Welcome to 2026!

Not the loud, rushed, goal-stacked version of January we’re used to,
but the real beginning.
The quieter one.
The one that invites us to pause before we push.

If you’re like many leaders I work with, this first week of the year brings
a mix of emotions:

• Hope

• Pressure

• Anticipation

• A familiar urge to “get moving”

And yet, something feels different this year.

Not wrong, just different.

January Has Never Been the Problem

Every January, leaders are told the same message:
Move faster. Set bigger goals. Create urgency. Don’t fall behind.

But here’s what I’ve observed after years of working with executives, teams,
and organizations:

Urgency doesn’t create clarity.
It often creates motion without meaning.

And clarity, not urgency, is what sustains leadership, culture, and performance over time.

January doesn’t need more pressure.
It needs more intention.

Intention Changes the Quality of Leadership

Urgency asks:

• How fast can we move?

• How much can we accomplish?

• What do we need to fix immediately?

Intention asks:

• What truly matters this year?

• What do I want my leadership to sound like, feel like, and be remembered for?

• What am I willing to stop avoiding?

Urgency fills calendars.
Intention shapes culture.

And culture, quietly, consistently, shapes results.

What Leaders Carry Into a New Year
(Whether They Mean To or Not)

Here’s the part we don’t talk about enough.

Leaders don’t start a new year empty-handed.
We carry things with us:

• Unresolved conversations

• Lingering tension

• Patterns we meant to address “later”

• Decisions we postponed because timing didn’t feel right

And when those things remain unnamed, culture doesn’t reset with the calendar.

It remembers.

This is why I often say:
Culture remembers what leaders avoid.

Not to shame, but to invite awareness.

Because awareness is where intentional leadership begins.

A Different Way to Enter the Year

This week, instead of asking “What do I need to accomplish?”
I invite you to consider asking:

• What do I want my leadership to stand for in 2026?

• What conversations deserve clarity this year?

• What patterns am I ready to name rather than manage around?

• What do I want people to experience when they work with me, follow me, or trust my leadership?

These aren’t urgent questions.

They’re foundational ones.

A Short Reflection for This Moment

I recorded a short video this week that captures this idea more personally.

In it, I share why January doesn’t need more urgency; it needs more intention, and why leaders who pause now often lead more effectively all year long.

As you watch, notice what resonates, and what gently challenges you.

What’s Coming Next

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing reflections, tools, and conversations centered on:

• Leadership awareness

• Naming what’s been avoided

• Creating clarity without burnout

• Leading culture with intention, not pressure

If you’ve ever felt like:

• Something is slightly off, but hard to name

• The same issues keep resurfacing

• You want to lead with more presence and less reaction

You’ll want to stay close.

In mid-January, I’ll be extending an invitation to a deeper leadership experience designed to help leaders name what matters, develop language for courageous conversations, and lead with clarity going forward.

No rush.
No hype.
Just the right next step, when you’re ready.

In Case You Missed It…

We’re launching the Authentic Encounters: Lena Speaks podcast in February, and I couldn’t be more excited. Guest recordings are happening this month, and the conversations unfolding are thoughtful, honest, and deeply aligned with the leadership work we’ll be exploring throughout 2026.

Watch a short preview of what’s coming here: Podcast preview

A Final Reflection for this week

As 2026 begins, remember this:

You don’t have to rush to prove anything.
You don’t have to sprint into decisions.
You don’t have to carry everything alone.

Leadership is not measured by how fast you move,
but by how intentionally you lead.

Here’s to a year marked not by urgency, but by clarity.
Not by pressure, but by presence.
Not by avoidance, but by courage.

Welcome to 2026.

Intentionally,