After decades of leading organizations both large and small, I’ve found that some of my most powerful management insights aren’t the ones that are most often quoted. As you think about strengthening your leadership in 2026, here are five lesser-known principles that have served me well:

  1. Think of Management as Being “First Assistant To”Instead of seeing yourself as the boss, think of yourself as “First Assistant To” your team members. Your job isn’t to command and control them but to help them succeed. This subtle shift changes everything about how you interact with your people and how they respond to your leadership.

  2. Hire for Purpose and Potential FirstOne of my most valuable insights about building great teams: while skills matter, they should come second to purpose and potential. Before making any hire, listen for at least two shortcomings you’re willing to live with. No candidate is perfect, but someone with the right purpose and potential will grow far beyond their initial capabilities.

  3. “Porpoise” to Learn What’s Really Going OnJust as a porpoise dives deep and then surfaces repeatedly, I’ve learned that great leaders need to move up and down through their organizations regularly. Don’t just talk to your direct reports. Take a “sack lunch” and eat with employees, or join them (as if in the “back of the room”) on a Zoom call. Listen more than you speak. The most valuable information rarely makes it up the ladder through the official channels.

  4. Practice the “Rule of Three”In today’s world of endless priorities, I still live by my Rule of Three: identify just three priorities each for your day, week, month, and year. It sounds simple, but this disciplined approach keeps you focused on what truly matters. While you’ll do many more things, these top three must always be front and center. Start each morning reaffirming them.

  5. The Cost of Perfect InformationWaiting for perfect information before making decisions is often more dangerous than moving forward with solid but imperfect data. Time is wasted and opportunities are lost when people become fixated on having perfect information. Instead, establish clear benchmarks and contingency plans, make thoughtful decisions, and be prepared to adjust course as needed. Given the choice between waiting for complete information and riding momentum, I’ll take momentum every time. As you move through 2026, I encourage you to try some of these approaches. They might not be the flashiest leadership principles, but they’ve proven their worth over time. Leadership development is a marathon, not a sprint. Pick one of these principles to focus on each quarter. By year’s end, you might be amazed at how these subtle shifts have transformed your leadership effectiveness. A reminder: As you embark on a new year of improving your management and leadership skills, please remember that we’re always happy to mail you additional copies of Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector. Email kathleen@appliedwisdomfornonprofits.org. And of course the e-booklet is always available for instant download from this site, or to listen to as an audiobook.