Things Leaders Do – Détails, épisodes et analyse

What should leaders do in the first week of January to set their team up for success in 2026? How can middle managers use the first week back to re-engage their teams and set the tone for the entire year?

Most leaders waste the first week of January drowning in email and attending pointless meetings. But the first week of January isn't about catching up—it's about resetting. In this episode, Colby breaks down the specific conversations leaders need to have, why one-on-ones are non-negotiable, and how to build leadership habits that actually stick.

If you've been struggling with team engagement or haven't been doing one-on-ones consistently, this episode will give you the framework to start 2026 strong.

Key Takeaways

• Why the first week of January is the most important week of the year for leaders
• The three critical conversations every leader needs to have with their team in the first week back
• What the data says about one-on-one meetings and employee engagement (the numbers might surprise you)
• A vulnerable framework for admitting you haven't been doing one-on-ones—and how to start
• The Start/Stop/Continue framework for resetting your leadership in 2026
• How to set a leadership rhythm that prevents you from falling back into old habits by March

Featured Statistics

• Only 23% of employees globally are engaged at work (Gallup, 2024)
• Employee disengagement costs $8.9 trillion globally
• Employees who meet one-on-one with leaders weekly are 1.5x more likely to be highly engaged (Work Human, 2024)
• 70% of variance in team engagement is attributable to the manager (Gallup)

Who This Episode Is For

Middle managers and team leaders who want to start 2026 strong, re-engage their teams after the holidays, and build sustainable leadership habits that actually stick.

Connect with Colby

• Website: nxtstepadvisors.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colbymorris

• Colby's LinkedIn Profile
• NXTStepAdvisors.com

93% of employees can't align their personal goals with company objectives—because most goal-setting is one-directional garbage. This episode shows you how to create SMART goals using the two-way framework that balances corporate priorities with what your team actually wants to develop.

What You'll Learn:

• Why SMART goals remove ambiguity and prevent performance review conflicts
• How to cascade corporate goals using the trickle-down effect (not copy/paste)
• The two types of personal development goals your team actually wants
• How to find the overlap between business needs and employee growth
• Why writing goals together (not for them) creates ownership and buy-in

Key Stats:

• 93% of workers say lack of clarity on company goals prevents them from aligning their personal goals (Passive Secrets, 2025)
• Employees are 3.2x more likely to be engaged when goals align with organizational objectives (Gartner, 2024)
• 94% of employees would stay longer if the company invested in their career development (LinkedIn Learning, 2023)
• Employees whose goals align with company objectives are 8.9x more likely to think their jobs are important (Leadership IQ)
• Employees with goals are 3.6x more committed to their organization and 6.5x more likely to recommend it as a great workplace (Leadership IQ)

Questions I'll address:

• How do I make sure goals are specific enough to be actionable?
• How do I cascade department goals down to individual team members?
• What's the difference between career advancement goals and personal development goals?
• How do I have the two-way goal conversation without it feeling forced?
• How many goals should each employee have?

Part of the Year-End Leadership Survival Guide - 4 episodes to finish 2025 strong

Perfect for: Middle managers setting 2026 goals who want to create objectives their team actually cares about achieving

Need help building a goal-setting framework that drives real performance? Colby works with leaders and teams through keynote speaking, executive coaching, and leadership training.

📧 linkedin.com/in/colbymorris | 🌐 nxtstepadvisors.com

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts | Share with a leader setting goals with their team

#TheThingsLeadersDo #GoalSetting #SMARTGoals #LeadershipDevelopment #MiddleManagement #CareerDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #PerformanceManagement

• Colby's LinkedIn Profile
• NXTStepAdvisors.com

Your top performer just quit without a backup plan. They're driving Uber while they figure out their next move. Why? Because the pain of staying became greater than the pain of change.

In 2025, 35% of Gen Z workers will quit without another job lined up, and 1 in 4 employees have considered quitting due to mental health concerns. The gig economy changed everything—your people have options now, and being a "nice boss" isn't enough.

