5+1 Leadership lessons on empathy, values and growth for 2026.
Summary:
I’ve been reading Closing the Confidence Gap – Boost Your Peace, Your Potential, and Your Paycheck, by Kelli Thompson lately. It’s one of those books that makes you pause and think about your values, as a leader and a woman.
And it’s not just the book. I’ve been surrounded by amazing (and bad) senior leaders over my career, and I have learned quite a few lessons. Mostly by making mistakes (we are all human beings).
And now that 2026 has just started, and after doing my goals list (yes, I am one of those people), I have been thinking about what 2025 taught me and how I want to show up this year. At least, try.
As someone who’s learned to adjust her approach to goal-setting, I’m giving myself achievable and realistic ones. The kind of goals that gives me direction, not pressure. So here are 5+1 leadership lessons I’m taking with me into this year.
1. Leading with empathy
For someone like me, very empathetic, it’s important to remember that empathy and being everyone’s SOS boat are two different things.
You can listen without solving everything. You can show up for people without taking on everything yourself. You can care deeply about your team without burning yourself out.
The balance is hard. But necessary.
What I’m doing differently:
I’m learning to ask questions and support others without feeling like I need to fix everything or prove a point. I’m asking “How can I support you?” instead of immediately trying to fix things. And I’m reminding myself that caring for others starts with caring for myself.
2. Rest as a leadership strategy
Rest shouldn’t be something you earn after you’ve worked yourself into the ground. I’ve learned this lesson at my own expense. Book that holiday. Take time off. Block focus time in your calendar. Protect your time as you would everything else you take seriously in your life. Have that comfort break between one meeting and the other. Not always possible, but it’s worth trying.
Rest is how you stay focused, effective, helpful, creative, and capable of leading well.
If you’re always exhausted, you’re not showing up as your best self. And your team and colleagues can feel it.
What I’m doing differently:
I’m treating rest like a meeting I can’t cancel. I’m protecting my energy with the same commitment I protect my calendar. And I’m reminding myself that stepping away is how I stay in the game for the long run.
3. Using AI without losing the human touch
AI is here and it’s not going anywhere. And yes, it’s changing how we work.
But here’s what AI can’t do (yet): it can’t read a room. It can’t sense when someone’s struggling. It can’t build trust. That’s on us.
I use it as an assistant to speed things up, but I always, always use my brain before and after. If it leads to mistakes, at least I can own them, because they are mine. And this is how we learn.
What I’m doing differently:
I’m definitely exploring additional AI tools, and using it as an assistant (often not accurate, and without judgement) to do stuff like drafts, research, and data analysis. But I’m keeping the human side: the feedback that helps people grow, and the strategic decisions that actually change culture.
4. Teaching your team to lead themselves
I like to think that the best leaders create more leaders. I’ve had brilliant leaders, and I’m bringing their lessons with me, adapting them to my own life and story.
If your team can’t make decisions without you, something’s wrong. If they’re waiting for your approval on everything, you’re slowing them down, not helping them succeed.
Leadership means building a room full of people you care about, who don’t need you to hold their hand. It means that they will do their best, even when you are not in the room, and take some calculated risks, or find ways to get the answers they don’t have at their level. To me, it’s guiding a team so that they can walk on their own. It’s not always possible, I know. And we are all guilty of acting more like managers than leaders sometimes, but isn’t it fascinating that there’s always room to grow and that we don’t know everything? Nobody does. And if they say they do, they are lying.
What I’m doing differently:
I’m asking “What do you think we should do?” before giving my opinion. I’m trusting my team to try things, even when I’m not 100% convinced. I’m helping them grow. And I’m celebrating when people solve problems without me.
5. Leading with your values when nobody is watching
It’s funny that I started writing this article yesterday, and today I bumped into a LinkedIn article by Simon Sinek about “the power of leading without recognition”. “Real leadership“, he says, “the kind that changes lives and shapes cultures, often happens in the shadows. It’s the leadership of service, humility and courage“. I loved that!
Integrity only matters when you live it consistently. Even when no one’s looking. When it’s inconvenient. When it would be easier to just let something slide.
What I’m doing differently:
I’m paying attention to the small choices I make every day, towards myself and others: how I speak to people, what I prioritise, how I support others without needing recognition for it. I’m protecting my values and asking myself: does this align with what I say I care about? And if the answer is no, I’m course-correcting, even when it’s hard.
+1. Leading in your second language
Now, let’s talk about leading in a second language and the thing you don’t find in a book: you will stumble. You will search for words. You will feel like you’re not quite enough. You will look for validation. You will feel like you don’t deserve to be in that room with senior leaders. But you do! Your story is your superpower.
One of my (best) mentors used to say “Being Italian is your superpower“. I think I get it now.
You see things others don’t. You bridge cultures. You’ve built resilience by showing up every day and doing hard things in a language that doesn’t come naturally. Without a safety net. Don’t apologise for it.
What I’m doing differently:
I’m owning my voice, even when it doesn’t sound perfect. I’ll be more present in the room, focused on being of service to others rather than proving how much I know. I’m remembering that clarity, empathy, respect, and kindness matter more than fluency. And I’m reminding myself that being bilingual is proof that I can do hard things and keep going even when I fail.
Final thoughts
I first heard about setting goals from a Mel Robbins podcast, and there are plenty of resources out there if you want to master yours. 2026 doesn’t have to be the year you rebuild yourself from scratch (unless you want to!). But if you want to achieve something, I’d say you need a direction. Achievable, at your own pace, and time dependent. But you need it.
I do my list every year now, since that podcast, and my list includes health and fitness, family and friends, relationships, career, business and studies, hobbies and fun, finances, and personal development.
Being a better leader is one of those. Let’s see how it goes.
What we’ve learned
- Empathy doesn’t mean fixing everyone’s problems. You can care deeply without burning yourself out.
- Rest isn’t something you earn after working yourself into the ground. It’s how you stay effective and creative.
- AI is a tool, not a replacement. Keep the human side: the conversations, the feedback, the decisions that shape culture.
- Great leaders create more leaders. Build a team that can walk on their own, even when you’re not in the room.
- Your values only matter if you follow them when it’s hard. Pay attention to the small choices you make every day.
And if you’re leading in your second language: your story is your superpower. Own your voice, even when it doesn’t sound perfect.
What leadership lessons are you bringing into 2026? I’d love to hear them. Drop me a message or let’s grab a coffee in London.
