issues, the more I’ve realized how closely connected they really are.

Because one of the hardest parts of leadership is recognizing that sometimes feedback can be thoughtful, accurate, and genuinely well-intentioned… and still not land the way we hoped it would.

You’ve probably experienced that before. A conversation you thought was constructive suddenly becomes tense. Someone grows defensive. Or maybe they hear your words, but nothing really changes afterward.

When that happens, our instinct is often to focus on the message itself. Did I explain it clearly enough? Was I direct enough? Did I say too much? Not enough?

But over time, I’ve come to believe feedback is rarely just about the words being spoken. A lot depends on whether trust was already present, whether the timing made sense, and whether the other person felt supported enough to actually hear what was being said.

Another stop on our leadership journey. Let’s get into it!

Why Good Feedback Still Gets Rejected

One mistake leaders sometimes make is assuming that if feedback was communicated clearly, it was communicated effectively. But clarity and receptivity are not always the same thing.

Someone can fully understand your point and still not be ready to receive it. Not necessarily because they reject growth, or don’t agree (even subconsciously) but because something about the moment is off. Maybe emotions are already running high. Maybe the relationship hasn’t earned enough trust yet. Maybe the feedback arrived in a moment where the person felt embarrassed or exposed rather than supported.

People rarely hear feedback in a purely neutral way. Before they evaluate whether it’s accurate, they’re often evaluating something else first: Do I trust this person? Do I believe they’re trying to help me? Do I feel respected in this conversation?

Those questions shape far more than we sometimes realize.

Back in our conversation about trust, we talked about the importance of competence, connection, and character. Feedback tends to land differently depending on whether those things are already present in the relationship.

The exact same feedback can feel constructive coming from one leader and deeply discouraging coming from another. Not because the words changed, but because the relationship did.

Timing Changes the Conversation

Timing matters in feedback just as much as it does in decision-making.

Most of us know what it feels like to receive corrections at the wrong moment. You’re already frustrated, overwhelmed, embarrassed, or emotionally exhausted, and someone chooses that exact moment to point something out. Even if they’re technically right, it becomes difficult to absorb what they’re saying because your attention shifts from reflection to self-protection.

That doesn’t mean leaders should avoid difficult conversations or delay every uncomfortable conversation indefinitely. But it does mean timing deserves more consideration than it sometimes gets. There’s a difference between addressing something promptly and addressing it impulsively.

Good coaches understand this instinctively. The correction itself may be accurate, but if it’s delivered in the wrong moment — in frustration, in front of the team, or when morale is already low after a tough loss — players often stop hearing the coaching and start reacting to the emotion behind it.

Sometimes people need context before they’re ready for correction. Sometimes a conversation needs a little space before it can become productive. And sometimes what determines whether feedback lands isn’t the feedback itself, but whether enough trust has been built beforehand.

As we talked about recently in our conversation around timing, the right message delivered at the wrong moment can still create resistance. And in leadership, resistance is often interpreted as disagreement, when sometimes it’s really a sign that the relationship or timing wasn’t ready to support the conversation yet.

What Helps Feedback Land

Over time, I’ve noticed that feedback people receive best usually shares a few qualities.

It’s specific. It’s thoughtful. It preserves dignity instead of diminishing it. And perhaps most importantly, it feels connected to genuine investment in the person rather than frustration with them. People can usually tell the difference.

That doesn’t mean honest feedback suddenly becomes comfortable. Difficult conversations are still difficult. But there’s a difference between discomfort that leads someone toward growth and discomfort that causes them to shut down.

Good leaders learn to recognize that difference.

They pay attention to how they’re showing up. They think carefully about timing. They build enough trust that difficult conversations don’t immediately feel threatening. And they understand that feedback tends to land better when people believe the relationship can hold the weight of the conversation.

Most people don’t reject feedback because they hate growth. They reject it because something about the moment feels unsafe, unfair, or disconnected.

And when leaders understand that, they tend to approach feedback differently.

Not more softly. But more thoughtfully.

Feedback is one of the most important responsibilities leadership carries. But it’s also one of the easiest places to misunderstand what’s actually happening.

Sometimes the issue isn’t the accuracy of the feedback. It’s whether trust, timing, and relationship created the conditions for someone to truly hear it. That awareness doesn’t make these conversations easier, but it often makes them more effective.

Thanks for being here this week, and for continuing to do the work. As always, if you’d like to continue the conversation, you know where to find me: steve@upvantagestrategies.com.

Reflection Questions

• When I give feedback, do people experience me as invested in them or frustrated with them?

• How much trust have I built before stepping into difficult conversations?

• Is there a recent conversation where better timing might have changed the outcome?

Last week, we talked about something that can be difficult to recognize in ourselves — the idea that sometimes the biggest obstacle in our leadership is…us. That kind of awareness matters, because it shapes how we show up. It influences how we communicate, how we make decisions, and how we respond to what’s happening around us.

But there’s another layer to that, even when we’re clear, thoughtful, and making the right call. Everything (and I mean everything) hinges on one thing:

Timing.

The Right Thing at the Wrong Time

One of the leadership principles John C. Maxwell talks about is the Law of Timing. It’s the idea that when you do something matters just as much as what you do.

In the fast-paced day-to-day, we’re often moving faster than is ideal. Doing things ASAP often feels like not just the right move, but the only move. But that’s not always the case, and sometimes, it can set you back.

A decision can be sound, but introduced before people are ready to hear it. Feedback can be accurate, but delivered in a moment where it’s hard to receive. A change can be necessary, but pushed forward before the groundwork has been laid.

In each of those situations, it isn’t the idea itself that’s wrong. It’s the timing.

One of the more helpful ways to think about this is to consider how timing changes the outcome of the same decision. A wrong decision at the wrong time can create real problems. It’s very hard to recover from. A right decision at the wrong time often creates resistance, even if the idea itself is sound. A poor decision made at the right moment can sometimes be recovered if a leader is paying attention and willing to adjust.

But when the right decision meets the right moment, that’s when things tend to move the way you hoped they would.

Why Timing Gets Missed

Part of what makes timing challenging is that leaders are often focused on moving things forward. There’s pressure to act, to solve problems, to keep momentum going. And when something seems clear, it’s natural to want to move quickly.

But timing isn’t just about clarity. It’s also about awareness. As leaders, we need to learn how to read the room, and understand where people are. Are we really hearing what’s being said, and what might not be being said?

In a lot of cases, the signals are there, we just move past them too quickly. A hesitation in the room, a lack of questions, or even polite agreement can sometimes be an indicator that something hasn’t fully landed yet.

This is where last week’s conversation connects directly. If we’re not aware of how we’re showing up, it’s easy to miss how others are responding. We might push a point because it makes sense to us, without realizing it hasn’t connected yet for the people around us. And that’s often where timing breaks down.

What Good Timing Looks Like

Good timing doesn’t mean waiting indefinitely. It means paying attention.

It shows up in small ways: Asking questions before making assumptions, noticing when people are engaged versus when they’re hesitant, and recognizing when something needs more conversation before it can move forward.

At times, that means slowing things down. Other times, it means acting sooner than feels comfortable, especially when something has been sitting unresolved for too long.

In many cases, what we think of as “good timing” is actually the result of preparation that’s been happening for a while. Conversations that didn’t feel urgent at the time, or questions that helped clarify direction. Small moments where alignment was built before a decision ever needed to be made.

Over time, you start to develop a feel for it. And when the timing is right, you can usually tell.

Conversations move more easily. People ask better questions instead of pushing back. Decisions don’t need to be forced, because there’s already a level of alignment in place. It doesn’t mean everyone agrees on everything, but it does mean people understand what’s happening and why.

Most leaders can point to moments where the decision itself wasn’t the issue, but the timing was. And those are the moments that tend to stick with you, because they shape how you approach the next challenge.

Leadership isn’t just about making the right call. It’s about making the right call, and recognizing when the moment is right.

Timing has a way of shaping outcomes more than we often realize. The right idea, introduced at the wrong moment, can create resistance. But when timing is right, things tend to move more naturally. But that doesn’t just happen by chance. It comes from paying attention, staying aware, and being willing to adjust along the way.

Thanks for being here this week, and for continuing to do the work. As always, if you’d like to continue the conversation, you know where to find me: steve@upvantagestrategies.com.

Reflection Questions

• Where might I be moving too quickly right now? Where might I be waiting longer than I need to?

• How well am I reading the people around me before making decisions?

• Can I recall a time when I may have done the right thing, but at the wrong time? How would adjusting my timing have changed things?

Over the past few weeks, we’ve spent time talking about how leadership develops over time and how momentum begins to build when that work compounds. When we talked about growth happening daily, the focus was on consistency. And more recently, we looked at how that consistency eventually begins to move, creating momentum that others can start to see.

Both of those ideas are encouraging. They remind us that growth is possible and that effort adds up. But there’s another side to that equation that doesn’t get talked about as often. Sometimes the thing slowing progress down is not a lack of effort, or clarity, or even capability.

Sometimes it’s us.

Not intentionally, and not because we don’t care. But because there are aspects of how we lead that are hard to see from the inside. And if we’re not paying attention, those blind spots can quietly sabotage your leadership in ways that are hard to recognize in the moment.

The Part That’s Hard to See

One of the more uncomfortable truths in leadership is that self-awareness doesn’t automatically come with experience.

You can care deeply about your team, put in the time, and still have habits that create friction without realizing it. That’s part of what makes blind spots so challenging. By definition, they sit outside of your awareness. You don’t hear your tone the way it lands, or how your decisions come across. And you may not realize how your behavior is affecting the people around you.

There’s a leadership principle John Maxwell calls the Law of the Mirror. At its core, it’s the idea that growth starts with how honestly we’re willing to look at ourselves.

It sounds simple, but it’s not easy. It requires a level of honesty that most of us don’t default to, especially when we’re focused on leading others. But in many ways, that’s where real development starts. Not just with what we do, but with what we’re able to recognize about ourselves.

Part of what makes this harder is that, over time, feedback tends to decrease. As leaders take on more responsibility, people often become more cautious. They filter what they say, or hesitate to challenge someone who has authority over them. At the same time, leaders are expected to keep things moving. There isn’t always a natural pause to reflect on how things are going or how their leadership is landing with others.

That combination can create a gap. You continue moving forward, but you’re not always getting a clear picture of how your actions are being received. And that’s where blind spots tend to grow.

