What Hard Lessons Change About How We Lead?
How Did Your First Full Weeks of 2026 Ask You to Lead Differently?
As January settles in, many leaders are discovering that the start of a new year isn’t about acceleration yet — it’s about orientation.
The first weeks of 2026 have asked quieter questions:
- What did last year teach me?
- What habits no longer serve how I want to lead?
- What moments reshaped my instincts before I even noticed?
At Emerging Voices Unite, this midweek wasn’t about performance. It was about preparation — emotional, relational, and intentional.
This week, our community reflected on the moments that changed them, the internal shifts that came first, and the small pauses that redefine leadership before action ever follows.
What Moment from Last Year Quietly Changed How You Lead Now?
We opened the week with a Story Starter, inviting Emerging Voices to share:
“A moment last year that changed how will I lead now…”
The response wasn’t polished — and that was the point.
Leadership research consistently shows that identity shifts precede behavior change. According to research, leaders develop most deeply through reflective sense-making, not external milestones.
Two reflections stood out:
- Robert Jaeger shared how experiencing organizational upheaval reshaped his commitment to transparency, choosing honesty over false certainty, even when answers aren’t available.
- Nate Elliott Shantz, CFA reflected on how a client tax scare sharpened his clarity — pausing first, asking better questions, then acting decisively.
These stories reinforce a core truth: Hard lessons don’t always change what we do first — they change how we choose to show up.
Read and add your reflection here.
When Leadership Shifts, What Changes First?
Later in the week, we asked a quieter but revealing question:
When a moment changes how you lead, what tends to shift first?
The community response was clear:
- Decision-making
- Communication
- How success is defined
Behavioral science supports this pattern. A more detailed executive summary from Theory U Executive Summary showing that leaders shift “inner place” or mindset first (“presencing”) before practical impact unfolds.
We’re especially grateful to Nikki Estes, Anna Rooney, Jonathon Chambless, for sharing their perspectives through the poll — your insights help shape how this community learns together.
Check out the choices of our Emerging Voices here.
What Happens When You Pause Before You React?
We closed the week with a simple EVU Challenge:
Before responding, ask: Am I reacting from habit — or choosing how I want to lead here?
This article from Harvard Business School Online discusses how self-management — including pausing before reacting — helps leaders manage emotion, respond intentionally, and support stronger relationships.
Members reflected on:
- Slower responses
- Clearer communication
- Reduced defensiveness
Small pauses, it turns out, compound into leadership maturity.
Community Highlights: How Leadership Shows Up in Real Life
Ed McAndrew — Staying Present, One Hour at a Time
Ed’s post reminded us that presence is often what turns overwhelm into progress. Through a simple but relatable 10-hour drive, he illustrated how breaking a daunting journey into manageable pieces—and staying anchored in the moment—can make even the longest road feel navigable.
His reflection highlights a leadership truth many of us relearn the hard way: momentum isn’t built by focusing on the entire distance ahead, but by committing to the next clear, achievable step. When leaders stay present and create small wins, confidence grows naturally—and forward motion follows.
It’s a powerful reminder that progress doesn’t require urgency or force. Sometimes, it just requires showing up, one intentional hour at a time.
- Connect with Ed McAndrew to explore how staying present and focusing on small, intentional actions can transform overwhelming challenges into steady momentum.
- Read Ed’s full post on why consistency, presence, and one-hour-at-a-time thinking build lasting leadership growth.
Nikki Estes — Where Purpose, Education, and Leadership Meet
During her birthday, Nikki Estes reflected on philanthropy-driven leadership, highlighting what it looks like to lead with intention, generosity, and long-term responsibility. Her perspective reminds us that meaningful leadership isn’t confined to business outcomes—it’s expressed through the choices leaders make to invest in education, community, and opportunities that create lasting impact.
This reflection underscores a powerful truth: leadership that endures is rooted in purpose, values, and a commitment to giving back in ways that shape futures beyond the moment.
- Connect with Nikki Estes to learn how values-driven leadership aligns business success with community impact and purpose.
- Read Nikki’s full post on why philanthropy, education, and intentional leadership create change that lasts beyond the moment.
What Emerging Leaders Can Learn from Anna Rooney’s Approach
Anna Rooney embodies what it means to rise with clarity, thoughtfulness, and quiet strength. As a Rising Voice, she’s a reminder that impactful leadership isn’t always the loudest or most overt. It’s about showing up with intention, consistently bringing insight, and guiding others with a steady hand when it matters most.
In the first week of 2026, we spotlight Anna’s leadership journey, where she has demonstrated that clear communication, focus, and calmness in chaos are the cornerstones of true influence. She teaches us that leadership isn't just about grand gestures, but about being present and making thoughtful decisions in everyday moments.
Anna’s work challenges us all to reflect on how we lead—not just in the big moments, but in the small, quiet spaces where true growth happens.
💬 Rising voices like Anna remind us that leadership is built from the inside out. Their clarity, thoughtfulness, and ability to focus in times of transition give us all a model to follow.
We celebrate Anna’s contributions, and as we continue to grow together, let’s remember that the impact we make is often shaped not by volume, but by the depth and sincerity of our voices.
- Connect with Anna Rooney to follow how clarity, thoughtfulness, and intentional leadership shape real impact in moments that matter.
- Read Anna’s Rising Voice spotlight post and see how this emerging voice shows up with focus, presence, and purpose.
What Do These Hard Lessons Ask of Us Now?
The first full weeks of 2026 didn’t ask this community to perform louder.
They asked us to:
- Pause before reacting
- Speak with clarity instead of certainty
- Let experience refine our leadership — quietly
Research consistently shows that endurance and adaptability, not speed, define effective leadership over time.
As this year continues to unfold, Emerging Voices Unite remains a space where leadership is learned in public, practiced with care, and shaped together.
👉 Your voice belongs here. Keep sharing. Keep reflecting. Keep leading — intentionally.
🔔 Emerging Voices Unite — where lived experience fuels authentic leadership.