What Are You Carrying Into This Year?

Weekly Newsletter

August 10, 2026•5 min read

What Are You Carrying Into This Year?

Three leadership choices that can change the year ahead

As a new school year and a new season of leadership begin, we often focus on what we need todo next.

New goals.
New initiatives.
New priorities.
New challenges.

But before we move forward, there is another question every leader should ask:

What am I carrying into this year?

Every leader carries something forward from the previous year. Sometimes it is wisdom, relationships, confidence, and lessons learned. Other times, we unknowingly carry frustration, disappointment, conflict, or habits that no longer serve us—or our organization.

Great leadership requires more than knowing where you're going.

It requires knowing what you should take with you—and what you need to leave behind.

Here are three areas I encourage every leader to consider.

1. Carry the Lessons—Not the Baggage

Every difficult experience teaches us something.

A challenging conversation can teach us how to communicate better.
A mistake can teach us what we need to change.
A failed initiative can teach us what our people really need.
A difficult season can reveal strengths we didn't know we had.

The goal isn't to forget what happened.

The goal is to learn from it without allowing it to define what happens next.

Ask yourself:

What did last year teach me that will make me a better leader this year?

Takeaway:

Don't carry the weight of the experience. Carry the wisdom from the experience.

2. Carry the Relationships That Matter

Leadership is ultimately about people.

As you look ahead, think about the people who made a difference in your leadership journey. The person who challenged you. The person who believed in you. The colleague who stood beside you when things were difficult. The team member who reminded you why the work matters.

Don't assume those relationships will take care of themselves.

Invest in them.

Reach out.
Listen.
Say thank you.
Create time.
Build trust.

One of the greatest leadership mistakes we make is believing that because a relationship is important, it will automatically remain strong.

It won't.

Relationships require intentional leadership.

Takeaway:

Don't just build a great organization. Build the relationships that make a great organization possible.

3. Leave Behind What Is Holding You Back

This may be the hardest—and most important—leadership decision.

What do you need to leave behind?

Maybe it's the need to have every answer.

Maybe it's a conversation you keep replaying.

Maybe it's an old leadership habit.

Maybe it's the fear of disappointing someone.

Maybe it's the belief that you have to carry every problem yourself.

Or maybe it's simply the tendency to spend too much time looking backward.

You cannot change yesterday.

But you can decide what yesterday gets to influence about tomorrow.

Takeaway:

You don't have to carry everything just because you experienced it.

Sometimes the most powerful leadership move is letting go.

A SIMPLE LEADERSHIP RESET

Before you get completely immersed in the new year, take 10 minutes and answer three questions:

What will I carry forward?

One lesson, relationship, habit, or strength that deserves to continue.

What will I leave behind?

One frustration, behavior, mindset, or experience that no longer deserves your energy.

What will I create next?

One intentional leadership action that will make your team, organization, or community better.

Three questions.

Ten minutes.

Potentially a very different year.

The RLR Challenge

As you step into this next season, don't simply ask:

“What do I need to accomplish?”

Ask something deeper:

“Who do I need to become as a leader?”

Because the organization you're leading this year will be influenced by the leader you choose to be.

Carry the lessons.
Carry the relationships.
Leave the baggage.

Then step forward with clarity, purpose, and intention.

Serve. Support. Help Leaders and Their Organizations.

– Randy L. Russell, Ph.D.
President, RLR Leadership Consulting

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Who's In Your Inner Circle?
RLR Leadership Consulting and The CORE Project

Think about the people closest to you. The ones you share ideas with, lean on for support, and let influence your decisions. That group—your inner circle—shapes how you see yourself, the choices you make, and even the risks you’re willing to take.

Sometimes, those relationships give you energy and push you forward. Other times, they hold you back. That’s why RLR Leadership Consulting and The CORE Project have teamed up to create Your Inner Circle—an opportunity to pause, reflect, and intentionally shape the connections that matter most.

In this experience, you’ll:

Identify who truly belongs in your circle
Learn how to set healthy boundaries when needed
Build trust that actually lasts
Choose connections that make you stronger

Because the truth is, leadership isn’t just about strategy or skills—it’s about people. And the people closest to you can either empower your growth or limit your potential.

We’d love for you to join us. As a special opportunity, use code Randy15 for a discounted price—but hurry, this offer won’t last long.
https://thecorepro.com/coregroups/p/your-inner-circle-curriculum

Your circle matters. Choose it wisely.

If you would like me, or someone from our RLR Team, to speak or work with your school and/or school district, please contact us at www.randyrussell.org.