Willpower runs out. Identity is permanent. Here is how to reprogram your brain for the New Year.

Stop making New Year's Resolutions.

If you are like most leaders, you probably woke up with a list of behavioural goals: "I going to micromanage less," "I will be more strategic," or "This year I’ll clear my inbox."

But neuroscience tells us that 92% of these resolutions will fail because you are trying to change your actions without changing your programming.

In this special New Year's episode, we break down why behavioural goals don't drive long-term change and how to use the Identity Shift Framework instead.

In this episode, you will learn:

1. The "Smoker Paradox": The massive psychological difference between "trying to quit" and "being a non-smoker" (and how this applies to your leadership) .
2. Neuroplasticity 101: How to use the "Neurons that fire together, wire together" principle to reprogram the 95% of your behavior that is subconscious .
3. The "Sub-Personality" Technique: How to identify your "Old Identity" (e.g., Tactical Mike) and consciously switch into your "New Identity" (e.g., Strategic Mike) .
4. The 30-Second Morning Ritual: A simple visualization tool you can use while brushing your teeth to lock in your new leadership presence for the day

💪 The Challenge for This Week:

Don't just pick a goal for 2026. Pick an Identity.

1. Name the Old You: (e.g., The Anxious Fixer).
2. Name the New You: (e.g., The Calm Architect).
3. The Trigger: Every time you sit at your desk (or get on the train), take 10 seconds to mentally "put on the costume" of your New Identity

Resources:

1. Join the Conversation: Join our Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on LinkedIn or Facebook
2. Get Live Coaching: Move from listening to doing inside the Growth Leaders Collective. Start your $1 trial at RMichaelAnderson.com/GLC

Autonomy is not neglect. Here is how to audit your team's thinking without dictating their work.

You think you are empowering your team, but you might actually be neglecting them.

I recently identified a dangerous pattern with two different C-Level leaders. I call it "Fire and Forget Management".

Because they were terrified of being labeled "micromanagers," they hired good people and then completely disappeared. They said, "Just go do your job, and I'll leave you alone".

But autonomy without oversight isn't leadership - it's negligence. And it inevitably leads to blind spots, lost loyalty, and crisis .

In this episode, I break down the Strategic Auditing Framework. You will learn exactly how to stay involved in your team's work without taking over their work.

In this episode, you will learn:

1. The "Good" Trap: Why asking your team "How are things going?" is a useless question (and the specific follow-ups you need to ask instead) .
2. Micromanaging vs. Auditing: The critical distinction. Micromanaging is dictating how to do the work; Auditing is verifying the thinking behind the work .
3. The "Deep Dive" Technique: How to pick one specific artifact (a job description, a dashboard, a project plan) and review it with your employee to teach them strategic thinking .
4. Strategic Questioning: The specific questions to ask (e.g., "What is the critical path?" or "What is the biggest risk?") that force your team to level up .
5. The "Development Theme": How to identify one personality blind spot (like resisting change) and coach a team member through it over a 6-month period .

💪 The Challenge:

Pick one direct report and look at your calendar for your next 1-on-1.

1. Stop Surface Level: Do not just accept "Everything is good."
2. The Audit: Pick one specific project or document.
3. The Deep Dive: Open it up on the screen together and ask: "Walk me through your thinking here.".

Resources:

1. Join the Conversation: Join our Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on LinkedIn or Facebook
2. Get Live Coaching: Move from listening to doing inside the Growth Leaders Collective. Start your $1 trial at RMichaelAnderson.com/GLC

The Peter Principle is wrong. Here is the neuroscience of why you are stuck and the 4-step framework to fix it.

If you find yourself in a leadership position because you are a great "Doer," the same things that got you there are now holding you back.

You were likely promoted because you were the best coder, the best salesperson, or the best problem solver. But leading people is a completely different skillset than doing the work.

In this foundational episode, we break down the Leadership Incompetence Trap.

We dismantle the "Peter Principle" - the idea that you have risen to your level of incompetence - and replace it with the neuroscience of why your brain is actually addicted to the "Doer" mode.

In this episode, you will learn:

1. The "Physician Paradox": Why we give doctors 20 years of training but give leaders a weekend workshop (and why this sets you up to fail).
2. Goal Line vs. Learning Line: The framework used by high-growth leaders to scale their business and their emotional intelligence simultaneously.
3. The Foundational Truth: Why your leadership is simply an extension of the relationship you have with yourself.
4. The 4-Step Growth Framework: The roadmap we will use in this podcast to move from Release & Reset to Strategy & Influence.

💪 The Challenge for This Episode:

(each episode ends with one challenge for you to put into practice)

I want you to identify one thing that made you successful in the past that you are still doing today - but need to let go of.

It might be closing sales deals yourself, reviewing every line of code, or proofreading marketing emails.

1. Identify the Task: What is the one "Doer" activity you are holding onto for comfort?
2. The Decision: Make the conscious decision to let it go this week so you can make space for strategic leadership.

Resources:

1. Join the Conversation: Join our Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on LinkedIn or Facebook
2. Get Live Coaching: Move from listening to doing inside the Growth Leaders Collective. Start your $1 trial at RMichaelAnderson.com/GLC