This is where something else Maxwell talks about becomes essential: the Law of the Inner Circle. Remember that one? A leader’s potential is shaped by the people closest to them, not just in what they help accomplish, but in what they help you see.

The people around you don’t just make you better, they give you perspective you can’t see on your own. The right people will tell you the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. They’ll point out patterns, challenge assumptions, and help you see things you might otherwise miss.

But that only works if you invite it.

In many cases, feedback doesn’t show up on its own. It has to be asked for. That might look like checking in after a meeting and asking how something came across, or pulling someone aside and asking where you could be more effective. Those conversations are simple in theory, but they require a level of humility and openness that can take time to develop.

You also have to be willing to trust.

People are far more likely to be honest when they believe their input will be received well. If feedback is dismissed or met with defensiveness, it tends to disappear. But when it’s welcomed and taken seriously, it becomes part of how the team works. I can clearly remember a number of months with my business forum group where I got called out for being defensive. I wasn’t willing to let the feedback land, take a long look at it, and let it in. I had to remember this team was for me, not against me. While not 100% of what they shared was accurate, when I became willing to trust the 80% that was, I could sort through it and take ownership. It was then that I began to grow.

When It Starts to Click

There’s often a point where this becomes more real.

It might come through a piece of feedback that stays with you longer than expected, or something you start to notice about how you tend to react. Sometimes it shows up when the same issue keeps coming up in different ways, and you begin to connect the dots. What tends to stand out in those moments is not just what you learn, but how much had gone unnoticed before.

I’ve found that what you do next matters just as much as the realization itself.

Sometimes it’s as simple as slowing down your response in the moment instead of reacting right away. Other times it’s going back to someone and asking a follow-up question you might not have asked before. In some cases, it’s just paying closer attention to patterns — noticing when the same situation triggers the same reaction, and choosing to handle it differently the next time it comes up.

It can also mean creating more consistent ways to get input. Not waiting for feedback to appear, but asking for it directly, especially after moments that felt important or unclear. Even a simple check-in like “How did that land?” can open the door to something you might not have seen otherwise.

None of these are big changes on their own. But over time, they start to shift how you show up. And that’s usually when things begin to feel different.

What This Looks Like Over Time

Self-awareness isn’t something you arrive at all at once. It’s something you build over time.

It takes a willingness to pause and reflect, even when things feel busy. It takes people around you who are willing to be honest, and a posture that makes it safe for them to do so. And it takes the same kind of consistency we’ve been talking about in recent weeks — the kind that doesn’t always feel dramatic in the moment, but adds up over time.

Gradually, those small adjustments begin to make a difference. You communicate more clearly. You listen more intentionally. You make decisions with a better understanding of how they will land.

And over time, the gap between how you think you’re leading and how people actually experience it begins to close.

That’s where a lot of meaningful growth happens. Not in big, visible moments, but in the ongoing work of seeing yourself more clearly and choosing to adjust.

One of the more challenging parts of leadership is recognizing that we don’t always see ourselves clearly. But the leaders who continue to grow are the ones who stay open to that reality. They surround themselves with people who will tell them the truth, and they take the time to reflect and adjust along the way.

It’s not always comfortable. But it is where a lot of growth begins. Thanks for being here this week, and for continuing to do the work. As always, if you’d like to continue the conversation, you know where to find me: steve@upvantagestrategies.com.

Reflection Questions

• Where might I have blind spots that are affecting my leadership right now? Have I done anything recently that didn’t land quite right with my team?

• Who in my life is most likely to give me honest feedback, and how often am I inviting it?

• How do I typically respond when someone offers me feedback that’s difficult to hear?

Last week, we talked about something that can feel a little unremarkable while you’re in it: the idea that leadership develops over time. Not in a day, but in the accumulation of days. Many, many, many days.

That kind of growth is easy to overlook, especially when progress feels slow. But every so often, something changes. The work you’ve been putting in starts to show up in a more visible way. Things begin to move. Conversations gain traction. Results come a little easier. What once felt like effort starts to feel more natural.

That shift is what we often call momentum. And while it can look like it appeared out of nowhere, it almost never does.

The Law of Momentum

Momentum has a way of creating the illusion of sudden success.

You see someone performing at a high level, leading with confidence, delivering results consistently, and it’s tempting to think it all came together quickly. But when you look a little closer, that’s rarely the case.

Think about any high-performing athlete. What shows up in the moment — the shot, the decision, the execution under pressure — is built on thousands of repetitions that no one else saw. Think about Michael Jordan. How many shots did he take in empty gyms, from every angle on the court, long before anyone was watching? By the time the moment came, it wasn’t something he had to think about. It was something he had already done thousands of times.

The same is true in leadership.

Most of what creates momentum happens before anyone notices it. It’s in the hours of preparation, the decisions made when there’s no immediate reward, and the consistency of showing up when it would be easier not to.

In organizations, it’s no different. Strong teams don’t come together overnight, and culture doesn’t shift all at once. In many cases, it takes years of steady effort before something begins to feel cohesive. You might remember that we say it takes three years to change the culture at an organization.

That work doesn’t happen on its own. It comes from the leader.

Momentum builds through the way a leader thinks ahead, prepares, and stays engaged in the process. It grows through conversations that align people, through follow-through that builds trust, and through clarity that keeps everyone moving in the same direction.

It’s not random, and it’s not accidental. Over time, those pieces begin to work together. And when they do, things start to move.

That’s what makes momentum so powerful, and also why it can feel elusive. You can’t shortcut the preparation. You can’t rush alignment. You can’t force belief. All of that takes time, and often longer than we’d like.

Which is where a lot of leaders get discouraged. The effort is there, but the visible results aren’t, and it can feel like nothing is changing. But more often than not, something is. It’s just happening below the surface.

When It Starts to Click

There’s usually a point where you can feel the shift. Conversations that used to stall begin to move forward. People start to take initiative without being asked. Decisions carry a little more weight because there’s trust behind them.

It doesn’t feel dramatic, but it does feel different.

I’ve often found this can be the result of something pivotal that happened. Maybe it’s the positive response to an inspirational speaker or a feeling a leader gets after coming from a great conference. On the opposite side, maybe it’s the motivation caused by a negative event nobody wants to experience again.

Either way, the forward progress is palpable. But, if you don’t catch the momentum — and give your people a tangible path to follow with clear action steps to keep moving — the momentum you began to enjoy can quickly wane. It’s kind of like the sugar high of an ice cream sundae…Great while it lasts, but the crash is real.

This is where systems like those described in Gino Wickman’s book Traction can be very useful. Creating frameworks to hang the efforts of your team upon will give them form and function, maximizing the impact for the team member, and the organization. It can also be less formal, like setting a goal for a particular project or a more general improvement. Each step becomes “the next right thing” that will progressively launch you in the right direction toward the attainment of the goal.

What stands out in those moments isn’t just the progress. It’s the realization that the work leading up to it mattered more than it seemed at the time.

What This Looks Like Over Time

Once momentum is in motion, leadership starts to feel different. Effort doesn’t disappear, but it becomes more effective. Energy builds instead of resetting, and progress carries forward instead of needing to be recreated each time.

That’s why momentum can be a leader’s best friend. But it’s also something that needs to be maintained, because the same way it builds, it can slow if it’s not sustained.

Momentum isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you build over time, and it takes preparation, consistency, and a willingness to stay engaged in the work even when it isn’t getting much attention. It takes the conversations no one else sees and the decisions that don’t get immediate recognition.

Over time, those things begin to connect. And when they do, what once felt like effort starts to feel like progress. Not because anything changed overnight, but because enough has been built to finally move.

Momentum has a way of making leadership look easier than it is. But behind every moment where things seem to click, there’s usually a long stretch where someone chose to stay consistent when it would have been easier not to.

That’s the work. And over time, it adds up.

So, thanks for being here, and for continuing to do the work. If you want to talk about it more, just drop me a note at steve@upvantagestrategies.com.

Reflection Questions

• Where am I expecting results before momentum has had time to build?

• What part of my leadership right now requires more consistency than urgency?

• Who are the people I need to stay in conversation with to build alignment over time?

One of the easiest traps in leadership is believing that growth should show up quickly.

We notice someone who leads with calm, clarity, and confidence, and it can be tempting to assume that’s just who they are. As if leadership arrived fully formed, or as if some people simply woke up with it.

But that has not been my experience, and it’s not what John Maxwell teaches in what he calls The Law of Process.

Leadership does not appear all at once. It is developed over time, and usually in ways that feel fairly ordinary while you’re living them. The daily choices to pay attention. The willingness to learn what you don’t know. The discipline to keep practicing what matters, even when the results are not immediate.

That kind of growth can feel slower than we’d like. But that’s also what makes it stick.

The Law of Process

Leadership doesn’t arrive in a moment. It’s built. Not in a day, but in the accumulation of days.

If you step back and look at how growth actually unfolds, there’s a pattern to it.

Stage 1: Early on, there’s a stage where you simply don’t know what you don’t know. You step into leadership, or begin to study it more intentionally, and your perspective starts to expand. You begin to see there’s more to this than you initially realized.

Stage 2: From there, something shifts. You begin to recognize that there are things you need to learn. You may not have full clarity yet, but you can feel the gaps starting to take shape.

Stage 3: Over time, those gaps become more defined. You begin to understand what you don’t know. And that’s where growth becomes more deliberate. You can name areas to improve and begin taking more focused steps forward.

Stage 4: As you stay with it, progress starts to show. The things you’ve been working on begin to surface in how you lead. Others may begin to notice. You may be trusted with more responsibility, or simply relied on in different ways.

Stage 5: Eventually, you reach a point where you’re no longer thinking through every step. You begin to move with more consistency. There’s a sense of momentum — not because everything is perfect, but because you’ve built enough foundation to keep going and to bring others along with you.

Most people don’t move through these stages in a straight line. You may revisit them more than once. But over time, the pattern becomes clear.

Leadership is built, not assigned.

Where Growth Actually Happens

If leadership develops over time, then the question becomes: what does that look like on a normal day? In my experience, it tends to show up in small, repeatable choices more than anything dramatic. The very things we talk about in this newsletter, in fact.

Here are a few ways that growth becomes evident::

• You ask one better question before offering your answer. Instead of stepping in quickly, take a moment to understand how others are seeing the situation. Even something as simple as, “How are you thinking about this?” can change the direction of a conversation.

