Choose the leader you are becoming, or default to the leader you have been. That is the real decision in front of you as you head into a new year.
Most leaders believe change starts with better goals. New priorities. New plans. But if you keep showing up with the same identity, the same emotional patterns, and the same nervous system responses, you will recreate the same year with different tasks.
This episode is about breaking that cycle.
Episode overview
This is Episode 2 of my three-part Design Yourself series on creating the life and leadership you want in 2026. In Episode 1, we focused on self-awareness and uncovering the default stories running your leadership. In this episode, we move from awareness to choice.
Because you cannot design a different year if you show up as the same version of yourself.
In this conversation, I break down why goals do not create lasting change and why identity does. We explore how identity is formed, how it drives behavior under pressure, and why many high-performing leaders stay stuck by clinging to versions of themselves that once worked but no longer fit.
I also share personal stories about releasing old identities and what shifted when I consciously chose who I wanted to become, not someday, but now.
Research highlight
According to research from the University of Scranton, ninety-two percent of people fail to achieve their goals. One major reason is that they focus on outcomes instead of the identity and systems required to sustain change.
Key takeaways
• You cannot design a different year if you show up as the same version of yourself.
• Identity is not fixed. It is practiced.
• Your identity drives your behavior, not the other way around.
• Leadership friction is often an identity problem, not a performance problem.
• You are designing the experience of you every day.
Mic drop moments
• Choose the leader you are becoming, or default to the leader you have been.
• Goals do not create change. Identity does.
• If you do not upgrade your identity, your life will keep bumping up against the same edges.
• You are not designing a to-do list for 2026. You are designing the experience of you.
If you haven’t listened to Episode 1 yet, start there. In Episode 3, we’ll talk about how to design a 2026 structure that supports the leader you are becoming, because you don’t need a better plan. You need a better practice.
If this episode resonated, share it with someone who’s ready to stop repeating the same year with different tasks, and subscribe to Reflect Forward wherever you listen.
Connect with Kerry
Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok!
Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward
Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/
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Choose the leader you are becoming, or default to the leader you have been. That is the real decision in front of you as you head into a new year.
Most leaders believe change starts with better goals. New priorities. New plans. But if you keep showing up with the same identity, the same emotional patterns, and the same nervous system responses, you will recreate the same year with different tasks.
This episode is about breaking that cycle.
Episode overview
This is Episode 2 of my three-part Design Yourself series on creating the life and leadership you want in 2026. In Episode 1, we focused on self-awareness and uncovering the default stories running your leadership. In this episode, we move from awareness to choice.
Because you cannot design a different year if you show up as the same version of yourself.
In this conversation, I break down why goals do not create lasting change and why identity does. We explore how identity is formed, how it drives behavior under pressure, and why many high-performing leaders stay stuck by clinging to versions of themselves that once worked but no longer fit.
I also share personal stories about releasing old identities and what shifted when I consciously chose who I wanted to become, not someday, but now.
Research highlight
According to research from the University of Scranton, ninety-two percent of people fail to achieve their goals. One major reason is that they focus on outcomes instead of the identity and systems required to sustain change.
Key takeaways
• You cannot design a different year if you show up as the same version of yourself.
• Identity is not fixed. It is practiced.
• Your identity drives your behavior, not the other way around.
• Leadership friction is often an identity problem, not a performance problem.
• You are designing the experience of you every day.
Mic drop moments
• Choose the leader you are becoming, or default to the leader you have been.
• Goals do not create change. Identity does.
• If you do not upgrade your identity, your life will keep bumping up against the same edges.
• You are not designing a to-do list for 2026. You are designing the experience of you.
If you haven’t listened to Episode 1 yet, start there. In Episode 3, we’ll talk about how to design a 2026 structure that supports the leader you are becoming, because you don’t need a better plan. You need a better practice.
If this episode resonated, share it with someone who’s ready to stop repeating the same year with different tasks, and subscribe to Reflect Forward wherever you listen.
Connect with Kerry
Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok!
Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward
Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/
No one is coming to save you. The moment you realize that is the moment you step into your true power as a leader.
