Elevate Your Team's Habits

10 of the best business books to take you into 2026

10 New Year's Resolutions for Business Leaders

Somewhere in the work universe right now a team leader is writing down their New Year intentions: "Be a better communicator. Improve our culture. Double our revenue." Sound familiar?

The problem lies in focusing on grand resolutions while overlooking the small daily habits that actually shift how we lead and how our teams perform.

Let’s focus on two leadership thinkers with the tools to help.

·        [**Ben Crowe**](https://mojocrowe.com/ben-crowe), the mindset coach who worked with Ash Barty and Dylan Alcott, teaches that "perspective guides our entire life."

·        [**Liz Wiseman**](https://thewisemangroup.com/who-we-are/our-team/liz-wiseman/)'s research into Multipliers shows how certain behaviours from leaders and managers can make everyone else smarter.

Small daily shifts

Ben Crowe, author of upcoming book [_Where the Light Gets In_](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/Where-The-Light-Gets-In-Ben-Crowe/overview), suggests we begin each day by asking "What kind of human do I want to be today?" rather than immediately diving into our task list. Clarify your presence before your productivity.

He recommends this: Before you write tomorrow's to-do list, write a "to-be" list. Who do you want to be as a leader today? A curious colleague? A patient mentor? A vulnerable leader who admits when they don't have all the answers?

Start with the Right Question

One of Ben's insights comes from his work with Richmond Football Club. He noticed the word "expectations" appeared 47 times in a single meeting. Ben realised this single word was creating enormous pressure.

His solution? Ban the word entirely. Replace "My expectations of you are..." with "My hopes for you are..." or "My dreams for you are..."

Better still, replace expectation with experimentation. When your team is experimenting, they're in what Ben calls the "play state" rather than the "fear state." And in the play state, people learn, adapt, and innovate.

Replace Expectations with Experimentation

Liz Wiseman's research identified a crucial distinction between [Diminishers and Multipliers](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/multipliers-vs-diminishers-impact-on-capability):

• **Diminishers** believe they must have all the answers and need to be the smartest person in the room

• **Multipliers** believe intelligence exists everywhere and their job is to access it

Ben echoes this in his hero's journey framework. Early in our careers, the focus is on "me" -discovering our strengths and proving ourselves. True leadership requires jumping from "I" to "We," realising that life is measured by our impact on others.

·        Join our live virtual book club session [BEN CROWE: WHERE THE LIGHT GETS IN](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/Where-The-Light-Gets-In-Ben-Crowe/overview) on February 5, 2026

·        Make sure you book our Global Headliner masterclass [LIZ WISEMAN: MULTIPLY YOUR IMPACT](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/multiply-your-impact/overview) on February 12, 2026

Shift from "I" to "We"

Liz Wiseman found that Impact Players (team players who create disproportionate value) share a common trait: they step up and fill spaces where needed.

Leaders must create those spaces first.

This means:

• Asking questions instead of providing answers

• Giving people problems to solve, not just tasks to complete

• Allowing others to lead projects where they have more expertise than you

As Ben puts it: "The biggest problem I've observed with how leadership is defined today is the belief that it's 'all about me', that 'I must have all the answers' and 'Everyone's looking to me for the answers.'"

Create Space for Others to Contribute

Both Ben and Liz emphasise what we can control versus what we can't:

• We can't control outcomes, but we can control our process

• We can't control others' opinions, but we can control our own intentions

• We can't control the future, but we can control being present today

Ben worked with world champion surfer Stephanie Gilmore using a simple mantra: "How good is this?" It shifted her focus from winning (uncontrollable) to playing with joy and skill (controllable).

Focus on Process, Not Just Outcomes

This year, forget the grand leadership overhaul. Instead, pick one small habit: start your day with a to-be list, replace one expectation with an experiment, ask three questions before offering one answer.

As Ben Crowe reminds us: "The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change their entire life purely by changing their perspective."

Sometimes the smallest shift creates the biggest light.

Photo by [Annie Spratt](https://unsplash.com/@anniespratt?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/two-men-using-macbooks-O-40u5howqw?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText)

Elevate Your Team's Habits

Tools from top leadership thinkers to lift your team

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Stay Inspired

Elevate Your Team's Habits

Tools from top leadership thinkers to lift your team

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired