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10+ Questions to Start the Year With Clarity

  • Writer: Anna Conrad
    Anna Conrad
  • 1 day ago
  • 2 min read



The beginning of the year offers something rare: a natural pause. Not the rushed kind squeezed between meetings, but a meaningful one—the kind that creates clarity.


When we allow ourselves space, something powerful happens: we stop reacting and start choosing. We lead with intention rather than urgency.

Recently, I walked a coaching client through a year-end pause like this. What emerged was so thoughtful and illuminating that it inspired me to create a simple Leadership Audit—a brief but honest check-in between you and the leader you aspire to be.


If January is about anything, it’s about perspective.



Your Leadership Audit

Set aside 15 quiet minutes. No fixing. No judging. Just noticing.


  1. Where did I consistently show up as the leader I wanted to be—and what made that possible?

  2. Where did I lower my standards or avoid tough conversations, and why?

  3. What one leadership behavior, if strengthened, would have the greatest impact on my team?

  4. How well did I manage my energy—not just my time?

  5. What blind spot might be quietly costing me influence, clarity, or momentum?

  6. What gives me energy as a leader—and what drains it?

  7. Where have I been leading from fear or habit rather than purpose?

  8. How has my leadership style evolved—and what’s still holding me back?

  9. What decisions would I make differently if I weren’t avoiding short-term discomfort?

  10. Where could I empower others more fully so the organization doesn’t rely so heavily on me?


Two Bonus Questions Worth Sitting With

If someone observed my actions for a week, what would they say my priorities are?

  •   (We often carry two sets of priorities: the ones we say we have—and the ones our behavior reveals.)

  • What lie have I repeated to myself so many times that it now feels like the truth?


Action Planning Toolkit

If you’d like an Action Planning Toolkit to help translate these insights into clear, focused leadership moves for the year ahead, contact me directly at Anna@ILSInt.com, and I will send it your way.


And if you’re feeling ready for deeper support as you step into 2026—whether that’s sharpening your presence, navigating complexity, or leading with more confidence and ease—I’d love to connect. A discovery call is simply a conversation, not a commitment.


Sometimes the next level of leadership isn’t about doing more. It’s about seeing differently.



👉🏽Do you want more real-life leadership tips? Sign up for the Monday Morning Mentoring YouTube channel and the ILS bi-weekly newsletter. Also, follow me on LinkedIn.

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