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As we close 2025, the year where Learnit celebrated its 30-year anniversary, I’ve been thinking a great deal about longevity and what allows a company, a team, or a leader to not only survive but continually evolve. Anniversaries naturally invite reflection, and this year I’ve been reminded that leadership is not defined by the highs or the lows. It is defined by what we learn from both. That’s why I use a year-end leadership audit—a simple 3×3 framework that helps me reflect with clarity before stepping into a new year.
If you’re a new manager or a high performer stepping into greater responsibility, you already know something important. The pace of work rarely slows enough for meaningful reflection. We move from quarter to quarter, project to project, and fire to fire. Without stepping back, it becomes almost impossible to see where we have grown, where we have stalled, or where we might be getting in our own way. Systematic self-reflection and structured self-assessment have been shown to enhance managerial effectiveness. It strengthens both individual competence and organizational culture.
Intentional reflection also improves critical thinking and decision-making in professional settings.
For these reasons, every December I complete a simple leadership audit. It is a practice I started years ago to ground myself before entering a new year, and it has become one of the most valuable habits in my leadership life. I call it the 3×3 Leadership Audit, and it is built around three deceptively simple questions:
This is not a performance review or a checklist. It functions more as a year-end leadership reflection that allows me to be honest with myself about how I am showing up as a leader and where I want to go next.
This year’s audit feels especially meaningful. Thirty years of Learnit have shown me that leadership growth is never linear and it never stops. Whether you are a new manager navigating your first year or a seasoned high performer setting ambitious goals, this kind of leadership self-assessment is one of the most powerful tools you can bring into 2025.
In the spirit of transparency, and in service of the learn-it-all mindset that has shaped my approach to leadership, I am sharing my full 3×3 Leadership Audit from this year. My hope is that it encourages you to pause, reflect, and step into the new year with clarity and confidence.
The end of the year offers a natural pause that most managers and high performers rarely grant themselves. The pace of our work lives keeps us constantly moving, which leaves little room for true leadership self-assessment. A leadership audit creates that space. It provides a structured moment to reflect on what shaped the past twelve months and what needs to change in the next twelve.
Many leaders assume growth happens automatically with time or experience. In reality, growth happens only when we take time to understand our decisions, our habits, and the impact we have on others. A leadership audit turns reflection into a repeatable practice rather than an occasional moment of insight. It forces us to be honest about our strengths, our blind spots, and our evolving leadership mindset.
Year-end reflection is especially powerful because it sits at the intersection of closure and possibility. We can look back with clarity and forward with intention. When I complete my own leadership audit each December, I am not simply reviewing what happened. I am reconnecting with who I want to be as a leader in the year ahead. That clarity drives better decision making, healthier relationships, and a stronger sense of purpose.
As Learnit celebrates its 30th year, I am reminded that organizations thrive when their leaders are willing to pause, reflect, and grow on purpose. A leadership audit encourages exactly that. It is one of the simplest ways to align your actions with your values and your goals with your impact. New managers and experienced leaders alike benefit from taking time to evaluate where they stand and where they want to go.
A new year invites new expectations. A leadership audit ensures you meet those expectations with confidence and a clear sense of direction.
A leadership audit is most effective when it is simple enough to repeat and structured enough to reveal something meaningful. The 3×3 Leadership Audit follows that balance. It allows me to review the year with clarity, honesty, and focus. The goal is not perfection. The goal is awareness.
The framework is built around three categories. Each one encourages a different kind of reflection and together they create a full picture of how you are growing as a leader.
Taken together, these three categories create a straightforward leadership review of the year. They help you recognize what is working, understand what is steady, and confront what needs attention. I repeat this framework every December because it continuously brings me back to the kind of leader I want to be.
I want to walk you through my own 3×3 Leadership Audit from this year. My hope is that it gives you a clear example of how practical and powerful this reflection can be.
A leadership audit works only if we are willing to acknowledge the areas where we have genuinely grown. Progress often happens quietly. It shows up in small choices, new habits, or shifts in perspective. This year, three areas stood out for me: delegation, personal brand, and decision making. Each one required uncomfortable change, and each one created meaningful momentum.
Delegation has always been a challenge for me. Like many leaders, especially those who have grown with a company over many years, I built an identity around being able to do everything myself. Over time, that mindset creates a ceiling for both the leader and the team. This year I finally confronted the truth. My reluctance to delegate was slowing down the business and limiting the growth of the people around me.
Learning to delegate more effectively allowed me to step back from tasks that did not require my direct involvement. It opened space for others to take ownership and develop their own leadership skills. New managers often struggle with the same issue. Delegation is not a sign of weakness. It is a practice that strengthens both the leader and the team. This shift was a major step forward for me.
