Renewal and Reinvention: Leadership Seasonal Reset

Yesterday morning I needed a pause. Something about being worn down from the oppressive heat, the new routine of getting the kids up for school, new sports teams, new coaching engagements, getting ready to release new programs, et al.

5 years ago I would never have noticed that my body or mind needed a pause. I would fail to notice even that a season had changed until the air was bitterly cold, and I would be left wondering what happened to the sweltering summer months?

I would resist the natural rhythms, opting to use brute strength to force the world to succumb to my whims, not realizing the impact that had on my leadership – or myself.

Now I’ve learned to watch for the light shifting earlier each evening, listening to the wind whisper of the cool days coming. Noticing the changes of each of the plants in my garden responding to this shift that is, as of yet, barely perceptible to the naked eye. 

Now I consider - what if we honored the transitions instead of rushing past them?

What if we used these moments as opportunities for conscious renewal?

The Art of the Reset

Most leadership "resets" happen in crisis. The quarterly numbers miss. A key person leaves. A project implodes. We scramble to recalibrate, often moving in knee-jerk reaction from stress. 

Seasonal resets are different. They're proactive. Intentional. They happen not because something's broken, but because we're wise enough to know that sustainable leadership requires regular renewal.

Think of it like this: A tree doesn't wait until its roots are dying to shed its leaves. It follows natural cycles, releasing what no longer serves and preparing for what's ahead. The shedding isn't failure—it's wisdom. As leaders, we can learn from this. What are we ready to release? What needs our attention as we prepare for what's coming? 

The Leader's Renewal Paradox

Here's what I've noticed: The better we get at supporting others' growth, the more we can neglect our own. We become skilled at seeing what our team members need to develop, what shifts would serve them, what practices would ground them—while our own leadership development gets pushed to "when things slow down."

But here's the thing about leadership renewal—it's not selfish. It's strategic. When we as leaders are running on empty, operating from old patterns, or stuck in approaches that worked two years ago but feel stale now, everyone around us feels it. Our teams mirror our energy. Our decisions reflect our inner state. Our vision becomes limited by our own unexamined assumptions.

Personal leadership renewal isn't just good for us—it's good for everyone we lead.

Reinvention: The Courage to Evolve

Reinvention doesn't mean becoming someone else. It means becoming more fully yourself—but with new skills, perspectives, or approaches that serve your current reality.

The best leaders I know reinvent themselves regularly. Not because they're lost or lacking direction, but because they're curious and adaptive. They treat their leadership style like a living thing that needs to grow and change. 

Reinvention is about adding tools to your toolkit, not throwing out the tools that work.

What Personal Renewal Actually Looks Like

Personal leadership renewal isn't about a weekend retreat or reading the latest business book (though those can be part of it). It's about honest assessment of who you've become as a leader, what's working, what's not, and what wants to emerge.

I think of it in three areas:

Your leadership identity: How you see yourself as a leader, what you believe about your role, what drives your decisions.

Your leadership capacity: Your energy, focus, emotional bandwidth, and ability to be present.

Your leadership skills: The actual tools, approaches, and abilities you bring to your work.

Most leadership development focuses on skills. Personal renewal starts with identity and capacity—because without those, new skills just become more things to manage rather than genuine expansion.

Renewal vs. Self-Improvement

There's a difference between personal leadership renewal and the endless self-improvement cycle that many leaders get caught in.

Self-improvement asks: What's wrong with me that I need to fix?

Renewal asks: Who am I becoming as a leader, and what does that require of me?

Self-improvement is often driven by inadequacy or comparison. Renewal is driven by curiosity and growth.

 Self-improvement adds more to your plate. Renewal helps you clarify what belongs on your plate in the first place.

The goal isn't to become a perfect leader. The goal is to become a conscious one—aware of your impact, intentional about your development, and aligned with your evolving role.

Inquiry: Questions for Personal Leadership Renewal

Personal renewal starts with honest self-assessment. These questions help you see clearly where you are and what wants to shift:

• What leadership beliefs am I operating from that I haven't questioned in a while? Sometimes our assumptions about what good leadership looks like need updating as we and our contexts evolve.
• Where am I leading from obligation versus inspiration? Notice the difference in your energy when you're doing something because you "should" versus because it aligns with your values and vision.
• What would I do differently if I trusted myself more as a leader? Often we know what we need to do but doubt our judgment or worry about others' reactions.
• Where am I trying to be the leader I think I should be instead of the leader I actually am?Authenticity in leadership isn't about being casual—it's about leading from your actual strengths and values, not a borrowed template.
• What leadership capacity do I need to develop for the challenges I can see coming? Look ahead six months. What will that version of your role require that you're not fully prepared for yet?

