Preparing for a Great 2024

Cathie Leimbach • December 26, 2023

The New Year is quickly approaching. Now is the time to think about how you are going to make it a great one.

Let’s start by briefly reflecting on 2023. What experiences contributed to your happiness and joy this year? What achievements helped you feel successful? What are your disappointments with 2023? What would you like more or less of in the coming year? Jot down what you would like to Continue doing, Stop doing, and Start doing in 2024. 

Then, set goals for the 3 most important things you wish to Continue and/or Start. Rather than having a goal to Stop something, it is best for the goal to be what you are going to Start doing to overcome the behavior that you wish to Stop. It is okay to set more than 3 goals, but it is important to work on just 3 or fewer change goals at once. Humans have limited will power so if we spread it thin over more than 3 change goals we may not achieve any of them.

Make your goals clear and vivid. Clear goals are SMART goals. They state Specifically what you want to achieve. If your goal is to improve your health, are you going to do it by eating better or being more physically active. Be sure the goal is Measurable such as working out for 1 hour per day, 5 days per week? Ask yourself if these things are Achievable for you. If your schedule is tight and you haven’t been exercising at all, maybe 20 minutes per day is a better goal for the first month. R is for Relevant. Does improving your health even matter to you? If you aren’t bought into being healthier you aren’t going to make exercise a priority. And set Time boundaries on your goal? Perhaps you will start on January 1 and be consistent at this goal every day of the month.

Also, making your goals vivid increases the chances of success. What will it look like and feel like on January 31 if you exercise every day? Jot down your answers and read them every day. Reminding yourself regularly that the reason you are going to the gym daily is to look trimmer and feel more energetic will increase your motivation to stick to your plan!

What are 3 goals you have for 2024? Is at least one of them a change goal – something you are going to start doing differently to improve at least one aspect of your life? Write your 3 priority goals down and post them where you will see them every day to keep you on track. Best wishes for 2024.

The Power of Strategic Choice: Making Room for What Matters

By Cathie Leimbach • November 10, 2025
In most organizations, the instinct is to add —more goals, more projects, more meetings. But as Juliet Funt, founder of the Juliet Funt Group, teaches in her Strategic Choice process, real leadership strength lies in deciding what to stop doing . Strategic Choice is the intentional narrowing of priorities—cutting away the clutter so teams can focus on what truly drives results. It’s a disciplined act of letting go: saying no to good ideas so there’s room for the great ones. Funt’s approach challenges leaders to pause, think, and create the mental and operational space their people need to perform at their best. By removing unnecessary tasks and misplaced effort, leaders make room for precision, innovation, and real thinking time. This isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing what matters most. When businesses adopt this mindset, they replace overwhelm with clarity and regain control of their time, energy, and outcomes. For small to mid-sized companies, embracing Strategic Choice can transform busyness into focus—and that focus is where sustainable growth begins. Want a quick visual overview? View Strategic Choice: Making Room for What Matters to see how this process helps leaders focus on what truly drives results.

Unlock Your Team's Potential: Fix Dysfunction, Boost the Bottom Line!

By Cathie Leimbach • November 4, 2025
Hey team leaders! Ever wonder why some companies soar while others stumble? Patrick Lencioni's bestseller, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team , nails it: workplace dysfunctions such as no trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoiding accountability, and ignoring results lead to mediocre performance at best. But here's the good news—smart leadership development changes the game! Start with building trust . Train leaders to open up and be vulnerable. Teams bond, ideas flow, and costly mistakes drop. Next, embrace healthy conflict . Teach team leaders to make it safe for team members to share the pros and cons of current or new ways of doing things. This helps everyone understand different perspectives. Then, drive commitment . Leaders who clarify goals, ask everyone to share their level of buy-in, and address their concerns get everyone bought in. People focus on high value work and get more done. . Hold folks accountable through coaching. Leaders learn to give kind, direct feedback by praising good work and calmly providing more training as needed. Turnover plummets and the quality and quantity of work improves. Finally, focus on results . Be clear on expectations. Keep score by monitoring progress weekly or daily. Acknowledge team wins when the goals are met. Winning sports teams pay attention to these Five Behaviors of a Team. How would a World Series winner have been determined this week without trust among the players and coaches, openness to tough coaching, the whole team working together, players focusing on their specific positions, and getting players around the bases to get the top score? Every workplace can benefit from these team behaviors as well. Lencioni's research proves it: Companies who prepare their leaders to overcome these 5 common workplace dysfunctions, improve the culture and see huge financial gains. Invest in your leaders today. Your bottom line will thank you! Click here to learn more about the painful cost of team dysfunction.