For years I resisted the idea of building a personal brand. I assumed my work spoke for itself and that visibility was something other people needed, not me. I was wrong. A strong personal brand for leaders is not about self-promotion. It is about clarity, influence, and connection. It allows people to understand what you stand for and why your perspective matters.
This year I made a conscious effort to be more present on LinkedIn, on the podcast, and in conversations with our community. It helped me articulate my values more clearly and it strengthened the trust between myself, our team, and our clients. High performers and new managers often overlook the importance of personal brand, but it is a powerful tool for leadership growth. Becoming more intentional in this area was a meaningful improvement for me.
Decision-making skills are essential for any leader. Yet even with experience, it is easy to fall into patterns that cloud judgment. One example from this year was my hesitation to change direction on a major office project. We had already invested time, money, and energy, which made it hard to step away. This is a classic sunk cost situation. Many leaders, myself included, struggle with it.
Eventually I realized that holding on was costing more than letting go. Once I made the decision to pivot, the path forward became clearer. This experience reminded me that effective decision making requires objectivity, humility, and the willingness to adjust course. Improving in this area helped me lead with more confidence and clarity.
These three areas—delegation, personal brand, and decision making—represent real progress for me this year. Each one has influenced how I show up for my team and how I think about Learnit’s next chapter.
While growth requires change, strong leadership also depends on consistency. Every leader has a set of values and behaviors that form the foundation of how they show up for their team. When the pressure rises or the pace intensifies, these traits become even more important. In my own leadership audit, three constants stood out this year: putting people first, modeling the behavior I expect from others, and staying committed to a learn-it-all mindset.
People-first leadership is not a slogan. It is a practice that shapes every decision, conversation, and relationship. For thirty years, Learnit has grown because we prioritize human beings before processes or profits. That commitment remained steady for me this year. I continued to focus on building trust, understanding the needs of our team, and creating an environment where people feel seen and supported.
When leaders invest in their people, performance improves, engagement increases, and retention strengthens. New managers often ask me where to start when they feel overwhelmed. My answer is always the same: start with your relationships. When people feel valued, they bring their best selves to the work.
Leadership is observed long before it is followed. This year, I stayed committed to modeling the behavior I want to see at every level of the organization. That includes humility, integrity, courage, and curiosity. These traits are not situational. They are habits. When leaders embody these values consistently, they create psychological safety and a culture where others feel empowered to step up.
One thing I have learned over the years is that teams watch what you do far more closely than what you say. Consistency builds credibility. Credibility builds trust. And trust is the foundation for everything else.
The learn-it-all mindset remains one of the defining traits of my leadership and of Learnit’s culture. I have never believed that leadership is about being the smartest person in the room. It is about being the most curious. Curiosity fuels innovation, growth, and resilience. It allows leaders to adapt when everything around them changes.
This mindset guided me again this year. It helped me ask better questions, seek new perspectives, and stay open to learning from my team. For new managers and high performers, this mindset is one of the most powerful ways to accelerate growth. It keeps you nimble, engaged, and grounded in possibility.
These consistent traits—people-first leadership, modeling values-driven behavior, and staying curious—anchor me in the moments that matter most. They strengthen the foundation I rely on as I continue to grow.
A leadership audit means taking an honest look not only at what went well but also at the areas that require greater attention. Growth demands humility, and this part of the reflection is often the most valuable. As I look toward the year ahead, three areas stand out where I need to do better: reconnecting with our NorthStar, strengthening my understanding of AI, and building an advisory board that can guide Learnit into its next chapter.
Every organization needs a clearly defined purpose. It is the anchor that guides decisions, priorities, and culture. This year, I realized that my connection to Learnit’s North Star had been inconsistent at times. We experienced significant change, and in the middle of that movement, I occasionally lost sight of the larger “why” behind our work.
This drift happens to many leaders. It is easy to focus so intensely on operations, growth targets, or urgent challenges that we forget to revisit the purpose driving it all. One of my biggest goals for next year is to reconnect with that purpose and articulate it more clearly for our team. When people understand the mission and see their role in it, motivation and alignment grow naturally.
AI changed the landscape of learning and leadership development faster than most of us expected. I will admit that I am still catching up. Although I have made progress this year, my comfort level with AI tools, trends, and strategy still has room to grow. Leaders at every level now need at least a working understanding of how AI can support productivity, decision making, communication, and continuous learning.
My goal in the coming year is to deepen my AI literacy and use these tools in a more intentional way. This is not about replacing people. It is about equipping them. Leaders who learn to navigate AI effectively can help their teams stay relevant, innovative, and future-ready. I plan to take a more active approach here, both for myself and for Learnit as a company.