• You give people a real chance to contribute. We’ve talked about how people engage more when they feel invited into the conversation. Sometimes that’s as simple as pausing, asking for input, and letting a little silence sit long enough for someone else to step in.

• You circle back when something doesn’t land. If a message didn’t quite work, or a conversation created friction, don’t just move on. A quick follow-up, even just acknowledging it, builds more trust than getting it perfect the first time.

• You slow down the story you’re telling yourself. When something goes sideways, it’s easy to jump to a quick conclusion about what happened or what someone meant. Taking a moment to question that first interpretation can keep a small issue from becoming a larger one.

• You protect a little time to think, not just react. It doesn’t have to be much. But without some space to step back and consider what actually matters, it’s easy to spend all your time responding instead of leading.

• You pay attention to patterns, not just moments. One conversation doesn’t define your leadership. But repeated behaviors do. If the same tension or confusion shows up more than once, that’s usually worth your attention.

• You follow through on the small commitments. The quick email you said you’d send. The check-in you meant to have. Those moments seem minor, but over time they shape how people experience your reliability.

None of these are complicated, but they are consistent. And over time, that consistency is what begins to shape how you lead and how others experience you.

When It Starts to Click

As I’m writing this, I’m in the airport on the way back from facilitating a couple of days of leadership education with a great team in Ohio. It has been so encouraging to see the growth in the members of this team. Some of them aren’t seeing it in themselves yet. And others, seeing the change in themselves and their team, are wishing it was quicker.

One of the biggest topics during our time is how “Slower is Faster”. It’s a reminder to slow down, make sure the changes are locked in for sustainability, and enjoy the journey!

(Big Shout Out to Sean, Andy, and their whole team! You all Rock!)

Slow changes over time will cement what you learn along your leadership journey. And that doesn’t always mean progress is forward.

There might be a moment where you realize you’re reacting the same way you always have, and it’s not getting the result you want. Or a situation where something you’ve been working on finally shows up differently, even in a small way.

It’s often subtle. Easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. But those moments matter, because they give you a glimpse of what’s changing, or what still needs to.

More often than not, the takeaway isn’t that everything has changed. It’s that something small has, and that’s usually enough to keep going.

What This Looks Like Over Time

When you look back on your own development, it’s rarely one moment that stands out above everything else. It’s a series of them. And over time, those moments begin to connect. The progress may not always be obvious in the moment. But it is happening.

And if you keep making the small investments, paying attention, and adjusting along the way, you’ll begin to see the result not just in what you do, but in how you lead.

One of the things I appreciate about this principle is that it takes some of the pressure off while still keeping the responsibility where it belongs. You don’t have to become the finished version of yourself by tomorrow. But you do need to keep investing in who you are becoming. That’s the work. And that’s why we’re all here, trying little by little to improve ourselves and our leadership.

So, thanks for being here, this week and every week. And as always, if you’d like to continue the conversation, you know where to find me: steve@upvantagestrategies.com.

Reflection Questions

• Where have I grown as a leader over the past year that I may not have fully acknowledged?

• What gap in my leadership is becoming clearer to me right now?

• What is one small practice I could return to this week that would strengthen the way I lead over time?

If you’ve spent any time leading people, you’ve likely felt the difference trust makes. When trust is present, teams move more freely. Conversations are more honest. People bring their best thinking forward. Even difficult moments feel manageable.

But when trust is missing, everything becomes harder. People hesitate. Communication becomes guarded. Progress slows down. I bet you can recall a time when you lost trust in a manager, and the effect it had on you. It can really shake you.

John Maxwell often reminds us that trust is the foundation of leadership, something he calls the Law of Solid Ground. Without it, influence weakens quickly.

Recently, I was revisiting this principle and was reminded how clearly it comes down to three things: competence, connection, and character. Each one contributes to whether people feel confident following a leader.

How to build and keep that trust? Well, let’s get into it.

The Three Foundations of Trust

Trust in leadership isn’t built all at once. It grows over time through decisions, conversations, and everyday interactions.

One helpful way to think about trust is like change in your pocket. Every time a leader makes a sound decision, keeps a commitment, or handles a situation with integrity, a little more goes in. But when a decision undermines credibility or consistency, some of that change comes out.

Over time, people begin to sense whether that pocket is filling up or running empty.

What determines that balance usually comes down to three things: competence, connection, and character.

1. Competence

First, people need to trust your competence.

In simple terms, they need confidence that you understand the work and can lead them through challenges.

That doesn’t mean a leader has to know everything. No one does. But leaders should demonstrate a level of proficiency in their role and a willingness to find answers when they don’t have them. When technical questions arise, people look to their leader for guidance, or at the very least for direction on where to find the right information.

Competence builds credibility. Without it, people begin to question direction and hesitate to follow.

2. Connection

Competence alone, however, isn’t enough. People also need to trust that their leader sees them and values the relationship.

Connection grows through time and intentional effort. It comes from listening carefully, learning what motivates the individuals on your team, and showing genuine interest in the people behind the roles.

When leaders take the time to build those relationships, the environment begins to change. People feel more comfortable speaking honestly, sharing ideas, and raising concerns earlier. Conversations become more open, and collaboration improves.

Connection reminds people they are not simply contributors to a task. They are valued members of a team.

3. Character

The third element is character. Character communicates consistency. It helps people understand that their leader will show up with integrity and reliability, especially when situations become difficult.

Leaders demonstrate character through the decisions they make and the standards they maintain. They honor commitments, act in ways that serve the organization rather than personal interests, and take responsibility when something goes wrong.

One of the strongest signals of character is a willingness to admit mistakes. When leaders are honest about their own missteps and willing to acknowledge them openly, it builds credibility rather than diminishing it.

Over time, that consistency creates stability. People begin to believe they can count on their leader when challenges arise.

When Trust Begins to Break

Sometimes leaders notice the symptoms before they recognize the cause. They might say things like, “My team seems to hold back,” or “I’m having trouble rallying people behind a decision.”

In many cases, those challenges trace back to trust.

When people begin to question a leader’s competence, connection, or character, they naturally become more cautious. They share less freely. They wait longer before speaking up. Momentum slows.

Trust rarely collapses overnight. More often, it erodes gradually through small moments, or it grows through them.

Each decision, each conversation, and each response to a difficult situation either adds to that foundation or takes something away. Over time, people begin to sense whether that foundation is strengthening or weakening.

Competence helps people believe in your ability to lead. Connection helps them feel valued in the process. Character reassures them they can rely on your leadership over time.

Together, those qualities form the solid ground leadership stands on.

Trust isn’t built through titles or authority. It’s built through the daily choices leaders make.

When people see competence in your work, feel connection in your leadership, and experience consistency in your character, trust begins to grow. And when trust grows, leadership becomes far more powerful.

Thanks for being here this week. If you’d like to continue the conversation about leadership development, you know where to find me: steve@upvantagestrategies.com.

Reflection Questions

• Where do people on my team see my competence most clearly?

• How intentional am I about building genuine connection with those I lead?

• In what ways does my character show up consistently, especially in difficult moments?

If you’ve led a team for any length of time, you’ve probably facilitated some form of training. Maybe you were onboarding a new employee, rolling out a new system, walking through expectations, or leading a development workshop. And if you’re honest, you may have walked away from one of those sessions wondering why it didn’t quite connect the way you hoped it would.

Remote training in particular can feel challenging. Cameras might be off. Participation feels weak. It can feel like you’re presenting material into space rather than engaging people. But how do we improve? How do we capture folks’ attention, even when they’re across the country with all the stress and strains of everyday life on their minds?

This week, I asked Eddie Sauceda, our lead Instructional Designer for the UpVantage Center for Safety Leadership™ and expert on adult education principles, to share what he’s learned about working with adults in learning environments. Eddie brings both formal study and decades of lived experience to this work.

Huge thanks to Eddie for taking the time to join us this week. I’ll let him take it from here.

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Remote Training 101: Teaching Adults the Right Way

By Eddie Sauceda, Program Manager & Senior Instructional Designer at UpVantage Strategies

Over time, I’ve come to understand that when adult training struggles, it’s rarely because the material itself is weak. More often, it’s because we are using methods that were designed for children.

Most traditional education programs focus on pedagogy — how to teach kids. But adults learn differently. The field that studies adult learning is called andragogy, and it begins with a simple distinction: children are generally learning for the future, while adults are learning for the present.

An adult wants to know how this applies now. How does this help me in my role? How does this affect my team, my safety, my responsibilities? If that connection isn’t clear, attention naturally fades.

Adults also bring something else into the room: experience. They are not blank slates. They bring years of work, life, successes, disappointments, and lessons learned. And whether we acknowledge it or not, there is often a quiet evaluation happening internally. People are asking themselves how they compare, whether they already know the material, and how they are perceived by others in the room.

If we overlook that reality, we create distance before we’ve even begun. There are three areas I have learned to pay close attention to when working with adults.

Start with the Person, Not the Content

If you want to understand what motivates someone, you have to know them. There really isn’t a shortcut around that.

Often it begins with something simple, like asking, “Tell me what you know about this topic.” That question shifts the posture of the room. It communicates that we are building on experience rather than replacing it.

In adult learning environments, I try to avoid what I call “gotcha” questions or the kind that expose what someone doesn’t know. Public correction can have a similar effect. Even when the intention is good, it can unintentionally diminish the experience a person brings. Once that happens, participation tends to shrink.

Adults are often engaged in an internal dialogue while learning. They are assessing themselves, sometimes comparing themselves to others, sometimes trying not to appear uninformed. Because of that, the way we respond to contributions matters. When we acknowledge a perspective and build from it, people tend to relax. When someone feels dismissed or exposed, even subtly, they withdraw.

This understanding is personal for me.

I grew up in a family of migrant workers. We worked in the fields until I was 18 or 19. When I was eleven, I served as an interpreter for my mother at a Health and Human Services office. I remember struggling to translate a complicated question from a social worker and feeling the weight of that moment. I told myself then that one day I wanted to be on the other side of that desk — helping people navigate systems that felt overwhelming.

Experiences like that stay with us. They shape how safe we feel in unfamiliar settings. They shape how confident we feel when speaking up. If we don’t understand where someone has been, we cannot fully understand what motivates them now.

Years later, I returned to school at 37 to study instructional design because I realized that helping adults learn required more than good material. It required understanding the individual in front of me.

Let the Room Contribute

It is often said that a significant portion of what adults learn in a classroom comes from one another. In my experience, that observation holds true.

