A Leader's Pledge for a New Year

A new year is an opportunity for a fresh start in many areas of our lives including our health, family, finances and even our leadership. A pledge is a promise or commitment to do or change something. Here is a pledge I am sharing with my team. Consider it for you and your team as well and feel free to modify it for what fits best for your context!

1. I will create an environment for my team that is safe, resulting in a sense of belonging.

2. I will show gratitude for my team with both my words and deeds.

3. I will be appropriately vulnerable with my team by modeling transparency.

4. I will aspire to take less credit for success and more responsibility for mistakes.

5. I will seek genuine relational connection with my team.

6. I will pray weekly for specific members of my team and for their specific needs.

7. I will strive to speak the truth to my team – always in a spirit of love and respect.

8. I will look out for the interest of my team rather than just myself.

9. I will laugh with my team by prioritizing the importance of having fun while working hard.

10. I will monitor the cultural health of my team as much as the financials of my organization.

11. I will seek feedback from members of my team on how I and our organization can improve.

12. I will share this pledge with my team and encourage all of us to “lean in” to it together.

Contact us to learn how coaching can help strengthen your leadership and your team.

Jay Desko is the CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.