As we look ahead to Learnit’s next era, I see a clear need for outside perspective. For years, I have relied on mentors, peers, and trusted colleagues, but I have not yet built a formal advisory board. The absence of one has limited my ability to gain diverse insights and unbiased support during major decisions.
Creating an advisory board is now a top priority. Bringing in experienced voices will help us identify blind spots, navigate complex decisions, and refine our long-term strategy. This is not just a CEO-level practice. High performers and new managers can benefit from a “personal advisory board” of their own—trusted individuals who challenge, guide, and expand their thinking.
These three areas—clarifying purpose, navigating AI, and assembling an advisory board—represent the improvements that will matter most for my leadership next year. Acknowledging them now gives me a clearer path forward.
Now that you’ve seen how I use this framework, I encourage you to complete your own 3×3 Leadership Audit. The goal is not to produce a perfect analysis. The value comes from honest reflection and a willingness to learn from the past year. This simple structure creates clarity, and clarity creates momentum.
Below is aversion you can use for your own year-end leadership reflection.
This part of the leadership self-assessment helps you recognize forward movement. Too often, leaders skip over their progress because they are already focused on the next challenge. Take time to acknowledge the moments where you grew.
Consider these reflection questions:
Identifying your improvements builds confidence and highlights the strengths you want to continue developing.
This category focuses on the values and behaviors that anchor your leadership. These traits form your foundation, and they show up in the way you communicate, collaborate, and respond under pressure.
Ask yourself:
By naming these constants, you reinforce the parts of your leadership that create trust and stability.
Every leader has gaps. A leadership audit becomes powerful when you are willing to acknowledge them without judgment. Growth begins with awareness.
These questions can help:
Choose the three areas that will have the biggest impact on your development. Focus on progress, not perfection.
The 3×3 Leadership Audit is a simple template, but it creates a meaningful map for the year ahead. Leaders who take time to reflect with honesty and intention begin the new year with purpose, clarity, and renewed focus.
If you repeat this process annually or even quarterly, you will see how small improvements compound into real transformation.
What is a leadership audit?
A leadership audit is a structured moment to step back and evaluate how you showed up as a leader. It helps you name what improved, what stayed steady, and what needs to change next. It’s not about judgment—it’s about awareness and intention.
When should I do a leadership audit?
Year-end is ideal because it gives you closure and a clean starting line. But you can also do this quarterly if you’re in a season of rapid change, new responsibilities, or high pressure. The real power comes from making it a repeatable practice.
How long does a 3×3 leadership audit take?
You can do a meaningful version in 20–30 minutes. If you want to go deeper, take 45 minutes and look back at your calendar, key decisions, and the conversations that shaped your year. The goal is honesty, not volume.
What should I do after I complete it?
Turn your reflection into action by choosing one improvement from each category and translating it into a simple commitment for the next 30 days. Then share one of those commitments with someone you trust—an accountability partner, a mentor, or a colleague. Reflection creates clarity, but follow-through creates growth.
Can I use the 3×3 audit with my team?
Yes, and it can be incredibly healthy when done well. Have each person complete the three questions privately first, then share themes as a group—what improved, what stayed strong, and where the team wants to improve next. Done with the right tone, it builds alignment and trust without turning into a blame session.
Reaching Learnit’s 30-year milestone has reminded me of something simple but essential: leadership is not a destination. It is a continuous practice that evolves with every person you meet, every challenge you face, and every opportunity you choose to pursue. A leadership audit is one of the ways I stay connected to that truth. It gives me the clarity to understand where I have grown and the humility to see where I still need work.
Over the past three decades, I have learned that strong leadership is built on intention. It is built on the willingness to pause, to reflect, and to make changes that align your actions with your values. New managers often feel pressure to have everything figured out immediately. High performers sometimes feel they must carry every burden alone. In reality, the most effective leaders are the ones who stay curious, stay open, and stay committed to becoming better every year.
As I look ahead,I feel grateful for the people who have shaped this journey, from our team to our clients to the community that continues to believe in Learnit’s mission.Their trust inspires me to keep growing and to keep modeling the learn-it-all mindset that has defined our culture for three decades.
My hope is that this 3×3 Leadership Audit encourages you to take your own moment of reflection.Whether this year was full of wins, challenges, or a mix of both, you have the opportunity to carry forward the lessons that matter most. The new year invites every leader to begin again with clarity and purpose. I’m excited to step into the next chapter of Learnit’s story, and I hope you feel ready to step confidently into your own.
Here’s to growth, to learning, and to the leaders we are becoming.
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