What 2025 Taught Me About Leadership, Purpose and Choosing What Matters
31 December 2025 | 9 minute read
Leadership isn't only shaped by the decisions we make under pressure. It's shaped by the questions we continue to carry, the values we return to and the way we choose to lead when no one is watching.
Writing this kind of piece always makes me pause. Not because I don’t have thoughts; there are plenty of those! But because putting them 'out there' feels personal, exposing, even. And also a bit self indulgent.
But I also believe in practicing what I coach. And that includes this: stopping long enough to reflect, naming the good, the not so good and the downright messy and ugly; not just what’s been tidy or shareable, is helpful.
So that’s what this is. A few honest reflections on what this year brought, what I’m still learning, and what I’m thinking about as we ease into 2026.
It’s not overly polished (I sent myself a voice note of rambling reflections and then tried to turn it into this!), so I'm not even sure how it will resonate with whoever reads this, but it is real and that felt enough.
This year felt heavy at times
There’s been a weight to 2025 that’s hard to shake. Maybe I’m feeling it more acutely now, especially with everything that’s happened recently in Australia. What happened in Bondi... I still can’t make sense of it. The heartbreak, the fear, the complete senselessness. But truthfully, it hasn’t just been that moment. There have been other stretches this year that have felt just as heavy, a kind of low hum of discomfort and disconnection that’s been hard at times to name.
At one point, I even pulled out a numerology report I’d had done a few years ago, something I never thought I’d be the kind of person to do, just to see if it could offer some kind of insight. And sure enough, 2024 and 2025 were flagged as “testing” years for me. I laughed a little when I read it, not because it solved anything, but because it echoed what I’d already been feeling.
I’ve been sitting with it all, not to find a fix, but to make sense of it. And what I keep coming back to is this: the good only feels good because I know what it’s like to sit in contrast. And I'm starting to feel better about being ok with the discomforting feelings, without rushing to clean it up.
But underneath all of it, the question that keeps surfacing is: what’s happening to us?
That sense of division, it’s not just something I see in the headlines. I’ve felt it in the rooms I work in too. Leadership teams pulled in different directions and conversations centred around “my priorities” or “my capacity” rather than what we’re here to do, together. And I get it. It’s not coming from a bad place. It’s survival, habitual and human. But doing our best in silos only gets us so far. What’s needed now is more connected leadership. More honesty and more courage to pause and ask better questions of each other about what really matters.
And despite everything, I still believe that’s possible. Because what stood out this year, again and again, was that people kept showing up. Imperfectly but with effort and care. A willingness to stay the course, even when things were hard. And that gives me hope.
Letting go created space
One of the most significant shifts for me this year was what I didn’t do. I didn’t try to grow for the sake of it. I didn’t add more layers, or chase more volume. I didn’t build a team. I didn’t launch a new product.
What I did was strip things back. I simplified. I focused only on the work that felt aligned and purposeful, work that carries a ripple effect. That choice, not to add, but to refine, changed everything. It gave me more purpose and energy, and ironically, the most successful year my business has had so far.
But it’s not the numbers that felt meaningful. It was the way the work landed. Coaching leaders who didn’t just want to tick boxes, but actually shift how they lead and live. Facilitating the kind of sticky conversations that don’t get shared outside of a room, but absolutely shape the culture in lasting ways. Contributing strategically as a Director with HHF. Mentoring through FFLP. Supporting clients who are doing meaningful work and doing it with heart.
That kind of impact comes from choosing well.
The tension I’m still sitting with
One-on-one coaching is still the work I love most. People often ask when I’ll build a team, scale the business, or launch a group program; and while I never say never, right now, I don’t feel pulled in that direction. There’s something about the intimacy of coaching, the trust, the way it meets people exactly where they are, that keeps me in it. It’s still the work that is the most challenging and the work I feel most proud of.
But alongside that, there’s been a quiet question simmering all year. How do I keep doing this work… in a way that speaks to something bigger? Not just bigger in reach or revenue, but bigger in terms of impact. How do I keep supporting leaders one-on-one, while also helping them shape teams, systems and cultures that are more human, more purposeful, more future-focused?
