New Year. Same you. Just more authentic.

A New Year reflection on authenticity, leadership, and becoming more of who you already are. 

The light is coming back, and the snow feels magical — an invitation to playfulness, quieting cities, enhancing nature, beautifying everything for a moment, and making hygge even more pleasurable.

For me, the New Year is a chance to pause, reflect, and consciously decide what I want the year ahead to be about. That’s why I choose a word for the year and a guiding sentence to return to when I need clarity. (You can read more about this approach in my last newsletter.)

A new year isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s an opportunity to become more of who you already are:

• Practice awareness

• Be intentional

• Develop habits that support your hopes and aspirations

• Leverage your strengths

• Invest in yourself

• 
  

A new opportunity to show more of your authentic self and live your purpose.

Every January, we’re told to reinvent ourselves, build new habits, and improve everything — often leaving many of us overwhelmed before January is even over. But what if the real leadership move this year is not becoming someone new, but becoming more of who you already are?

Authentic leadership starts with self-awareness and intentionality. It means knowing:

• What you stand for

• What motivates you

• How your behaviour impacts others — for better or worse

 

From “fixing yourself” to leading yourself

Instead of asking:

• “What should I change about myself this year?”

Try asking:

• Where am I holding back?

• Where am I adapting too much?

• Where could I show up more honestly, more clearly, more courageously?

Leadership isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence, integrity, alignment, and leveraging strengths.

A gentle invitation for the year ahead

This year, I invite you to:

• Stop striving to be someone else

• Start strengthening who you already are

• Lead with clarity, compassion, and courage

  
  

If this resonates, take a moment to pause.

Ask yourself: Where could I lead myself more honestly this year?

And if you’d like support on that journey, I’d love to walk alongside you.

At Authentic Leaders, this is what I do every day — supporting leaders to build self-awareness, feel empowered, act intentionally, leverage their strengths, and create cultures where people can thrive and grow.

Hope leads to action. 

Warmest,

Charlotte Søndergaard, Authentic Leaders DK❤️