These aren't questions to answer quickly. Take your time with them. Journal them. Ask your team to work through the questions with you. Ask your trusted mentor where they stand on these questions.

When you have all of the information laid out, you will be able to see what is true for you, and what isn’t. Then you can ask yourself what is missing that I value? What is here that I don’t value?

Action: Steps Toward Conscious Renewal

Personal renewal happens through intentional action, not just reflection. Here are practices that create real shifts:

• Conduct a leadership energy audit For one week, track which leadership activities energize you and which drain you. Look for patterns. You might discover that one-on-ones give you energy while large meetings deplete you, or that strategic thinking energizes you but operational details don't.
• Update your leadership non-negotiables What are the 3-4 things you won't compromise on as a leader? These might have evolved since you last articulated them. Write them down and use them as filters for decisions.
• Seek feedback on your leadership evolution Ask 2-3 trusted colleagues: "How have you seen my leadership evolve over the past year? Where do you see opportunities for my continued growth?" Listen without defending or explaining.
• Experiment with one new approach Pick one area where you've been leading the same way for a long time and try a different approach. If you always start meetings with business, try starting with connection. If you typically make decisions quickly, try sleeping on one decision this week.
• Create a personal leadership vision statement In 2-3 sentences, describe the leader you want to be in the next phase of your role. Not the leader you think you should be—the leader you want to become.

Conscious action means making choices that align with where you're going, not just responding to where you've been.

Practice: Building Your Renewal Rhythm

Sustainable personal renewal happens through regular practices, not occasional overhauls. These practices help you stay connected to your evolution as a leader::

• Weekly leadership reflection Every Friday, spend 15 minutes asking: How did I lead this week? What felt most aligned? What felt forced? What do I want to be more intentional about next week?
• Monthly leadership check-in Once a month, revisit your leadership vision and energy audit. What's shifting? What needs attention? What wants to evolve?
• Daily grounding practice Before you start leading others each day, take 5 minutes to ground yourself in who you want to be as a leader today. This might be breathing, journaling, or simply sitting quietly with intention.
• Annual leadership story review Once a year, write the story of your leadership journey—where you started, how you've grown, what you've learned, where you're headed. This helps you see patterns and evolution you might otherwise miss.

These practices aren't about perfection—they're about staying awake to your own development as a leader.

Why This Matters Now

Leadership is becoming more complex, not less. The pace of change, the expectations from teams, the need to balance multiple stakeholders—it all requires more from us as leaders than it used to.

But here's what I've learned: The leaders who thrive aren't the ones who work harder or know more. They're the ones who stay connected to their own growth, who regularly examine their assumptions, and who treat their leadership development as seriously as they treat their team's development.

Personal renewal isn't about becoming someone different. It's about becoming more fully yourself—but with expanded capacity, updated approaches, and deeper self-awareness.

It's about leading from who you're becoming, not just who you've been.

This Week's Leadership Move

Before September arrives, give yourself the gift of a mini seasonal reset:

• Inquire: What's one leadership belief or habit that served me well in the past but might be ready for evolution now?
• Act: Have one conversation this week where you show up as the leader you're becoming rather than the leader you've always been. Notice what shifts.
• Practice: Start each morning this week with 5 minutes of intentional leadership presence. Before you check emails or dive into tasks, ask yourself: "Who do I want to be as a leader today?"

The goal isn't to overhaul your entire leadership approach—it's to begin the gentle, ongoing practice of conscious leadership renewal.

Final Thought

The best leaders I know aren't the ones who figured out their leadership style years ago and never changed. They're the ones who stay curious about their own development, who regularly examine their assumptions, and who treat their evolution as a leader as an ongoing practice, not a finished project.

Your leadership is allowed to evolve. In fact, if it's not evolving, it's probably not keeping pace with the complexity and beauty of what you're being called to lead.

As we transition into a new season, what wants to evolve in your leadership? What are you ready to examine, update, or expand?

Your team is counting on you to be not just the leader you've always been, but the leader you're becoming. And that requires the kind of personal renewal that only you can give yourself.

Andrea Bednar is an Executive Coach specializing in Leadership Development. Connect with Andrea at www.AndreaBednar.com for more insights on conscious leadership and operational excellence.