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The Leadership Gift of Reinvention.
As we close out another year, I can’t help but think about the power of reinvention. And no one models this better than Taylor Swift.
Over nearly two decades, Taylor has gone from country sweetheart to global pop icon to business mastermind—all while staying true to her voice and values. With every album, every tour, every chapter, she doesn’t cling to who she was. She chooses who she’s becoming.
And that resonates deeply with me.
When I moved from COO to CEO of BELAY, I struggled more than I expected. Operations was my comfort zone. I knew the details, the processes, the systems. That’s where I felt confident. But stepping into the CEO role meant I couldn’t lead from the weeds anymore. I had to release who I was to become who I needed to be.
That season taught me the same lesson Taylor lives out: reinvention isn’t about abandoning yourself. It’s about refusing to stay stuck in a version of yourself that no longer fits.
As leaders, we all face that moment where we have to decide: do I cling to who I was, or do I evolve into who I’m becoming?
One of the greatest traps in leadership is staying the same.
You start in a role, you build a business, you get known for your strengths—and then you lock yourself inside the very thing you outgrew. You cling to what’s comfortable, even when it no longer serves you.
The truth is, the habits, routines, and responsibilities that got you here may not be the ones that will get you where you want to go next.
And at the end of a year, this challenge is unavoidable: Am I leading out of who I was, or who I’m becoming?
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Here’s what I learned in that transition from COO to CEO: reinvention is not a crisis to manage. It’s a strategy to embrace.
I had to shift my mindset from doing to leading. I had to stop measuring my worth by how many tasks I could cross off and start measuring it by how I was guiding our growth. I had to release responsibilities that no longer belonged to me and protect time for vision, strategy, and people.
And that’s the real leadership shift: you don’t reinvent because you failed. You reinvent because you’re evolving.
You don’t need to become someone else. You need to become a clearer, bolder version of yourself.
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When you lead from reinvention, you stop repeating the same year over and over.
Instead of dragging last year’s habits into January, you enter the new year lighter, clearer, and more intentional.
For me, once I embraced reinvention, I stopped letting every email, every meeting, and every “urgent” request hijack my schedule. I learned to say no faster. I created space for strategy and deep work. And I finally started leading from possibility—not just practicality.
That’s what Taylor does with every new album era. And that’s what limitless leaders do with every new season.
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What It Is: A simple reflection exercise to close out the year by deciding what you’ll leave behind.
Why It Helps: It clears mental and emotional clutter, helps you release what no longer serves you, and creates space for new focus in the year ahead.
How to Do It:
- Grab a journal and list everything that drained you this year—habits, tasks, meetings, or even mindsets.
- Circle the ones that no longer serve who you’re becoming.
- Write a release statement: “I release ___ so I can lead with ___.”
- Share one release with a trusted partner, friend, or team member for accountability.
- Step into the new year with clarity, not clutter.
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Ready to start 2026 with focus, clarity, and alignment?
Download my free 40-Hour CEO Workweek Planning Guide and design a schedule that reflects who you’re becoming—not just what you’re managing.
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“Every new season of leadership requires a new version of you.” - Tricia. |
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