How One Question Restored My Leadership Clarity

Three reasons every leader should reset their leadership clarity each season

“If you don’t pause to find leadership clarity, the season will re-orient you. And by the time it does, you’ll be too exhausted to lead well.”

In my early years leading a struggling music department, I believed harder work would produce better results. Longer hours. Higher standards. More ambition. I was convinced the problem was effort.

It wasn’t. The students grew anxious. The staff grew exhausted. And I grew frustrated—pushing a boulder uphill without checking if I was even on the right hill.

Then my mentor asked one question: “What are you actually trying to accomplish here?”

I had no answer. I’d never paused long enough to define it.

Why Leadership Clarity Matters More Than Effort

Every leader should reset their clarity at the start of each season because of three essential benefits:

First, it prevents burnout. Burnout doesn’t announce itself—it accumulates quietly. Research shows that lack of clarity around purpose is a stronger predictor of exhaustion than workload alone. A seasonal reset forces you to name reality before exhaustion names you.

Second, it aligns effort with purpose. Most leaders aren’t lazy. They’re misaligned—working hard on things that no longer serve the mission. Leadership clarity gives you permission to ask: Does this still matter?

Third, it creates space for sustainable growth. Urgency burns hot and fast. Rhythms sustain heat over time. When you pause to define what matters, you stop firefighting and start building.

Leadership clarity isn’t a luxury. It’s a responsibility—to your team, your mission, and yourself.

Read the full article to discover how seasonal resets prevent burnout, align your effort with purpose, and create space for the growth you’ve been too busy to build.