Adults tend to learn best through participation — think discussion, collaboration, and reflection. When people are invited to share how a concept connects to their own experience, the room becomes more engaged, and the learning becomes more durable.

As a facilitator, I pay attention to how people interact. There is often someone who speaks quickly and frequently, someone who naturally steps into a counseling role, and someone who echoes what has already been said. Rather than viewing those tendencies as disruptions, I see them as information. They help me understand the dynamics of the group and how to guide the conversation.

Vulnerability also plays an important role. When a facilitator shares something honest from their own experience, it lowers barriers. No one is forced to respond, but more often than not, someone does. Sometimes it happens during the session; other times it comes later in a follow-up conversation. That openness builds trust in a way that a perfectly polished presentation rarely does.

The design of the presentation itself matters as well. Adults don’t need slides filled with full sentences. They can read between the lines. Bullet points and visual cues tend to be more effective because they prompt dialogue rather than replace it. The facilitator’s role is to guide understanding, not to read a script.

I’ve also learned that participation reveals the difference between perceived knowledge and real understanding. There have been times when I assumed I knew a topic thoroughly, only to discover gaps when I had to teach it. That experience reminded me that engagement, not passive listening, is what deepens learning.

Make It Relevant to Real Life

Perhaps the most consistent theme in adult learning is immediacy. Adults are motivated by seeing how something connects directly to what they’re responsible for right now. If they cannot see how something connects to their current responsibilities or to the realities of their lives, their engagement weakens.

For example, when discussing workplace safety, I do not begin with compliance language. I talk about coming home whole. I talk about family. I talk about the people who depend on us. That framing connects the content to something personal and meaningful.

One of the most lasting leadership impressions on me came from a simple act of care. The president at the community college where I worked invited me for a conversation shortly after I started working there. Months later, she saw me again and asked about my wife by name. She remembered a very important detail about my life.

That moment stayed with me because it communicated something deeper than competence. It communicated care.

People are far more receptive to learning from someone who demonstrates genuine interest in them. Adults do not stop being students when they leave school. They apply what they learn every day. When they feel respected and seen, learning becomes something they choose to engage in rather than something they tolerate.

Over the years, I’ve learned that adults don’t resist learning, they resist feeling diminished. When we honor their experience and connect the material to real life, the room changes. And when the room changes, so does the outcome.

A Closing Thought

Steve here. Again, I want to thank Eddie Sauceda for lending his expertise to Wisdom Rumblings this week. As I reflect on what Eddie shared here, what strikes me most is how relational this really is. There’s no complicated framework hiding underneath it. Just a consistent posture of respect.

Adults want to know what they already bring matters. They want to understand why something applies now. And they want to trust that the person leading them genuinely cares. That posture changes the tone of a room more than any slide deck ever will.

As you think about your own leadership this week, consider how you are creating space for the experience already present in the room.

What I appreciate most about Eddie’s perspective is how steady it is. There is no ego in it, no need to impress. Just a reminder that adults deserve to be treated like adults.They want to be engaged, respected, and invited into the learning process.

Whether you’re facilitating formal training or simply leading a weekly meeting, that posture matters. When we walk alongside people rather than talking down to them, learning becomes growth.

Thanks for being here. If you’d like to continue the conversation about leadership development or adult learning, you know where to find me: steve@upvantagestrategies.com.

Reflection Questions

• Where might I be unintentionally teaching adults the way I was taught as a child?

• Do the people I lead feel respected for the experience they already bring?

• How could I make my next meeting or training more participatory and immediately relevant?

Leadership has a funny way of humbling us.

You can have good intentions, solid experience, and a genuine desire to do right by people, and still find yourself misunderstood, misaligned, or wondering why a conversation didn’t land the way you intended.

Over the years, one of the most helpful tools I’ve found for making sense of this has been Insights Discovery. It’s shaped how I lead, how I communicate, and how I manage relationships, both at work and outside of it.

If you’ve been reading along for a while, you may remember a deeper introduction to Insights Discovery in a newsletter last year. Today, I want to build on that foundation by sharing what I’ve personally learned about using the tool, not just understanding it. Because insight only becomes useful when it changes how you show up with people.

A Quick Refresher: What Is Insights Discovery?

Insights Discovery is a practical framework built on the work of Carl Jung. It’s designed to help people better understand how they prefer to communicate, make decisions, and interact with the world, especially under pressure.

Rather than putting people into rigid personality “types,” Insights Discovery describes four color energies that we all have in different degrees:

• Fiery Red (decisive, driven, results-focused)

• Sunshine Yellow (enthusiastic, relational, big-picture)

• Earth Green (empathetic, patient, relationship-oriented)

• Cool Blue (analytical, precise, detail-focused)

Each of us has all four. What differs is which energies we naturally lead with, and how consciously (or unconsciously) we dial them up or down.

If you want the full walkthrough of the model and the color energies, I’d encourage you to revisit last year’s newsletter. For today, what matters most is how this awareness plays out in real relationships.

What My Profile Showed Me (and What I Had to Get Used To)

When I first received my Insights profile, two color energies stood out clearly for me: Fiery Red and Sunshine Yellow.

That felt accurate right away.

I’m wired to move. I like to make decisions, push things forward, and create momentum. I don’t love waiting around, and I’m comfortable acting before every variable is perfectly known. At the same time, I rely heavily on intuition and feeling when I make decisions. Things tend to either feel right or they don’t, and I don’t need a mountain of data to get there.

What took more getting used to was seeing how low my Earth Green and Cool Blue energies were by comparison.

At first, that felt uncomfortable. I care deeply about people. I can work through detail when I need to. But over time, I came to understand that Insights isn’t saying I lack these qualities — it’s showing what doesn’t come most naturally or effortlessly. And that distinction matters.

Awareness Changes How You Show Up

One of the biggest shifts for me has been learning to recognize my own energy in real time, especially on hard days. When pressure is high or I’m feeling stressed, my Fiery Red energy can come out sharper than I intend. Because I’m aware of that, I can name it. I can slow myself down. Sometimes I can even say to my team, “Hey, I’ve got a little extra edge today — it’s not about you.”

That simple awareness goes a long way.

It’s also helped me become more observant of others. Instead of assuming people are being resistant, disengaged, or difficult, I try to notice how they prefer to process information and interact. That awareness makes it much easier to adjust my pace, tone, and expectations.

Beyond Work: Friends, Family, and Everyday Interactions

What surprised me most is how much this carries over into life outside of work. Whether I’m talking with friends, riding motorcycles, or just sitting down for a beer, I find myself paying attention to how people engage. Some folks need space. Some need enthusiasm. Some want clarity. Some want empathy first.

I don’t always get it right. But having a lens helps me avoid overwhelming people with my energy, especially when my natural style might feel like “too much” to someone else.

Building Better Teams by Knowing Your Gaps

Insights Discovery has also changed how I think about building teams. I’m much more aware of my blind spots now. I know I can miss details. I know I can move too fast. Because of that, I intentionally surround myself with people who bring strengths I don’t naturally lead with.

• People who notice what I missed.

• People who can read a room and tell me how others are really feeling.

• People who slow things down just enough to make decisions better.

Leadership doesn’t require being well-rounded. It requires being well-supported by people who see the world differently and are invited to contribute what you can’t. Over time, I’ve learned that the strongest teams aren’t built around similarity, but around awareness: awareness of strengths, awareness of gaps, and a shared respect for how different perspectives make better decisions possible. When leaders stop trying to compensate for everything themselves and start designing teams with intention, the work gets better, and so do the relationships.

Insights Discovery didn’t change who I am. It helped me understand myself more clearly, and gave me better tools to meet others where they are. Leadership is relational. Communication is relational. And self-awareness is often the difference between good intentions and real impact.

If you’re curious about Insights Discovery — for yourself, your team, or even your personal relationships — I’m always happy to talk more. You can reach me at steve@upvantagestrategies.com.

Thanks for being here, and thanks for continuing the work of thoughtful leadership.

Reflection Questions

• Where do my natural communication preferences serve me well, and where might they create friction?

• Who in my life or work thinks very differently than I do, and what might I learn from adjusting my approach?

• How could greater self-awareness change the way I show up in my most important relationships?

Hope you’re heading into the weekend with a little breathing room. Hard to believe January is already almost behind us. Right around this time of year, something familiar tends to happen.

The optimism of early January is still there, but the pace has picked up. Projects are fully in motion. Calendars are crowded again. The space you may have had earlier in the month to think, plan, and reset has quietly filled with meetings, emails, and requests that all seem to need attention now.

This is often the moment leadership shifts from intentional to reactive. Not because anything has gone wrong, but because urgency quietly takes over.

And once urgency is in the driver’s seat, even strong leaders can lose their footing. Most don’t struggle because they lack discipline or vision. They struggle because urgent work is persistent, while important work is patient.

And if you’re not careful, urgency begins to decide how you spend your time. Let’s get into it.

The Urgency Trap

There’s a subtle leadership trap that shows up right around this time of year: mistaking urgent work for important work.

Urgent work demands immediate attention. Important work determines long-term results.

Stephen Covey — educator, leadership thinker, and author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — spent much of his career helping leaders understand this tension. One of his most enduring illustrations is often referred to as the Big Rocks theory.

The image is simple but revealing. Imagine a jar you want to fill with rocks, gravel, sand, and water. If you begin with the sand, there’s no room left for the rocks. But when you place the big rocks in first, everything else finds a way to fit around them.

See Stephen Covey explain this theory here ⬇️

Leadership tends to work the same way.

The big rocks represent the work that truly shapes outcomes — setting direction, developing people, strengthening culture, improving systems, and thinking ahead. The gravel and sand represent the tasks that keep things moving: emails, meetings, quick decisions, and constant requests.

The problem isn’t that the sand exists. The problem is when it goes in first.

When leaders don’t intentionally identify and protect space for their big rocks, urgency fills the jar by default.

This concept is heavily referenced in Traction by Gino Wickman, and it’s a reference (and book) I love because it forces an honest look at how leaders actually allocate their time, not just how they hope they do.

A Simple Way to See the Problem

Covey later gave leaders a more concrete way to evaluate this tension through what’s commonly called the Urgent–Important Matrix, which organizes work based on urgency and importance.

This framework doesn’t replace the Big Rocks idea, it complements it.

