Three End-of-Year Conversations Every Great Leader Has
Before you switch off, have the conversations that build trust. The best leaders don’t just celebrate the year that’s been they learn from it. Here’s how reflection, recognition, and feedback can strengthen your business for the year ahead.
The end of the year is always a hectic time, you’re closing projects, chasing targets, and trying to wrap things up neatly. But before the out-of-office goes on, there’s one investment that pays off long after the break. Taking the time to really check in with your people.
These conversations build connection, surface insights, and set everyone (including you) up to start the new year clear and energised.
1. Listen Deeply and with Curiosity
The best leaders don’t just talk; they listen to understand. Ask your people:
What went well this year?
What frustrated you?
What would make next year great for you?
McKinsey research shows organisations that actively seek and act on feedback are 3.5× more likely to outperform peers in engagement and innovation.
Perspective matters. Your team often sees things you don’t. That’s why many of the leaders we work with use our Sprout Conversations process at this time of year. It gives them a clear, confidential view of how their leadership lands and where their team is thriving (or struggling). Often, it’s the truth they needed to hear. Constructive, insight rich, and impactful.
2. Connect Effort to Impact
Recognition is powerful when it’s specific and tied to purpose.
Employees who feel recognised are 23% more engaged and 18% more productive
Gallup, State of the Global Workplace, 2022
Show people how their work drives results:
“Your leadership helped others grow.”
“Your attention to detail kept us ahead of the curve.”
“This project strengthened our market position.”
Linking effort to impact reminds people that their work matters, and that’s the kind of motivation that carries through the break.
3. Use the break as a strategic reset
The end of year shut down is one of the few times leaders get real headspace. Use it to reflect on your business, your leadership, and your team. What’s working? What needs a rethink?
Insight from your people can turn that reflection into clarity. Whether through your own check-ins or a facilitated Sprout Conversation, the goal is the same start 2026 grounded in truth, not assumptions.
Start 2026 with Clarity, Connection, and Confidence
The best leaders don’t just celebrate the year that’s been, they learn from it. Before you log off, take time to listen, thank, and plan. You’ll return with more clarity, stronger trust, and a team that’s ready to build momentum in the new year.
