Click, Reflect, Lead

Earlier this month, I excitedly clicked the button on my Spotify app to access my “Year in Review.” It didn’t surprise me that Twenty-One Pilots was my most listened-to band. What did shock me, however, was seeing that I had spent 2,374 minutes listening to them – that’s almost 40 hours! Based on the amount of time listening to them, it didn’t surprise me that my listening age ranked me at 23 years old!

Other apps, like YouTube, Wave, and even ChatGPT, have shared similar “year in review” experiences, offering fun snapshots of our habits and memories. Our family had fun seeing who most “stalked” each other on Waze. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t access it enough to even get a summary. My wife was the biggest culprit!

While these reviews are fun, they also reveal an important question: was it intentional?

Imagine if there were a “year in review” for your leadership journey – an honest summary of your focus, habits, and behaviors over the past year. Would it affirm your intentional work, or would you be shocked? Would those closest to you nod in agreement, or would they be surprised by what they saw? The real question is this: was your leadership purposeful?

As we step into 2026, I encourage you to get a journal and a fun pen and employ these three ways to lead with intentionality:

1. Daily Reflection Journal: Spend 5–10 minutes each week writing about your actions, decisions, and interactions. Ask yourself: Did I lead with purpose this week?
2. Weekly Leadership Review: At the end of each month, review your journal entries. Look for patterns, wins, and areas for growth. Use this reflection to set small, actionable goals for the following month.
3. Quarterly Alignment Check: Once a quarter, journal specifically about your alignment with your core values, priorities, and long-term goals. Ask: Am I leading in a way that reflects the person and leader I want to be? This practice ensures you are steering your leadership with intention, not by default.

Intentional leadership isn’t something you check at the end of the year. It’s built in the moments of pause, reflection, and deliberate action throughout the year. Don’t wait to hold your breath before clicking on an app to see your “leadership review.”

Start now. Make it purposeful. Make it visible. Make it real.

Ask yourself: What do you need to do in 2026 so that when your leadership year-in-review comes, it won’t be a shock or a surprise?