In practice, this concept often shows up in very ordinary ways. A meeting that feels urgent because it’s on the calendar, even though it doesn’t require your presence. An email that demands a quick response, but doesn’t change any meaningful outcome. A decision you keep revisiting because it’s easier to react than to slow down and think it through.

None of these things are wrong. But left unchecked, they quietly consume the space where important work is supposed to live.

The matrix helps leaders pause and ask better questions in real time:

• Does this truly require my attention right now?

• Is this urgent because it matters, or because it’s loud?

• What important work am I trading away by saying yes to this?

Used this way, the Urgent–Important Matrix isn’t about labeling tasks, it’s about protecting capacity. It gives leaders permission to schedule what matters before urgency fills every open space.

Some work is both urgent and important — true crises, real deadlines, situations that genuinely need immediate attention. That’s part of leadership.

But the danger zone is living too long in work that is urgent but not important. These tasks feel productive because they demand action, but they don’t move the organization forward. They keep leaders busy without making them more effective.

Meanwhile, the work that builds teams, clarifies direction, strengthens systems, and develops people almost always falls into the category of important but not urgent. And because it doesn’t shout, it’s the first thing to get postponed.

Until it becomes a problem.

How Leaders Create Space on Purpose

Good leaders don’t eliminate urgency. That’s not realistic. But they refuse to let urgency dominate.

They intentionally protect time for:

• thinking instead of reacting

• planning instead of scrambling

• developing people before problems force the issue

This is the work that prevents tomorrow’s fires. It doesn’t feel dramatic. It doesn’t always produce immediate results. But over time, it compounds, and it’s what separates leaders who are constantly responding from those who are building something sustainable.

One simple question helps clarify where your time belongs: Is this work helping me get through today, or helping us perform better tomorrow?

Both matter. But only one creates lasting momentum.

What Your Calendar Is Teaching

One thing I’ve seen consistently is that leaders teach their teams what matters by what they treat as urgent. If everything is urgent, people stop thinking critically and start escalating reflexively. Urgency becomes a habit, and habits shape culture.

Experienced leaders tend to do something different. They slow the pace when needed. They create space for reflection. They make room for work that doesn’t demand immediate attention, but matters deeply.

And that’s not weakness.That’s leadership maturity. Over time, those signals shape how people think, decide, and show up — often more than anything written on a strategy slide.

Urgency will always be part of leadership. But it doesn’t have to be the thing that defines it. The leaders who make the greatest long-term impact are the ones who learn to step out of constant reaction and place the most important work first, even when it feels uncomfortable.

If you want to talk through how to make that shift in your own leadership this year, I’m always glad to connect. You can reach me at steve@upvantagestrategies.com. Thanks for continuing to do the work that matters, not just the work that’s loud.

Reflection Questions

• What are the “big rocks” in my leadership right now? Am I protecting time for them?

• Where am I spending most of my energy? On urgent work or important work?

• What important work have I delayed simply because it doesn’t demand immediate attention?

I hope you had a meaningful holiday season — time to rest, reconnect, and maybe even slow the pace for a moment. As we step into a new year, most of us are doing what leaders tend to do: looking ahead, picking things back up, and turning our attention to what’s next.

There’s something about the beginning of a year that brings both clarity and pressure. New expectations. Fresh goals. Old challenges that didn’t magically disappear just because the calendar changed.

And if we’re not careful, leadership can start to feel lonely again, fast.

Decisions stack up. Expectations come from every direction. And the higher the responsibility, the easier it is to believe you need to have all the answers yourself. But that belief is one of the quickest ways to limit your impact.

One of the most important reminders to start the year with is this: no leader becomes great alone. Progress, sustainability, and long-term success are always a team effort — whether we acknowledge it or not.

So as we begin 2026, I want to spend some time reflecting on a leadership principle that’s easy to underestimate, but impossible to ignore if you want to grow: the Law of the Inner Circle.

Leadership Is a Team Sport

The idea comes from John Maxwell, one of the most widely respected leadership thinkers of our time. In his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, he outlines what he calls the Law of the Inner Circle — the principle that a leader’s potential is determined by the people closest to them.

There’s a common myth in leadership that the strongest leaders are the most self-sufficient ones. The reality is just the opposite. The leaders who make the greatest impact are the ones who understand their own limits, and intentionally surround themselves with people who help close those gaps.

Great leaders don’t try to be everything. They build teams where everything needed is present.

It’s worth clarifying that your inner circle can mean two things: the team you intentionally build inside your organization, and the leaders, friends, or mentors outside of work who give you perspective, challenge your thinking, and create a safe place to be honest. Most strong leaders need both.

Think about the examples we often admire in sports, business, or history. The names we remember weren’t successful because they had all the talent themselves. They were successful because they built an inner circle that elevated the whole.

A powerful example I think of often is Herb Brooks, head coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, who understood that his success depended not just on talent on the ice, but also on the coaching voices he surrounded himself with — assembling a staff that complemented his strengths, challenged his assumptions, and helped bring a bold vision to life. The story that resulted is EPIC! If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth watching. It’s chronicled in the movie “Miracle on Ice.”

Leadership potential isn’t determined only by skill or ambition. It’s shaped by who you allow close enough to influence your thinking, challenge your blind spots, and extend your reach.

Your Inner Circle Determines Your Ceiling

One of the most sobering leadership truths is this: Your growth will eventually be limited by the people closest to you.

That’s not a judgment. It’s an invitation. Your inner circle doesn’t have to be large, but it does need to be intentional. These are the people who:

• help you see what you can’t see

• bring perspective you don’t naturally have

• carry influence you don’t personally hold

• and push the work forward when you’re not in the room

I experienced this personally when I realized I had reached a ceiling in my own leadership and joined a business owners forum to surround myself with other leaders who were facing similar challenges. Nearly a decade later, those relationships still matter — not just because of what I learned, but because of the perspective, accountability, and trust they created.

If you’re trying to lead change, shape culture, or improve safety, quality, or performance, your inner circle becomes the primary vehicle for that influence.

What Makes Someone a High-Impact Inner Circle Member?

Not everyone belongs in the inner circle, and that’s okay. This isn’t about favoritism or hierarchy. It’s about effectiveness.

A simple gut-check I’ve learned over time is this: does this person make me think more clearly, act more responsibly, and lead more effectively, even when the conversations are uncomfortable?

High-impact inner circle members tend to share a few traits:

• They carry influence. People listen to them. They’re trusted. When they speak, others pay attention.

• They bring complementary strengths. They don’t mirror you — they balance you. They fill gaps rather than compete for space.

• They’re strategically positioned. Their role or relationships allow them to impact culture across the organization.

• They add value beyond themselves. Their presence strengthens not just the group, but the broader system.

• They make the circle better, not easier. Sometimes the most valuable voices are the ones willing to challenge assumptions or push for improvement.

The goal isn’t harmony at all costs. It’s progress with integrity.

Are You Continually Improving Your Inner Circle?

One mistake leaders make is treating their inner circle as static. But leadership environments change. Organizations evolve. New challenges emerge.

That means your inner circle should be continually refined. Who needs a seat at the table that doesn’t have one yet? Who has strong opinions but no ownership — and needs both? Who has influence but hasn’t been invited into the process?

Strong leaders don’t avoid these questions. They ask them regularly.

The Real Question

There’s another angle to this principle that’s easy to overlook:

Are you becoming the kind of leader someone else would want in their inner circle?

Are you:

• growing your influence responsibly?

• adding value where you’re invited?

• cultivating trust, clarity, and consistency?

• developing your leadership skills so others can rely on you?

Leadership isn’t just about who you gather around you — it’s also about the value you bring wherever you’re placed.

Leadership was never meant to be a solo effort. The people you surround yourself with shape not only what you accomplish, but who you become along the way.

As you reflect at the start of this year, take an honest look at your inner circle — and at the value you bring to others. Both matter more than we often realize.

If you want to talk through how to strengthen your inner circle or your own leadership influence, I’m always glad to connect. You can reach me at steve@upvantagestrategies.com.

Thanks for being here, and thanks for continuing to do the work of thoughtful leadership for another great year.

Reflection Questions

• Who currently makes up my inner circle — formally or informally?

• In what ways do they strengthen my leadership? Where might there be gaps?

• Where might I look to find the kind of people I want in my inner circle?

• Am I becoming the kind of leader someone else would want in their inner circle?

As we move toward the close of another year, many of us are carrying a familiar mix of emotions. Gratitude for what went well. Fatigue from the pace. Hope for what’s next. And maybe a quiet sense that something needs to change.

Last December, I shared an exercise called “Isn’t It Great That…” — a simple framework for visualizing goals and emotionally connecting with the future you wanted to create. Many of you told me you tried it, revisited it, or found yourself thinking back on it as the year unfolded.

This year, I want to build on that idea, but with a slightly different focus.

Instead of centering this exercise on what you want to accomplish next year, I want to invite you to reflect on the qualities and traits you want to grow into as a leader. Because while goals give us direction, leadership is shaped just as much by how we show up as by what we achieve.

Let’s take a look.

(And I hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday season. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!)

From Goals to Qualities

By shifting this exercise, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with concrete goals. I’m still a fan. But over time, I’ve noticed that some of the most meaningful growth doesn’t come from checking boxes. It comes from strengthening the traits that guide our decisions and the qualities people experience when they’re around us.

This year, many of our Wisdom Rumblings conversations revolved around steadiness, clarity, courage, integrity, listening, and recalibration. Not flashy outcomes, but deep, durable leadership.

So here’s the question at the heart of this year’s exercise: What if next year was shaped less by what you accomplish, rather more by the qualities you cultivate and the traits you practice consistently?

2025’s Reflection Exercise

As with last year’s exercise, this works best when you slow down. Find a quiet space. Take a walk. Sit with a notebook. Let your thoughts unfold without rushing to fix or finalize anything.

Step 1: “Wouldn’t It Be Great If…”

Last year, this question helped you imagine outcomes. This year, let it shape character. Complete the sentence:

“Wouldn’t it be great if next year I were more…”

Think about traits and qualities that would make your leadership feel more grounded, more clear, or more sustainable.

Examples:

• …more assertive when clarity is needed

• …more patient under pressure

• …more consistent instead of reactive

• …more willing to address hard conversations early

• …more present, even when things feel uncertain

Write freely. Don’t overthink it. Let this reflect what this past year quietly revealed you needed most.

