Start Bold
New year, same chaos? Not this time.
January has a way of tricking us. Fresh planners. Zero’d out inboxes. Big declarations about what this year will be. And yet, so many teams step into Q1 carrying the same burnout, the same unspoken tension, the same habits that made last year exhausting in the first place.
Glitterbomb leaders don’t mistake a calendar flip for a reset. They know real change doesn’t come from louder goals or faster timelines. It comes from grounding first. From creating space to tell the truth. From aligning people before asking them to perform.
That’s how I’m showing up in 2026. Same bold mission. Clearer boundaries. Deeper honesty. And leadership that actually lands, because it meets people where they are, not where a spreadsheet says they should be.
Which brings me to the myth that trips leaders up every single January.
We treat the new year like a clean slate. Like whatever didn’t work last year will magically sort itself out if we just rename the goals and push harder.
But teams don’t arrive in January empty-handed. They arrive carrying context.
They bring unfinished conversations. Lingering resentment. Burnout that didn’t get addressed in some extra days off between Christmas and New Years. Systems that reward busyness over impact. And a quiet skepticism about whether this year will really be different.
This is where “fresh start” leadership falls apart.
Because piling new priorities on top of unexamined patterns doesn’t create momentum. It creates more noise. And asking people to sprint before they’re grounded doesn’t inspire them. It heaps on new exhaustion.
So what does unapologetic leadership look like in practice this year?
It looks like leaders who are willing to slow the room down long enough to hear what’s actually going on. Leaders who open the year by naming reality, not avoiding it.
It looks like choosing alignment over urgency. Centering people before performance.
Because when this kind of foundational leadership is missing, teams feel it immediately. Meetings multiply. Priorities blur. People work harder but feel less connected. And by February, the energy everyone promised themselves in January has already leaked out. Productivity plummets. Deliverables aren’t quite so polished anymore.
That’s exactly what I design against when I lead annual kickoffs and visioning sessions.
I don’t start with a slide deck full of goals. I start with the humans in the room. We gather together to surface what people are actually carrying, what they’re excited about, and what’s been quietly draining momentum. We name the patterns that need to shift before setting new direction.
From there, we build forward with intention. Shared language. Clear priorities. Agreements that protect our priorities, time, and energy, and give us clear channels to discuss challenges, issues, and what’s not working at regular, expected intervals. A vision that feels lived-in, not laminated.
The result isn’t just a strong start to the year. It’s leadership that actually lands, because it’s grounded in truth, trust, and the people who have to carry it forward.
And if you’re reading this thinking, yes, this is how I want to lead, I know you’re that kind of leader already. The one who cares deeply about doing better by and for your people. The one who wants alignment, not just activity. The one who understands that how you begin a year shapes how it’s lived.
Starting bold isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about being willing to tell the truth, make space for your people, and lead in a way that feels human and intentional from day one.
That’s the work. And it’s worth doing well.