Because the ripple matters to me. It always has. It’s not enough to help someone get unstuck or more productive or more confident, if that change doesn’t flow into the way they lead, the way they work with others, the way their team shows up and makes decisions when no one’s watching. I want the coaching work to do more than just support individuals through change. I want it to help shape what change feels like, for the people around them, and for the ones coming next. I want to see workplaces become braver. Clearer and more invested in purpose.
I don’t have a tidy answer yet and I’m not rushing one. But I’m paying attention to the question and I know it’ll keep shaping the choices I make next year. Where I focus, what I say yes and no to.
And if that’s a question you’ve been sitting with too, how to keep doing the work you love, while also making it count in a bigger way, let's connect and share.
What I’m taking with me
As I think about what I’m carrying into 2026, nothing feels particularly new or groundbreaking. It’s more a return back to the things I already knew, but that this year reinforced. What’s steadied me this year has been simply coming back to what works. So these aren’t lessons in the traditional sense. They’re the things I want to keep close, the reminders I’ll need when the pace picks up again.
Presence does more than pressure ever will.
Clarity and simplicity clears the path for impact.
Trust is built in the quiet moments.
Leading well is leading together.
Energy speaks volumes. Protect it at all cost.
Listening deeply changes outcomes.
People are watching more than they’re saying.
A clear boundary can be an act of care.
Feedback is the greatest gift when given well.
Rest isn’t earned, it's rhythmic.
Behaviour change always starts with self first.
Silence is a tool to be used often.
Discomfort is information to be listened to and learned from.
What you model becomes what’s normal.
Slowing down creates space to choose better.
The work is never really done and that’s okay.
Clarity and kindness can and should co-exist.
Your way of being is what people remember most.
So, I'll leave 2025 with a quiet thank you. To the clients I worked with, the teams who trusted me, the people who challenged me, and the ones who reminded me why this work matters, especially when it’s hard. Thank you.
I’ll be working randomly (it's the best way I can describe it!) over January. So you might see me pop up here and there because I've decided that's what works for me. And when I'm here it will be with the same intention as always: to keep doing real work, with people who care. That feels more than enough.
— Lou
Key Takeaways
Leadership grows through reflection as much as it does through action.
Simplifying work and focusing on purpose often creates greater impact than constant growth.
Sustainable leadership requires protecting energy, setting boundaries and creating space to think.
Real influence comes from how leaders show up consistently, not simply what they achieve.
Behaviour change begins with personal leadership before it extends to teams and organisations.
Trust, clarity and meaningful conversations remain the foundations of effective leadership in uncertain times.
The most enduring leadership lessons are often rediscoveries of what matters most rather than entirely new ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is reflection important for leaders?
Reflection helps leaders make sense of experience, recognise patterns, strengthen judgement and make more intentional decisions. It creates the space needed to lead with clarity rather than simply reacting to pressure.
How can leaders create greater impact without doing more?
Greater impact often comes from simplifying priorities, focusing on meaningful work and investing energy where it creates the greatest ripple effect rather than constantly adding new initiatives.
Why do purpose and values matter in leadership?
Purpose provides direction during uncertainty and helps leaders make consistent decisions. Clear values influence behaviour, strengthen trust and shape organisational culture over time.
How do leaders avoid burnout while leading others?
Leaders reduce burnout by protecting their energy, setting healthy boundaries, making time for reflection and recognising that sustainable leadership depends on rhythm rather than constant output.
What creates lasting leadership influence?
Lasting influence comes from consistent behaviour, genuine relationships, thoughtful conversations and the example leaders set every day. People remember how leaders made them feel far longer than individual achievements.
What makes leadership meaningful?
Meaningful leadership is about creating positive change beyond individual success. It strengthens people, improves teams, shapes organisational culture and leaves others better equipped to lead themselves.
Related Resources
About Louise
Louise Zawada is an executive coach, change strategist and leadership mentor based in Perth, Western Australia.
She works with senior leaders and executive teams navigating complex organisational change, helping them close the gap between strategy and execution by strengthening executive judgement, reducing leadership friction and improving the quality of conversations that drive performance.
Her work spans mining and resources, government, infrastructure and corporate organisations, where she coaches leaders to make better decisions under pressure, build trust through uncertainty and lead change with greater confidence and clarity.
Louise is the creator of the Leadership Friction framework and writes regularly on executive judgement, organisational legibility and the behavioural evidence that determines whether strategy becomes action.
If you're leading significant change and need a trusted thinking partner, connect with Louise or book a conversation.