Step 2: “Imagine If…”

Now move from traits to identity. Rewrite a few of your statements beginning with:

“Imagine if next year I became a leader who…”

Examples:

• …communicates expectations clearly and early

• …listens without rushing to solve

• …leads with calm instead of urgency

• …sets boundaries without guilt

• …models integrity when it’s inconvenient

This step moves the exercise from wishing to becoming. It helps you imagine not just what you’d do differently, but who you’d be while doing it.

Step 3: “If My Team Could Describe Me in One Sentence…”

This final step grounds the exercise in real life. Answer these two prompts honestly:

Looking back on this year:
“If my team described my leadership this year in one sentence, what would they say?”

Looking ahead to next year:
“If my team described my leadership at the end of next year in one sentence, what would I hope they say?”

The space between those two sentences reveals exactly where growth wants to happen.

Turning Reflection Into Practice

As with last year’s exercise, reflection only becomes meaningful when it’s revisited. Choose one trait or quality from this exercise and ask:

• What small, repeatable practice would reinforce this?

• Where could I remind myself of this regularly?

I mentioned last year that I programmed my phone to play my “Isn’t it great that…” statements every morning on the way to the gym. Hearing it regularly helped me stay oriented towards what I was working to become.

You don’t have to do anything fancy. It might be a note on your desk. A post-it on your mirror. A weekly calendar reminder. The background of your phone. Or a simple question you ask yourself before meetings: “What qualities can I bring to this moment?”

Leadership change rarely happens through big declarations. It happens through small, consistent choices.

What If I Don’t Live Up to It?

You won’t do this perfectly. None of us do. Some weeks you’ll feel aligned. Other weeks you won’t. That doesn’t mean the exercise failed. It means you’re human.

This isn’t about judging yourself at the end of next year. It’s about giving yourself a clearer compass now — something to return to when things feel noisy or rushed.

Growth is rarely linear. But it is cumulative.

As 2025 wraps up, I hope you’ll pause long enough to notice the growth that doesn’t always show up on a scoreboard — the moments you stayed steady, chose clarity, or led with integrity when it would have been easier not to.

Leadership isn’t formed in a single year. But every year shapes us. If you’d like to talk through what surfaced for you during this exercise, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me anytime at steve@upvantagestrategies.com.

Here’s to a meaningful close to this year, and a grounded, intentional start to the next.

From our family to yours: Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Reflection Questions

• Which quality or trait felt most important as you reflected on this year?

• Where did you notice a gap between how you led and how you want to lead?

• What kind of leadership did this past year ask of you?

• What word, phrase, or sentence do you want guiding you into the year ahead?

We’re trying to close things out with integrity, keep people supported, and finish the work that’s in front of us. In all that motion, it’s easy to forget a pretty basic truth: you can’t understand a year while you’re still inside it.

You have to step out for a moment, turn around, and look back with honest eyes.

When I finally do that — when I scroll back through my calendar, skim old notes, replay the conversations and the turning points — I’m always surprised. Not by the obvious wins, but by the quieter ones. The lessons I didn’t know I was learning. The places I grew without noticing. The stretch points that felt like stress at the time, but now look like newfound strength.

Maybe you’ve felt that too.

That’s why I put this Year-in-Review edition together. Not to admire the past, but to make sense of it. To remember what’s worth carrying forward, and what we can finally set down.

Below, you’ll find a core insight from every edition we explored this year, along with links back to the full articles. Use it however you need: as a recap, a guide to revisit topics you want to dig deeper into, or a way to notice what’s still tugging at your curiosity.

You may find some topics you’re ready to revisit, or a few that feel a little uncomfortable. You may remember real situations where these ideas showed up in your own leadership — moments you navigated with more steadiness than you realized at the time.

My hope is that this brings a sense of perspective, and maybe even a bit of encouragement. The leadership journey never really ends, but growth is always worth noticing.

Think of it as our own little Wisdom Rumblings: 2025 Wrapped.

Let’s look back together.

2025 Words of Wisdom

What Happens When You Begin in Gratitude?
January 10, 2025
Begin in gratitude, not because it’s easy, but because it reorients you toward courage, clarity, and a bigger horizon.

Are You Leading or Just Managing?
January 24, 2025
Management moves tasks forward; leadership moves people forward — and people are always the point.

Want to Communicate Vision That Inspires? Start Here.
February 14, 2025
Great leadership begins with seeing yourself clearly, so you can see others accurately. Self-awareness is the bridge between generations.

The Leadership Lesson No One Wants (But Everyone Needs)
March 7, 2025
Failure, handled well, becomes a teacher. Tough experiences shape stronger leaders.

Raising the Lid on Your Life
March 21, 2025
Your leadership capacity rises when you intentionally raise the “lid” on your own thinking, habits, and growth.

Pause. Reflect. Adjust. It’s Time for a Q1 Check-In.
April 4, 2025
The quickest way to realign is to stop long enough to notice what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs to shift.

The Secret to Better Communication? It’s Color-Coded.
April 18, 2025
People learn differently. When you understand their “color,” you communicate with clarity instead of confusion.

Your Mentor Can’t Read Your Mind
May 9, 2025
Mentorship works best when you take responsibility for the relationship, by asking, naming, initiating, reciprocating.

Leading When the Path Isn’t Clear: Trust Over Certainty
May 23, 2025
You don’t need all the answers to lead well. You just need to show up with steadiness, presence, and honesty.

How to Have Brave Conversations Without Burning Bridges
June 20, 2025
Hard conversations, done with clarity and care, strengthen trust instead of breaking it.

Leading with Integrity When It’s Inconvenient
July 11, 2025
Integrity matters most when it costs you something. Small choices build a reputation that lasts.

The Most Underrated Leadership Skill: Listening Without Solving
August 1, 2025
Listening isn’t passive — it’s active leadership. People open up when they sense you’re not rushing to fix them.

You Don’t Have to Have All the Answers, Just Better Questions
August 15, 2025
Curiosity creates connection, safety, and insight. Questions move work forward better than quick answers.

Your Team Sees a Change in Your Leadership. Now What?
August 29, 2025
New leadership habits feel awkward at first, both to you and your team. Stay consistent. Beliefs follow behaviors.

Time for a Q3 Check-In: Reset Before the Final Push
September 19, 2025
When goals drift, reflection restores direction. Adjustments aren’t signs of weakness, they’re signs of wisdom.

How to Give Feedback That Lands
October 3, 2025
Feedback is most effective when it’s both clear and kind. Clarity is the gift; kindness is the delivery.

What I’ve Learned Coaching 50+ Metals Industry Leaders
October 11, 2025
Influence isn’t about title. It’s about humility, consistency, and a willingness to grow alongside others.

The Feedback Filter: How to Know What to Take On (and What to Let Go)
October 24, 2025
Not all feedback is created equal. Filter for credibility, spirit, and timing.

Creating a ‘Year in Review’ Deck for Your Team
November 7, 2025
Teams grow stronger when they remember what they’ve achieved. Reflection builds momentum.

Leading Through Fatigue: Finding Energy When the Tank Feels Empty
November 21, 2025
Fatigue is not failure. Leaders must refuel before they can guide others well.

Closing Thoughts

If this year has taught us anything, hopefully it’s that leadership isn’t defined by how much we get done. It’s shaped by who we become while doing it.

Every conversation, every challenge, every moment of doubt or growth has been part of the journey. And the fact that you’re here — reading, reflecting, staying open — says something important about the leader you’re becoming.

As you look back on the year, I hope you see more than a list of tasks completed. I hope you see the steady growth that happens almost quietly — in the conversations you handled with care, the adjustments you made in the moment, the resilience you showed when things were unclear, and the humility you brought into your work.

Don’t rush past what this year gave you. Let these insights settle. Carry the ones that matter. And trust that the work you’ve done, seen and unseen, has prepared you for the season ahead. (We might even have an exercise up our sleeve to help you prepare for next year with clarity and care. You’ll have to tune in next time to find out.)

Leadership doesn’t form all at once. It forms in the daily choices, the honest reflection, and the willingness to grow. If you want to talk through any of your takeaways, or if something in this year’s journey has stirred a question, I’d be glad to hear from you. You can always reach me at steve@upvantagestrategies.com. Thanks for being here. Thanks for growing. And thanks for leading with intention.

Reflection Questions

• Which insight from the past year of topics resonated most strongly with where you are right now?

• What theme or lesson from this year’s newsletters do you want to revisit?

• Where did you grow without noticing?

It’s no wonder so many leaders feel like they’re running on fumes.

Even the most seasoned among us hit points when motivation runs low and focus feels harder to find. But leadership doesn’t stop when your energy dips — it just looks different.

Today we’re talking about how to lead through fatigue: how to recognize what’s draining you, how to recharge intentionally, and how to keep showing up for your team (and yourself and your family) when the tank feels empty.

Strategies to Lead Through Fatigue

1. Delegate with Courage

Look at what’s on your plate and ask, “Am I truly the only one who can do this?” If the answer is no, hand it off, even if it means trusting someone to handle it differently than you would. Delegation isn’t weakness. It’s leadership in action. It frees you to focus on what truly requires your time and judgment.

2. Audit and Edit Your Calendar

Open your calendar and ask yourself: Does how I spend my time reflect what matters most right now? You might be surprised. Many of us fill our days with meetings that could’ve been emails or leave no breathing room between calls. Try trimming an hourlong meeting to 45 minutes and use that extra time to reset. Margin isn’t wasted time; it’s maintenance for your mind.

3. Learn to Say “No” Gracefully

Every “yes” comes at the cost of something else. If you agree to another meeting tomorrow, you’re saying no to deep work or to rest. Saying no doesn’t make you less dedicated. It makes you sustainable. The best leaders don’t do everything; they do what matters.

4. Identify What Recharges You

Think about the moments that refill your tank. Are you outside? With family? Listening to music? For me, it’s time on my motorcycle — no calls, no emails, just the road. The point isn’t what it is, it’s when you schedule it. Even 20 minutes a few times a week can shift your energy more than you’d think.

Modeling Balance for Your Team

Your team will follow the example you set. If you take a real vacation and actually unplug, they’ll believe they can do the same. If you answer emails from the beach or stay online after hours, they’ll assume that’s what success looks like.

Teams take their cues from their leaders. The habits you model, whether rest or overwork, become the culture you create.

Remember, culture isn’t just what you say; it’s the “way we do things around here.” When you demonstrate margin, boundaries, and balance, you’re not just protecting your own energy — you’re making that the new cultural norm.

