The holiday break is a rare opportunity for school leaders to pause, recharge, and invest in their Growth. Leadership, like any skill, requires ongoing reflection and renewal to stay sharp. Drawing from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, sharpening the saw means prioritizing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being to lead with Clarity and focus.

This post outlines five impactful ways to make the most of your holiday break. Each will help you grow as a leader and start 2025 strong, with the final tip being an invitation to a transformative webinar designed for school leaders like you.

1. Reflect on the Past Year

The end of the year is the perfect time to step back and evaluate your leadership journey. Reflection doesn’t just highlight your achievements; it reveals opportunities for growth and alignment with your values.

• Action Steps:
  • Write down your top three successes and what made them possible.
  • Identify one challenge you faced and the lessons it taught you.
  • Reflect on the systems or habits that either helped or hindered your effectiveness.

Why It Matters: Reflection builds self-awareness and helps you make intentional choices about how to show up in the new year.

2. Read and Learn Something New

Continuous learning is a hallmark of great leaders. The holiday break offers a quieter moment to dive into a book, course, or podcast that inspires new perspectives and actionable strategies.

• Recommendations:
  • Books: Road to Awesome or Atomic Habits by James Clear.
  • Podcasts: Leaning Into Leadership or School Leadership Reimagined.
• Action Steps:
  • Choose one resource that aligns with your growth area (e.g., time management, building culture).
  • Take notes and write down one or two key takeaways to apply in your leadership.

Why It Matters: Learning keeps your leadership fresh and helps you develop innovative solutions to recurring challenges.

3. Reconnect with Your Vision

When was the last time you revisited your personal “why” as a leader? Your vision is the compass guiding your decisions and actions. Reconnecting with it helps you lead with clarity and purpose.

• Action Steps:
  • Write a one-sentence vision statement for 2025 that reflects your goals.
  • Break this vision into actionable steps and align them with your school’s mission.
• Pro Tip: Use this time to revisit your leadership values, like fostering a positive culture or empowering student voice. Are you aligning your daily actions with these values?

Why It Matters: A clear vision energizes your leadership and ensures you’re focusing on what truly matters.

4. Rebuild Energy for the New Year

Leading effectively starts with showing up as your best self. Use the holiday break to restore your physical, mental, and emotional reserves.

• Action Steps:
  • Schedule downtime: prioritize quality time with Family, hobbies, or simply rest.
  • Explore mindfulness practices like journaling, Meditation, or Yoga to center yourself.
  • Set boundaries for work-related emails or tasks during your break.

Why It Matters: Leaders who prioritize self-care are more present, focused, and effective, creating a ripple effect throughout their organizations.

5. Attend the ‘Take Control of Your Leadership’ Webinar

To truly sharpen your leadership saw, join me on December 30 for the Take Control of Your Leadership webinar. This interactive session is designed to help school leaders like you lead with clarity and purpose in 2025.

• What You’ll Learn:
  • How to clarify your leadership priorities and values.
  • Strategies to recognize, reward, and reinforce the behaviors you want to see in your school.
  • Time management techniques to align your actions with your goals.
• Action Steps:
  • Register today to secure your spot at www.theprincipalacademy.com/realresults
  • Bring your goals and questions to make the session as actionable as possible.

Why It Matters: This webinar offers a practical, focused way to jumpstart 2025 with the tools and strategies you need to succeed.

Conclusion: Invest in Your Leadership for 2025

Great leaders know that growth doesn’t happen by accident—it’s intentional. Whether you reflect, read, recharge, or join the webinar, the steps you take now will set the tone for the new year.

Leadership is a journey, not a destination. Start 2025 ready to lead with greater clarity, purpose, and impact. And don’t forget to join us for the webinar—it’s the perfect way to take your first step toward a transformative year.

Darrin Peppard Dr. Darrin Peppard

Dr. Darrin Peppard is an author, leadership coach, consultant, and speaker focused on organizational culture and climate, and growing emerging leaders. Darrin is the best-selling author of the book Road to Awesome, and is the host of the Leaning into Leadership podcast. As a ‘recovering high school principal’, Darrin shares strategies and lessons learned from 26 years in public education to help leaders gain clarity, find joy in their work, and walk in their purpose.