In this episode of Reflect Forward, I explore the life changing power of radical responsibility. As leaders, we all have moments when we wish someone else would fix the problem, make the decision, or show us the path forward. But waiting for someone to rescue us kills momentum. True leadership begins when we stop waiting and start owning.
I talk about how to recognize when you have slipped into victim thinking, how to catch yourself in that moment, and how to reclaim your sense of agency. You will learn how to listen for the subtle signals that you are giving away your power, especially when you hear yourself saying “Yeah, but.” That phrase is the telltale sign that you have moved from ownership to avoidance.
This episode will help you build the mindset of accountability and confidence that defines great leaders. It is about shifting from “Why will someone not fix this?” to “What is my next step?” and realizing that you already have everything you need to lead yourself and your team forward.
As Winston Churchill once said, “The price of greatness is responsibility.” Taking ownership for your choices, your reactions, and your mindset is how you become the kind of leader others want to follow.
Research backs this up. A McKinsey study found that companies with leaders who embrace ownership and accountability are 4.9 times more likely to outperform their peers in overall performance. Accountability is not just about personal growth; it is a competitive advantage.
Key Takeaways
1. Ownership starts where excuses end. The moment you stop waiting for rescue, you start leading.
2. Catch your “yeah, but.” It is the red flag of victim thinking. Pause, reframe, and act.
3. Ask the three ownership questions:
• What part of this situation can I own right now?
• If no one else steps in, what is the best step I can take today?
• Am I choosing to be a victim or the leader who changes it?
4. Clarity beats control. You cannot control circumstances, but you can always control your response.
5. Leaders go first. When you model accountability, you build a culture that owns results.
Mic Drop Moments
• “No one is coming to save you. The moment you realize that is the moment you step into your true power as a leader.”
• “Leadership begins when we stop waiting and start owning.”
• “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you would not sit for a month.” — Theodore Roosevelt
• “You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself.” — Jim Rohn
If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs this reminder. And don’t forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review helps me spread the message of intentional leadership and the ownership mindset even further.
Connect with Kerry
Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok!
Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward
Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/
Reflect Forward
Choose the leader you are becoming, or default to the leader you have been. That is the real decision in front of you as you head into a new year.
Most leaders believe change starts with better goals. New priorities. New plans. But if you keep showing up with the same identity, the same emotional patterns, and the same nervous system responses, you will recreate the same year with different tasks.
This episode is about breaking that cycle.
Episode overview
This is Episode 2 of my three-part Design Yourself series on creating the life and leadership you want in 2026. In Episode 1, we focused on self-awareness and uncovering the default stories running your leadership. In this episode, we move from awareness to choice.
Because you cannot design a different year if you show up as the same version of yourself.
In this conversation, I break down why goals do not create lasting change and why identity does. We explore how identity is formed, how it drives behavior under pressure, and why many high-performing leaders stay stuck by clinging to versions of themselves that once worked but no longer fit.
I also share personal stories about releasing old identities and what shifted when I consciously chose who I wanted to become, not someday, but now.
Research highlight
According to research from the University of Scranton, ninety-two percent of people fail to achieve their goals. One major reason is that they focus on outcomes instead of the identity and systems required to sustain change.
Key takeaways
• You cannot design a different year if you show up as the same version of yourself.
• Identity is not fixed. It is practiced.
• Your identity drives your behavior, not the other way around.
• Leadership friction is often an identity problem, not a performance problem.
• You are designing the experience of you every day.
Mic drop moments
• Choose the leader you are becoming, or default to the leader you have been.
• Goals do not create change. Identity does.
• If you do not upgrade your identity, your life will keep bumping up against the same edges.
• You are not designing a to-do list for 2026. You are designing the experience of you.
If you haven’t listened to Episode 1 yet, start there. In Episode 3, we’ll talk about how to design a 2026 structure that supports the leader you are becoming, because you don’t need a better plan. You need a better practice.
If this episode resonated, share it with someone who’s ready to stop repeating the same year with different tasks, and subscribe to Reflect Forward wherever you listen.
Connect with Kerry
Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok!
Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward
Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/
Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/