Fatigue doesn’t make you a bad leader; it makes you human. The best leaders aren’t the ones who never get tired. They’re the ones who learn to rest without quitting.

So before you sprint toward year-end, take a breath. Refill your tank. And remember: the way you care for your own energy sets the tone for how your team cares for theirs.

If you’re running on fumes right now, take heart. I’ve been there too, more times than I’d like to admit. But what I’ve learned is this: leading well doesn’t mean pushing harder. It means learning when to pause, breathe, and let the engine cool before you burn it out.

So if this message hit close to home, maybe take it as permission to downshift a little. Go for that walk. Leave the laptop closed tonight. Truly unplug over the upcoming holiday weekend and be present with your family. You’ll lead better tomorrow if you give yourself space to recover today.

And if you want to talk through how to manage your energy or help your team find theirs again, I’m here. You can always reach me at steve@upvantagestrategies.com. Thanks for being here — and take care of yourself out there.

Reflection Questions

• What can you eliminate, delegate, or reframe from your current responsibilities?

• What’s one thing that reliably recharges you, and how can you schedule it this week?

• How might you model healthier energy management for your team in the weeks ahead?

I bet if I asked what your team was working on back in February, you’d really have to think about it.

That’s why I love the idea of a “Year in Review Deck.” It’s a simple, visual way to reflect on what your team accomplished and learned throughout the year, and it does more than recap milestones. It reminds your people why their work matters, strengthens connections, and builds momentum for what’s next. Think of it as a highlight reel.

If you want your team to stay engaged and motivated heading into the new year, reflection isn’t a luxury. It’s a leadership tool.

Setting the Stage: Why Reflection Matters

As forward-thinking people, we often rush to the next goal without pausing to celebrate progress. But looking back together helps your team:

• Reinforce shared purpose and pride

• See progress that may have been invisible day-to-day

• Identify what worked (and what didn’t) in a structured, productive way

Great teams don’t just reset goals every January. They learn from the year before. Reflection is what keeps growth continuous instead of fragmented.

Every time I’ve put together a review deck for an all-company meeting, it has surprised me how much we forgot: the pivots that worked, the small wins that made a big difference, the growth that happened quietly.

What a “Year in Review” Deck Is

Think of it as your team’s highlight reel. A short, visual presentation (anywhere from five to ten slides) that tells the story of your year: achievements, milestones, lessons, gratitude.

You can share it at:

• A year-end team meeting

• A holiday gathering

• A leadership retreat

• Or even as part of a January kickoff

This doesn’t have to be fancy or time-consuming. Simple visuals, honest reflections, and a few stats go a long way. The goal isn’t to polish a PR piece, it’s to spark connection and clarity.

→ We’ve created a downloadable Year-in-Review Deck Template for Wisdom Rumblings readers. You can adapt it for your team’s story and style.

For PowerPoint users: Navigate to File > Download and select Microsoft PowerPoint to download a PPTX file.

For Google Slide users: Navigate to File > Make a Copy to create an editable copy in your own Google Workspace.

How to Gather Ideas

Start by scrolling back through your calendar. You’ll be surprised how quickly moments resurface: key meetings, big projects, unexpected wins. Aim for one or two standout items from each month.

Then, pull up your strategic plan or department goals. Where did you make meaningful progress? What took longer than you expected, and what paid off more than you imagined?

Invite your team into the process with a brainstorming session. Ask questions like:

• “What’s something you’re proud of from this year?”

• “What felt hard but worth it?”

• “What did we learn the hard way, but are better for now?”

And here’s a modern twist: if you’ve been using an AI assistant, you can literally ask it to summarize your chats or project updates from the past year. Prompt it with:

“I’m building a year-in-review deck to capture the big things our team accomplished this year. Using our chats from January 1 through now, outline my team’s key milestones and lessons learned.”

The AI’s recall can jog your memory, then you can add the details only you and your team would know.

Building Your Deck: Section-by-Section Guide

Each section can be a single slide or a few, depending on your team’s size and story.

1. Opening Slide: The Year at a Glance

Start with a photo or key image that represents your team. Add your department name and a short tagline that sums up your year, something like “2025: The Year We Found Our Flow.”

A brief quote or goal statement can set the tone: what guided your team, what you set out to achieve, or what you discovered along the way.

2. Team Highlights & Wins

This is the heart of your deck — where you celebrate what went right. Using the ideas you gathered from the team and AI chats (if applicable), include:

• Major achievements (production goals, new clients, improved quality metrics)

• Small but meaningful wins (streamlined a process, built a stronger handoff, improved morale)

Balance data and story. Numbers show progress; stories show people. And wherever possible, include images to supplement stories!

3. Challenges We Overcame

Every good year includes a few obstacles — supply issues, turnover, new systems, shifting priorities. Instead of glossing over them, frame them as learning moments.

Add a slide to showcase the challenges your team overcame throughout the year. And then ask, “How did we adapt? What could we do differently next time?”

This section isn’t about failure. It’s about resilience.

4. Team Growth & Development

Highlight the people side of progress: new hires, promotions, trainings completed, certifications earned. Did a team member step up in a big way? Call it out. This is also a good place to recognize collaboration across departments or shifts.

5. Quality & Operational Improvements

No matter your industry or type of business, there will be improvements to celebrate. Here are some ideas of things to include:

• Total Recordable Incident Rate reductions

• Safety culture improvements

• Quality yield improvements

• Equipment upgrades or automation milestones

• Software upgrades and new tools utilized

• SOPs created

• Headcount increases

• Accounting improvements

If you can show progress visually (before/after charts, trend lines) even better.

6. Lessons & Opportunities

Reflection without forward motion is just nostalgia. Add a slide in your deck to prompt discussion with questions like:

• “What’s one thing we learned that will make us stronger next year?”

• “What’s one area we want to improve?”

• Group the answers into a few simple themes. Clarity, consistency, communication, or collaboration usually emerge.

7. Looking Ahead

End with a glimpse of what’s next. Not a detailed plan, just a hopeful direction. Something like: “In 2026, we’ll keep building on what worked: stronger systems, safer practices, and a culture that never stops improving.”

8. Thank You Slide

Close with gratitude. Acknowledge everyone’s role: the veterans, the new hires, the unsung heroes who kept things running smoothly. You can include a quote from another leader in the organization or a collective “thank you” message.

Take This With You

Your Year-in-Review deck isn’t about perfection. It’s about perspective. When teams pause to remember, they reconnect with why the work matters. And that clarity fuels the next chapter.

So before you race ahead into the next year, gather your team, pull up a few slides, and take a look at everything you’ve already built together.

I’ll be putting together our own Year-in-Review deck for the UpVantage team this year. I’m looking forward to seeing what shows up once it’s all laid out. It’s easy to lose sight of how much ground we’ve actually covered when we’re in the middle of it. My guess is, once we see it all together, we’ll realize we’ve built more than we thought.

So as you build your own deck, I’d love to hear what surprised you most when you looked back. Drop me a note at steve@upvantagestrategies.com. I always enjoy hearing how teams use these tools to grow stronger together.

Reflection Questions

As you start gathering ideas for your own Year-in-Review deck, take a moment to think through these prompts yourself. They’ll help guide what you include:

1. What’s one thing your team accomplished this year that deserves more recognition than it’s gotten?

2. What challenge stretched you the most as a leader, and how did you grow through it?

3. Where did your team surprise you with creativity, resilience, or results?

4. What’s one lesson you want to carry forward into 2026?

5. If you had to describe your team’s year in one phrase or headline, what would it be?

How do you discern what’s worth acting on, what’s worth holding, and what’s best left aside? That’s the challenge: not just hearing feedback, but filtering it. Today we’re going to explore how to tell the difference.

Why Filtering Matters

Leaders who chase every suggestion risk diluting their focus and confusing their team. Ignoring all feedback, though, makes you deaf to opportunities for growth.

The middle path is learning to filter wisely. Some feedback sharpens you. Some encourages you. And some isn’t worth absorbing (remember, I mentioned noise?). The key is knowing the difference.

Scripture as a Filter

As I’ve talked about, in nearly every season where my leadership was stretched thin, I’ve found myself going back to Scripture for perspective. You may hold different beliefs about God, the Bible, or the teachings of Jesus, but I’ve found there’s wisdom here that anyone can take to heart.

Let’s revisit Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:12–15:

“Honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!

Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.”

Last time, we discussed how these words can shape giving feedback.

So, when you receive feedback, you can “flip the lens” and evaluate its validity as you ask yourself: Am I the freeloader: do I know what to do and just refuse to do it? Am I the straggler: do I know what to do and simply need some encouragement that I have what it takes? Or, Am I exhausted: I really can’t figure this out and need some instruction?

Through this flip of the lens, you’re trying to understand: How can I take in this feedback to make me a better leader, more self-aware, and better able to serve those I lead?

While you’re doing this, remember to have some grace and patience with yourself. The fact that you’re even open to evaluating yourself in light of the feedback is excellent. But, that doesn’t make it easy.

Training Yourself to Hear Feedback

Filtering starts on the inside. If you’re not grounded, even well-meant words can feel like an attack. Build your capacity to hear first, then filter.

• Pause before reacting. Don’t defend or dismiss right away. Let the words land.

• Listen for the nugget. Even clumsy criticism may carry a useful point.

• Separate delivery from content. A sharp tone doesn’t mean there’s no truth inside.

• Reframe it as data. Feedback is input, not identity. You decide what to do with it.

This kind of grounding keeps you from snapping back when you feel provoked. It also models steadiness for your team.

Not all feedback deserves a home in your head or heart. Some needs to bounce off.

• If the person doesn’t understand your context, their critique may not apply.

• If it’s rooted in frustration more than truth, release it.

• If it’s not useful, or not useful yet, set it aside without guilt.

The Feedback Filter Checklist

When feedback comes, ask yourself three quick questions:

1. Is the source credible? Do they understand the work, mission, or role?

2. Is the spirit constructive? Is this meant to build or just to vent?

3. Is it timely? Even valid feedback may not be actionable right now. Save it for later.

This filter doesn’t make the feedback disappear. It helps you choose what strengthens you, what encourages you, and what you can let pass without losing your peace.

And when you filter feedback well, you don’t just protect your own mindset. You model resilience for your team. You show them how to take in what’s useful, ignore what’s not, and keep moving forward.

