Make Your 2021 Great!

Cathie Leimbach • January 7, 2021

One of the outcomes of 2020 for many of us was the opportunity to hit the “pause” button temporarily. It gave us some space to contemplate what worked and what didn’t pre-Covid. Yet, saying goodbye to 2020 hasn’t changed day-to-day life for most of us.

Saying hello to 2021 and embracing the New Year lets us write our own story for the next 12 months. The one thing we can all do is control how we react to the environment within which we work and live. A shift in mindset and some planning can provide an impetus to remain more positive and energized. 


We can decide to focus on the things that matter to us. What would you like to change about your life and your work? And what are a few actions you can take to create that change? The good news is that it isn’t complicated. You can create a simple plan in less than an hour. Selecting the high impact actions to take consistently will yield impactful results.


We’ve all fallen into the trap of New Year’s resolutions. Setting ourselves up for failure because the goals and habits we have identified are not sustainable. It isn’t easy to develop new habits.  We are most successful at achieving them when we work on no more than three areas of improvement and start small.


Here are some ways to get started:

  • Start with the end in mind. Identify what you really want to achieve and how you will get there. 
  • Decide what measures you will have in place to track progress. For example, one of my goals is business growth in 2021. I am monitoring progress by tracking the strategies I am using. And, adjusting if what I am doing is not working.
  • If you have a long list, pick the three most important or most doable ones to work on first.
  • State your desired result in each area.
  • Commit to 2 or 3 actions you will take every day or week towards achieving your desired result.
  • Track your progress daily or weekly.
  • Write down a reward that will motivate you to stay focused but won’t break the bank.


Here is an example from my 2021 action plan. I am focused on experiencing stronger connections with friends, family, and professional contacts. My overall intent is to feel more satisfied with my interpersonal relationships, so my measure will track my level of satisfaction each month.  Here is the breakdown of the actions:

  • Reach out to an extended family member, friend, neighbor, or community member every day.
  • Connect with two professional contacts weekly to stay in touch.
  • Ask how I can help and look for ways to make a positive impact.


I’ve already connected with several people this week and discovered ways to have physically distanced catchup conversations on the porch or during walks. Having phone conversations with my sister and my aunts and uncles during other walks helped me feel connected to my family. A Zoom call (yes, another one) with a business contact helped me catch up on business and personal news.

My satisfaction with relationships and connections has already risen. What a great reward for taking some very do-able actions consistently.


What parts of your work or personal life would you like to change in 2021? I encourage you not to stay stuck in wishing mode. Develop a goal and action step plan and implement it. Take control of your life and create your preferred future!


I would love to hear about the goals you set for 2021 and your progress towards achieving them!



If you wonder how your family or workplace could develop a plan for 2021, email me, and I will send you a group goal setting process that you can accomplish in an hour. If you might like someone to facilitate the development of a basic 2021 plan for your organization, set an appointment for us to talk. 

What Changes When People Actually Feel Engaged?

By Cathie Leimbach • April 7, 2026
Most leaders don’t struggle because they don’t care. They struggle because engagement feels hard to influence. But when people are engaged, the impact is hard to ignore: 18% higher sales 23% higher profitability 70% higher wellbeing These differences come from comparing the 25% of organizations with the strongest employee engagement to those in the bottom 25% (Gallup). And the stakes are bigger than most realize— disengaged employees cost U.S. organizations nearly $2 trillion in lost productivity each year (Gallup). This isn’t about perks or programs. It’s about how people are led every day. Engaged teams are clearer on expectations. They feel supported. They know their work matters. And most importantly—those conditions don’t happen by accident. They’re created in conversations: Clarifying priorities Reinforcing what good looks like Checking for understanding Following through consistently Small leadership habits drive big business outcomes. A question to consider: Where could stronger day-to-day leadership conversations improve results in your team? 👉 Join our next 60-minute Leadership Conversation: Inspiring High Performance — Monday, April 13 th at 3:00 PM ET (this is not a webinar) It’s a small-group discussion with other leaders looking at a simple question: What’s actually driving engagement—and what’s quietly holding it back? If a shift in leadership could impact sales, profitability, and wellbeing… it’s worth exploring what that might look like in your world.

4 Leadership Behaviors That Drive Trust, Performance, and Accountability

By Cathie Leimbach • March 31, 2026
Most leaders don’t struggle because they lack knowledge. They struggle because leadership opportunities show up in daily conversations —and those moments are easy to miss. The difference between average and high-performing teams often comes down to four leadership behaviors: 1. Build Trust Through Everyday Conversations Trust is built in small moments. Listen to concerns Ask thoughtful questions Follow through Address issues quickly and respectfully 🤝 Trust grows through consistent, everyday conversations. 2. Reinforce What Good Looks Like People repeat what gets recognized. Be specific: “I appreciated how you handled that client issue quickly—that made a difference.” 🔒 Clarity + recognition = stronger performance. 3. Address Problems Early—Kindly and Clearly Avoiding issues creates bigger ones. Keep it simple: What was expected? What happened? What needs to change? 👥 Clear, timely conversations reduce drama and improve results. 4. Support People So They Can Succeed Your role is to help your team succeed. Clarify priorities Remove obstacles Provide resources Coach progress 🔍 When people have clarity and support, performance follows. The Real Lever: Conversations None of this requires new systems. It happens in everyday interactions— 1:1s, quick check-ins, and follow-ups. Better conversations → better results. Quick Reflection Which one would make the biggest difference for you right now? Build trust Reinforce performance Address problems early Support success 👉 Join our next 60-minute Leadership Conversation – Inspiring Employee Performance on Monday, April 6, at 3:00 pm ET. Not a webinar. A working session with other leaders looking at what’s actually happening on their teams—and how small shifts in daily conversations change performance fast. If you're curious what even a 10% shift in consistency could look like for your team… this is a good place to start.