Host Colby Morris reveals the critical difference between bosses who lose people and people-first leaders who retain them through the contrasting stories of David (who lost his top performer despite "checking in") and Marcus (who spotted real struggles because he actually knew his team).

You'll discover:

• The three warning signs employees are struggling—and why you can only spot them if you know your people
• A four-step conversation framework for addressing mental health without overstepping
• Why "Are you okay?" fails and what to ask instead
• The business case: workplaces prioritizing mental health see 13% higher productivity

The truth: Being nice doesn't equal being connected. People-first leaders know their people well enough to recognize when "I'm fine" isn't true.

Key Questions This Episode Answers:

• How do I support employee mental health without being invasive?
• What are the warning signs of burnout and mental health struggles?
• How has the gig economy changed leadership dynamics in 2025?
• What's the difference between a boss and a people-first leader?
• How do I have mental health conversations without crossing boundaries?
• What can leaders do versus what requires professional help?
• Why do employees quit without backup plans and what does it mean for me?

Subscribe, leave a review, and share with other leaders. That's how we make a bigger impact on workplace culture.

Connect with Colby Morris

Keynote speaking, coaching, and training: nxtstepadvisors.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colbymorris

About Things Leaders Do

Practical, people-first leadership strategies for managers who want real results. Host Colby Morris shares insights from his executive coaching practice to help you build stronger teams and create workplaces where people actually want to stay.

• Colby's LinkedIn Profile
• NXTStepAdvisors.com

Our first interview show! Colby was a guest on the Management Development - UNLOCKED podcast with Eric Girard. 
Eric Girard is CEO of Girard Training Solutions, and he has over 30 years of experience helping improve the performance of managers and employees. He specializes in the development of new managers, focusing on their successful transition to their new role and on their team management skills. He has a high-energy and engaging facilitation style.
In this episode, you’ll hear:

1. Why developing yourself is one of the most important first steps of leadership development for a new manager, and recognizing that leadership is about the people.
2. The aspects of leadership development that new managers should avoid.
3. Colby’s take on the fallacy that a new manager can’t develop leadership skills.
4. Where new managers can discover resources to develop their leadership skills and why it’s well worth making the budget and time investment.
5. Colby’s consulting business with his wife, their roles as a fractional CFO and fractional COO, and his podcast.
6. Eric’s lightning round questions for Colby.

Connect with Eric:
LinkedIn
Girard Training Solutions

• Colby's LinkedIn Profile
• NXTStepAdvisors.com

Welcome to the TLD Podcast, hosted by Colby Morris, an experienced leader who has navigated through various organizational roles, from manager to C-suite executive. Join us as Colby shares invaluable insights and actionable strategies to help you become a more effective leader starting today.

In this episode, Colby delves into the second discipline of effective leadership: "Create Clarity." Drawing inspiration from Patrick Lencioni, he emphasizes the importance of answering six critical questions from Lencioni's book, "The Advantage," to guide your organization's purpose, values, actions, strategies, priorities, and roles. Alignment within the leadership team is key, and Colby offers practical tips to ensure everyone speaks the same language.

The third discipline, "Over-Communicate," may sound unconventional, but it's a cornerstone of a healthy organization. Colby sheds light on the power of relentless communication, especially concerning the six critical questions. Discover the significance of repetition and how it fosters understanding within your team.

Finally, the fourth discipline, "Reinforce Clarity," is explored. Colby discusses how your organization's processes, including hiring, goal setting, and performance reviews, should be aligned with your core principles to drive clarity. He challenges you to reflect on your leadership's efforts to improve communication, appreciation, recognition, and organizational culture.

As you listen to Colby's insights, he encourages you to consider how you can personally implement these strategies in your role as a leader. Don't wait for others to make a difference—start today. Tune in to gain actionable leadership insights and make a lasting impact in your organization.