Over time, this shifts culture: feedback becomes less about fear, more about growth. For both you and your team.

Feedback will always come. Sometimes clear, sometimes confusing, sometimes even conflicting. What matters is how you handle it. As leaders, we’re not called to absorb every word like a sponge. We’re called to discern. To hear what sharpens us, to let go of what doesn’t serve, and to keep leading with steadiness and patience.

So if you’ve been wrestling with feedback lately, and find yourself unsure of what to hold and what to release — you’re not alone. It’s part of the work of leadership. And if you want to talk it through, I’d be glad to. You can always reach me at steve@upvantagestrategies.com. Thanks for being here and on the growth journey.

Reflection Questions

• Think back to the last piece of feedback you received that stung. Was there a nugget of truth in it, or was it more about the other person’s frustration?

• How do you usually respond when you hear conflicting feedback? Do you tend to over-correct, ignore, or do you pause to filter?

• Where in your leadership right now might you need to let something roll off, and where might you need to lean in and listen more closely?

I’m coming to you today with a special edition newsletter for a special occasion.

This time last year, I was standing at the Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) Safety Summit, gearing up to launch our very first Zero Harm Safety Leadership™ Program cohort. For those unfamiliar, I’ve worked closely with MSCI for more than a decade, helping to move the metals industry toward an environment where every worker returns home safely at the end of the day.

The ZHSL Program has been a massive effort — not just to strengthen safety practices, but to develop transformational leaders and build cultures where safety and production are not competing priorities.

One year later, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside 50+ leaders (General Managers, Plant Managers, Safety Directors, Executive Vice Presidents, and more), helping them become champions of Zero Harm in their facilities. On Thursday, we saw 27 of those leaders in person as they officially graduated from the program during this year’s Safety Summit.

To say this has been a career highlight is an understatement. It’s been an honor and a privilege — and it has only deepened my belief that Zero Harm is not only possible, it’s happening.

So today, we’re breaking from our regular schedule to share a few reflections from this past year. Whether you work in a high-risk environment or not, I believe there’s something here for everyone.

Top 5 Lessons Learned from Metals Industry Leaders

Imposter Syndrome Is Real

Heading into those first few cohorts, I’ll admit: I wondered if I had anything new to offer. These groups were filled with some of the most respected safety and operations professionals in the industry.

Even after 35 years of experience and partnerships with more than 450 companies, the thought crossed my mind: What could I possibly teach these folks?

What I found, though, was an incredible openness to learning. Once participants sensed my genuine desire to add value, they leaned in. We created a space of shared wisdom where everyone, myself included, learned from one another’s experiences.

True leaders desire growth…

Many participants came into the program not seeing themselves as “leaders.” Early on, we talk about how leadership isn’t tied to a title, it’s all about influence. People around you are always watching and learning from what you do.

Once that lightbulb went on, engagement skyrocketed. Participants realized leadership wasn’t something reserved for executives, it was something they were already doing, whether good or not so good. However, they could transform and be more intentional. That mindset shift opened the door to real growth.

Change is hard… (and that’s okay)

It was during a lunch discussion with one of the cohort members and his teammate that this lightbulb really went on for me. I had traveled to his plant for a tour and to meet his plant manager who is now also in one of the cohorts. Over lunch, Frank mentioned that he struggled in the early sessions of the course to hang in there. He recounted for us that it wasn’t until session 3 or 4 out of the 9 that he realized the value. Until then, it had hints of some of the safety training sessions he had been in in the past. However, he began to realize the heavy emphasis on leadership development. It all started to click at that point.

This conversation caused us to add to the curriculum in the first session. We added a visual and discussion of “the change process”. Hitting this head on has helped current cohort members develop a long game perspective. Normalizing the “head winds” they feel through the transformation process has enabled them to stand strong and persevere until their “moments of change”, taking everything they can from the shared experience with their industry peers.

Poor leadership damages cultures…

We’ve often heard it said that people don’t leave bad companies, they leave bad managers, and boy, is it true! Many of the cohort members relate frustrations with either current, or past leadership. Whether it is someone who is lateral to them, above them, or behind them.

We have all likely struggled with, or been a witness to, a leader who over reacts, blames, or otherwise shuts down their team. This quickly results in an unsafe environment for the workforce. Consequently, everyone retreats internally, becomes quiet, and learning as an organization is thwarted.

We can, and must, do better.

Transactional leaders can change…

One of the most powerful frameworks in the program is the culture continuum, which moves from transactional to transformational.

We have leaders place their “pin” on the map and mark where they are today — reactive or responsive, task-focused or relationship-focused. Then, learning how they can move forward, they begin to chart the course toward a more transformational leadership style.

Over the time we are together, most of the leaders are able to share the changes they are experiencing. It’s intoxicating to me to be around this type of transformation in the leaders as I know the life-changing impact it will have. Not only on them, but everyone they influence, and in every sphere of influence. For example, in the workplace, in the home, in their churches and communities, with their friends and extended families.

Significant Injury or Fatality (SIF) Potentials are all around us…

Throughout our time together in the first four sessions, we are studying leadership skills and examining industry-specific hazards. We do this with the intent of enhancing the leadership capacity in each company and helping the leaders recognize potential exposures that could significantly impact their teams.

A common takeaway reflected by the cohort members is that they had no idea about some of these exposures. They commit at the end of each session to go and have a deeper look in their workplace and ensure the hazards are controlled, and the exposures removed. It is often at the beginning of the next session, during a check-in period, that we will hear they found the hazardous condition did exist, and they are working on remediation, or have done so already.

Such a win for the organization and the teammates! Also, a huge win for the industry at large. Catastrophic injuries or incidents reported in the media about one of our own are a blemish on us all.

Bonus Lesson:

Shared vision, shared experience, and shared community build some amazing bonds!

We knew, going into this process, that a great benefit to the cohort members would be the networking across the industry. They would learn from one another and grow together. But, I never thought about the impact being the facilitator of this program would have on me personally.

Throughout this journey, I have gained so many new friends. People I truly care about, truly care to get to know deeper, and enjoy being with. And, I know there are similar relationships developing within the members to one another. I have met people I never would have met otherwise. People I deeply respect.

Coming out of the cohorts, we are engaging in an ongoing fashion with the Alumni Forum group. Every other month, we gather for a time of reflection on what’s working, and where we need help or to change something. The highlight for me is the connection time at the beginning, as everyone filters into the Zoom meeting room. Seeing the faces, the smiles, the connection forged over this shared journey.

I can’t think of a better place to be, than with these fellow warriors with a shared vision! It’s been a joy working with each of them on this journey to Zero Harm – and this is only the beginning.

You’ve been there, right? Someone drops a comment in passing, and it rattles around in your head for a week. The truth is, feedback has power. Done poorly, it can wound. Done well, it can unlock growth. And that’s the tension every leader has to wrestle with: How do I give feedback in a way that’s both clear and kind?

That’s where we’re headed today. Not just how to give feedback, but how to give it in a way that actually makes an impact.

Why Feedback Matters

Feedback is fuel, but too much of the wrong fuel clogs your engine. Leaders who avoid it let their teams drift. Leaders who throw it around carelessly leave people burned and crush morale. The middle ground is delivering feedback clearly, kindly, and in ways that inspire action instead of fear.

When done right, feedback doesn’t just point out what’s wrong. It builds alignment, strengthens relationships, and accelerates growth.

Scripture as a Guide

I’ve mentioned before how important my faith has been to shaping my leadership journey. In nearly every instance where my leadership abilities have been challenged, I’ve found solace or guidance in the teachings of the Bible.

You may hold different beliefs about God, the Bible, or the teachings of Jesus, but I believe there’s a kernel of wisdom here everyone can learn from.

Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:12–15, shared here in the Message version, offer a blueprint for how to give feedback. I’ve turned to these over and over again:

“Honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!

Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.”

What strikes me about this passage is how situational it is. There isn’t one single way to guide people. Leadership, like feedback, requires discernment.

Some folks need a push. They know what’s expected, and how to do it, but aren’t following through. For them, clarity and firmness aren’t harsh — they’re loving. Others aren’t lazy. They’re just lagging behind, wondering what to do, or how to do it. They need instruction so they can participate and help the team. Still others are flat-out weary. For them, the best “feedback” might simply be compassion, a helping hand, or even permission to rest. A gentle encouragement that reminds them of their worth and ability can go a long way.

And then Paul zooms out with one broad instruction: “Be patient with each person.” It’s almost as if he’s saying, “Whatever the need — challenge, instruction, support — don’t rush the process. People grow at different speeds. Don’t snap, don’t shame, don’t forget that you’re working with human beings.”

This is the heart of feedback that lands. It’s not about having a perfect script. It’s about slowing down long enough to ask, What does this person need from me right now? Do they need truth? Do they need to learn? Do they need encouragement?

Feedback delivered in this way becomes more than correction, it becomes care. And care is what builds trust, which is the soil where real growth takes root.

How to Give Feedback That Lands

So, how do we put this into practice? Here are a few anchors I come back to:

• Be clear, not clever. Don’t dance around the point. Clarity is kindness.

• Start with what you want for them. Frame feedback as a path to growth, not punishment.

• Match the tone to the need. Warning for the idle. Instruction for the discouraged. Encouragement for the overwhelmed.

• Check your heart first. If feedback comes from irritation, it won’t land. If it comes from care, it has a chance to build trust.

Feedback isn’t about winning an argument or proving a point. It’s about serving someone else so they can succeed.

The Ripple Effect

When leaders give feedback with both truth and care, something powerful happens. Teams grow more confident, not more fearful. People trust that even hard words are meant for their good. Over time, feedback becomes less about fault-finding and more about shared growth.

And that’s when you know your feedback is landing.

Giving feedback isn’t easy, but it is one of the most loving things a leader can do. When you combine clarity with care, you give people the gift of growth.

And in a few weeks, we’ll flip the lens: What do you do when you’re the one receiving feedback? How do you filter what’s worth holding onto, and what’s best left aside? We’ll tackle that next time.

Thanks for being here, and as always, if something in this sparked a question, I’d love to hear from you. I’m at steve@upvantagestrategies.com. Thanks for being here.

Reflection Questions

• Think of the last time you gave feedback. Did it come across as encouragement, discipline, or frustration?

• Where might you be holding back from saying what needs to be said because it feels uncomfortable?

• Who on your team needs a word of encouragement this week? Who needs a gentle challenge?