It is January, which means the internet is about to hand you a fresh list of ways to become a better version of yourself to add to your New Year’s resolutions.
Make more money. Work out more. Eat cleaner. Read more books. Drink more water. Spend more time with family. Build more healthy habits.
All good things. But for most leaders, that is not the real problem. The problem is that leadership already comes with “more” baked in.
More decisions. More responsibility. More people to support. More market uncertainty. More pressure to get it right. More problems you do not control.
So when New Year’s shows up with another set of “add this to your plate” expectations, it can feel disconnected from reality.
Because if you are honest, what you need right now is not more. You need room.
That is why New Year’s resolutions fail so often. They ask already stretched people to stretch further.
For leaders, that cost is not theoretical. Research from Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence shows nearly 70% of C-suite executives are seriously considering leaving their role for one that better supports their well-being. The Wall Street Journal has also reported record CEO turnover, frequently tied to burnout and the growing weight leaders are carrying.
So this year, try a different approach.
Instead of New Year’s resolutions, think in terms of New Year’s eliminations. Let’s go back to that old saying of “less is more”.
Here are seven eliminations that create real bandwidth without lowering standards.
1. Leaders should stop doing the “automatic yes”
If you are a capable leader, people bring you problems and tasks. That is normal, and often a good sign.
The issue is what happens next.
Many leaders say yes because they can handle it. But being able to do something does not mean you should. After enough yeses, you end up owning everything. Then you wonder why you are stuck in the weeds.
A quick way to decide what you own and what you don’t
Use this quick decision screen when new work comes up:
- Own it. Only if it is truly leader-level. Think revenue impact, major risk, or a decision only you can make.
- Delegate it. Someone else can own the outcome. You can still define success and timelines, but they’ll run point.
- Defer it. Park it on a list for you (or someone else) with a date so it does not rattle around in your head.
- Drop it. If it does not meaningfully move the business forward, do not carry it “just because.”
This simple filter is how leaders keep unnecessary work from crowding out strategic thinking time.
2. Leaders should stop doing “drive-by delegation”
Delegation does not work when it is vague.
Many leaders “delegate” in a way that still keeps the work mentally on their backs. Tasks get assigned, but ownership never fully transfers over. Then you keep checking on it, reworking it, or stepping back in.
That is not delegation. That is stress with extra steps.
A better handoff: delegate outcomes, not tasks
Try this language:
“You own this outcome. Here is what good looks like. Here are the constraints. Here is what you can decide without me. Here is when I want an update.”
Leaders should stop doing half-delegation. Full transfer of outcomes is what creates space to lead and gives teams room to grow.
3. Leaders should stop doing leadership without a real operating rhythm
If your week feels like a blur of meetings, follow-ups, and decisions, it is rarely a time-management problem. It is an operating system problem.
When the team doesn’t have a clear operating cadence, everything starts to feel urgent. Priorities get revisited too often, decisions slow down, and leaders end up pulled into conversations they shouldn’t need to be in.
The practical fix: a cadence your team can rely on
You don’t need another framework. You need consistency, for example:
- A weekly meeting focused on execution and what’s stuck
- A monthly review for metrics, progress, and decisions
- A quarterly reset for priorities and tradeoffs
- An annual plan that sets direction
Leaders should stop doing leadership without a clear operating rhythm. When rhythm and ownership are clear, fewer issues escalate and fewer decisions need to land at the top.
4. Leaders should stop doing the “I will deal with it later” conversation
Most leaders do not avoid hard, uncomfortable conversations because they are weak. They avoid them because they are busy, tired, or trying to keep the peace.
But that cost is high.
When a needed conversation is delayed, the issue rarely stays the same size. It usually spreads, drags down transparency standards, and leaves those team members confused about what’s expected from them. Worst of all, it taxes your mental bandwidth until it’s addressed.
A practical way to reset the conversation without escalating it
You’ll already know what to say, so here’s a helpful way to frame it:
- Start with the outcome you hope to see
- Explain the current outcome you’re seeing (avoiding blame)
- Share why it’s important, providing all key information
- Invite their perspective and questions
- Work to create a clear go-forward plan with clear expectations
Leaders should stop having these hard conversations later. Delay rarely reduces the problem and usually increases the cost.
5. Leaders should stop giving equal attention across roles
This is a big one.
You know that not every role drives equal growth or carries the same weight. Treating them that way wastes time and misallocates leadership energy.
If every open role feels equally urgent, you will underinvest in the seats that actually change outcomes. This is not about devaluing people, but about prioritizing overall business impact.
This is where critical roles matter. If you have not identified the 10–15% of roles that truly drive growth or risk, you are likely spreading leadership attention too thin. We have a blog to help identify them and fill them with intention.
The elimination: stop over-managing non-critical work
Instead:
- Identify the 10-15% of roles that truly move the business
- Invest disproportionate attention there
- Raise the bar clearly and consistently across the rest
Leaders should stop giving equal attention across roles. A small number of seats (with the right people in them) drive most outcomes, and leadership focus should reflect that reality.
6. Leaders should stop doing strategy in the leftovers of the week
This is one of the biggest leadership traps.
Strategy becomes something you do after everything else is finished. But everything else never ends. That is how leaders drift into reaction mode for months at a time.
The elimination: stop treating “thinking time” like a luxury
If you are a leader, thinking time is not extra. It is a crucial part of your job.
That means putting it on the calendar and protecting it. Use the time to step back and make the decisions only you can make. Clarify direction and priorities, anticipate change, align execution, make trade-offs, and address people decisions in your most critical seats.
Leaders should stop doing strategy only when time allows. When thinking time is not protected, urgency fills the gap and starts driving the business instead of intention.
Your business does not need more hours from you. It needs better decisions.
7. Leaders should stop doing it alone
Some of the pressure at the top is unavoidable. But some of it comes from isolation.
When leaders have no place to pressure-test decisions, they carry everything internally. That increases stress, slows decisions, and makes the role heavier than it needs to be.
The elimination: stop being the only brain in the room
Build a small, trusted circle for decision clarity:
- At least one internal partner who tells the truth
- At least one external mentor who has done it before
- One structured forum to step back and review the business regularly
Leaders should stop doing leadership alone. Outside perspective reduces blind spots, speeds up decision-making, and keeps small issues from becoming big ones.
New Year’s Eliminations for 2026
Most leaders don’t burn out because they’re doing the wrong things. They burn out because they’re carrying too many things that quietly became theirs over time.
New Year’s Eliminations is about taking unnecessary work and worry off your plate. Deciding what truly needs your attention now, and what no longer does, so you’re not carrying extra weight into another year.
If that thinking applies to your hiring or HR needs, and you want to see where Hoops might be able to support you, including identifying your most critical roles, you can schedule a free, confidential call here.
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