• Colby's LinkedIn Profile
• NXTStepAdvisors.com

Building a Healthy Culture

In this episode of the Things Leaders Do podcast, Colby Morris discusses the importance of culture in the workplace and how leaders can build healthy cultures. He also introduces the four disciplines that leaders can focus on to build the culture they want to create: building a cohesive leadership team, mastering the five behaviors of a cohesive leadership team, creating clarity, and focusing on results.

Key Takeaways

• Culture is the shared values, belief systems, attitudes, and the set of assumptions that people in a workplace share.
• A healthy culture is essential for attracting and retaining employees, increasing employee engagement, and achieving business results.
• Leaders can play a critical role in building a healthy culture by focusing on four key disciplines: building a cohesive leadership team, mastering the five behaviors of a cohesive leadership team, creating clarity, and focusing on results.

• Colby's LinkedIn Profile
• NXTStepAdvisors.com

Welcome to the TLD Podcast with your host, Colby Morris. In today's episode, we delve into the art of leading with resilience during a global crisis while connecting with vulnerability and strength. In challenging times, leadership takes on a whole new dimension, and as we navigate a world filled with uncertainty, it's crucial to connect with your team on a profound level.
This episode is not about politics; it's about people. Colby emphasizes the importance of leading with vulnerability and provides actionable advice to empower leaders. As Craig Groeschel wisely said, "When leaders are vulnerable, they connect with people at a heart level." Join us as we explore the power of vulnerable leadership and how it can transform your leadership style.
We'll also discuss the importance of empathy, transparent decision-making, and the delicate balance between vulnerability and strength. Colby shares his personal insights and offers guidance on connecting with your team on a personal level, fostering a culture of authenticity and unity. Leading through crises requires resilience, and Colby's actionable advice can help you lead with your heart and make a real difference. Join us to learn how to connect with vulnerability and strength, even in challenging times.

Things Leaders Do Instagram

Colby's LinkedIn Profile

• Colby's LinkedIn Profile
• NXTStepAdvisors.com

Welcome to the 'TLD Podcast' with your host, Colby Morris. In this enlightening episode, we dive into the world of problem-solving within leadership. Discover the immense value of fostering intrapreneurial cultures in developing innovative problem solvers. Join us as we explore collaboratively tackling challenges and generating revolutionary ideas. Uncover actionable steps to cultivate intrapreneurship in your team, leading to more effective problem-solving. If you're on a quest to boost your leadership skills and revolutionize your organization's approach to problem-solving, don't miss this episode!

• Colby's LinkedIn Profile
• NXTStepAdvisors.com

Join host Colby Morris on the TLD Podcast as we explore advanced KPI strategies for seasoned leaders. 

• Learn the critical difference between Strategic and Operational Objectives and how they relate to KPIs, illustrated with real-world examples. 
• Discover the art of effective KPI implementation, including cascading KPIs and continuous monitoring for agility and competitiveness. 
• Dive into leveraging data for informed decisions, fostering a data-driven culture, and using predictive analytics. 
• Finally, adapt and evolve with agile review cycles and continuous learning. Subscribe, rate, and review to help us reach more leaders on their journey to success.

• Colby's LinkedIn Profile
• NXTStepAdvisors.com

In this empowering episode of "Things Leaders Do," we're tackling a fundamental aspect of leadership that often gets bogged down in theory – Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs. Hosted by Colby Morris, this episode is designed for leaders at all levels, offering actionable steps to supercharge your team's success.

We start by simplifying KPIs, cutting through the noise, and focusing on what truly matters. Then, we delve into setting SMART KPIs – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound – providing a roadmap for success.

But it doesn't stop there. We explore how to effectively communicate and track your KPIs, ensuring your team is aligned and motivated. And remember, KPIs aren't set in stone; regular review and adaptation are crucial for long-term success.

So, if you're ready to turn theory into action and supercharge your leadership journey with practical KPI strategies, join us on 'Things Leaders Do.' Don't just listen – lead with purpose, passion, and action.
[Listen to the full episode for invaluable insights and actionable advice!]

• Colby's LinkedIn Profile
• NXTStepAdvisors.com