This last month has reminded me of several leadership qualities and habits that make leadership powerful.
Now that things are normal (are they ever?!) I am dedicating May to getting back on track and getting organized.
Every Spring I get bitten by the “declutter” bug. I aim to clean out closets, garages, inboxes, One Drive folders, file cabinets and that one drawer everyone pretends isn’t a fire hazard. Please tell me I am not alone!
But while I’m busy purging expired spices, condiments (seriously Worcestershire sauce from 2012????), and mystery cables, I am reminded how most leaders skip the one area that needs a seasonal refresh the most: their leadership habits.
Spring and halfway through 2nd quarter is the perfect moment to pause, clear out what’s no longer serving you, and make space for the kind of leadership that actually supports your team’s momentum.
Not a reinvention. Not a dramatic overhaul. Just a thoughtful reset — the leadership equivalent of opening the windows and letting some fresh air in.
Here are five habits I will be working on retiring this spring (and what to replace them with).
1. The Habit of “I’ll Just Handle It”
This one hides in plain sight. It feels efficient. It feels helpful. It feels faster than delegating.
And it’s quietly suffocating your team’s growth and in truth, stressing you out.
Why it needs to go:
When leaders default to doing instead of delegating, they unintentionally teach their team to wait instead of lead. It also guarantees you’ll stay overwhelmed, overextended, and under-supported. Several of my clients want their employees to think if this then that. By having us as leaders just step in and DO it, what are we teaching them?
Replace it with:
A simple rule that is going to stretch you and them: If someone else can do it 70% as well as you, it’s theirs. Your job is to coach the remaining 30%.
2. The Habit of Letting Communication Drift
Spring is when teams start to feel the mid-year wobble, priorities shift, projects expand, and assumptions multiply. Team members are out for graduations and end of school activities and workloads feel overwhelming.
Why it needs to go:
Unclear communication is the fastest way to create rework, frustration, and unnecessary conflict. Most leaders don’t notice the drift until something breaks (and hopefully what breaks is not your own patience).
Replace it with:
A quick weekly clarity reset:
- What matters most this week
- What’s changed
- What’s stuck
- What success looks like
Fifteen minutes. Massive payoff. Try it and thank me later!
3. The Habit of Avoiding the “Small” Conversations
And I am not talking about networking. You know the team conversations, the micro-corrections, the early nudges, the “hey, let’s realign” moments that feel too minor to address. (See #1, the ones your first thought is “Oh never mind I will do it.”
Why it needs to go:
Small issues become big issues when leaders wait. By the time you address it, it’s no longer a conversation, it’s a correction.
Replace it with:
A simple, neutral script:
“Quick touchpoint, I noticed X. Let’s adjust now so it doesn’t become a bigger thing later.”
Clean. Direct. Drama-free.
4. The Habit of Carrying Everyone’s Stress
Leaders often absorb the emotional weight of the team- deadlines, tension, uncertainty, interpersonal friction. It’s noble. It’s human. And it’s unsustainable.
Why it needs to go:
When you carry everything, you unintentionally shield your team from the accountability and problem-solving they need to build resilience. Not to mention that it is the fastest road to leader burnout.
Replace it with:
Shared ownership.
Try: “What part of this can you take the lead on?”
You’re not removing support- you’re redistributing responsibility.
5. The Habit of Running on Last Season’s Capacity
Your workload has changed. Your team has changed. Your business has changed. You have changed. But many leaders are still operating with January energy and expectations.
Why it needs to go:
Capacity isn’t static. When leaders don’t recalibrate, burnout becomes inevitable, for them and for their teams.
Replace it with:
A monthly capacity audit:
- What can I stop doing?
- What needs to be delegated?
- What needs to be simplified?
- What deserves more of my attention?
This is how leaders stay strategic instead of reactive.
The Real Spring Clean: Making Space for Better Leadership
Spring cleaning isn’t about perfection. It’s about intention. It’s about clearing out the habits that quietly drain your energy and replacing them with ones that support clarity, momentum, and trust.
Your team doesn’t need a brand-new leader this spring. They just need a refreshed one, one who’s leading with purpose, presence, and a little more breathing room.
Want to have someone help you navigate through your leadership reset? Reach out today!