Well, 2026 is off to quite the start, isn’t it? I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s all a bit jarring. On the one hand, I’m excited about my upcoming speaking engagements and the work I’m doing. I’m energized by what I’m learning as I work towards my PhD. I’m as busy as ever and it feels great!
But on the other hand, there’s a lot going on in the world that feels scary and uncertain—even more so than last year when I wrote about the return of “unprecedented times.”
So what can we do when things feel heavy and overwhelming?
Now more than ever, one of the most important things we can do as leaders is building community. With more and more waves of change coming at us every day, building community will help you, your team, and your organization navigate change and step into the future.
Here are three things I recommend to help you get started:
1. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. Especially when you don’t have all the answers. By leading with vulnerability, you’ll create an environment in which your team feels safe expressing new ideas and sharing their concerns. Leading with vulnerability can be as simple as saying “I don’t know the impact” and be comfortable saying that! See more in this article I wrote here.
2. Listen and show empathy. Your job as a leader is not to solve everyone’s problems for them. And in complex times, sometimes the best way to help your team is to listen and acknowledge what they are experiencing. When we listen to and acknowledge others concerns and our own, it actually moves those concerns from your central nervous system where negative emotions get stored, to your pre-frontal cortex so you can actually begin to release them—whether you agree with their concerns or not. Just by identifying them, it gets people unstuck. Here’s the link to that research.
3. Avoid toxic positivity. As this Harvard Business Review article says, “when positivity minimizes real concerns or starts to feel like a performance, it can make people feel frustrated and unheard.” Click the image below for a resource to help with this.
But don’t forget about your life outside of work!
It’s so important to find things that will bring you joy and connect you with other people. So take the time to cultivate your hobbies! Whether that’s shooting hoops at the rec centre, joining a choir, signing up for a class, or what have you, exploring your hobbies can help you find and build community.
The other surefire way to build connection and community? Volunteering.
Meeting with inspiring young people at a King’s Trust Canada event in 2024
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: volunteering is good for the soul. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to volunteer with The King’s Trust Canada, Camp Aftermath, and many others. I can’t say enough good things about these organizations, or how rewarding it has been to work them.
Thank you for reading and supporting my work! Check out my website for more articles, videos, and podcasts to help you lead with possibility and build community during these times.