Be the Best at Being Better: Preparing to Win in 2026

This article was adapted from the book Made to Make It.

As the year winds down, there’s a natural pull to look backward: what worked, what didn’t, what we wish we had done differently. But the most important work this season isn’t reflection alone. It’s preparation.

If you’re leading a shop, a team, or a business, here’s the hard truth learned over and over again: you can’t build a successful team without working on yourself first.

That idea might sound selfish at first, but it’s not. If you don’t invest in becoming a better leader, a clearer thinker, and a more disciplined decision maker, you limit how far your team can go. When you get better, you don’t just win. You give everyone around you a better chance to win too.

As planning for 2026 begins, this is the moment to reset with intention.

Three Paths to Developing Yourself as a Leader

There are many ways to learn, but most fall into three categories. The goal is not to pick just one, but to understand how they work together.

1. Personal / Self Driven Learning

This is the easiest and least expensive way to grow, and one of the most powerful.

Self driven learning happens on your schedule. For some, it is reading. For others, it is audiobooks during net time. These moments expose you to ideas from leaders who have already faced the problems you are dealing with today.

Guiding rules:

• Use net time: on press, cleaning screens, cleaning up, doing dishes, taking decorations down, or any task that does not require deep focus.
• If it is good, listen more than once. One time is never enough.
• Take notes or write down actions.
• If something resonates, go deeper with more books, videos, or conversations.

Learning does not need to be formal to be effective. It needs to be intentional.

2. Professional / Organized Development

Sometimes the fastest way forward is learning from someone who already knows the path.

Professional development includes courses, conferences, seminars, trade shows, or executive coaching. The value is not just information, but structure. These environments are designed to help apply what you learn, not just consume it.

This industry has multiple groups that meet weekly, bi weekly, or monthly. There are also organizations outside the industry such as YPO, EO, and Vistage that may be options.

3. Mentorship

If there is a shortcut to growth, this is it.

Mentorship is how humans have learned for thousands of years. Whether it is a life mentor or a skills mentor, learning from a master accelerates everything.

You do not just hear what to do. You see how decisions are made, how challenges are handled, and what excellence actually looks like. Over time, that knowledge becomes something you can pass on.

Finding a mentor means identifying someone where you want to be, approaching them, and offering value in return. This could be your time, your skills, or help on their press. Many lifelong friendships start this way.

Learning Is a Journey, Not a Destination

Learning never ends. The following five steps help track progress.

Step One: Know Where You’re Starting

Before setting goals, gain clarity by identifying:

• Your five most important values
• Your top five strengths
• Areas of opportunity that feel exciting and full of potential

This is not about fixing weaknesses first. It is about understanding who you are and where growth will make the biggest difference.

Step Two: Develop an Action Plan That Moves You Forward

Goals are long term and directional. Objectives are the actions that support them.

• What can be done differently or better to create the greatest positive impact?
• What skills would most improve leadership and organizational performance?

Define objectives using the SMART filter:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time bound

Clarity creates momentum.

Step Three: Build a Scrum for Your Goals

Goals fail when there is no system to support them.

• Backlog: what you want to accomplish
• To Do: what is next
• Doing: what you are actively working on
• Done: what you have completed

Short sprints create focus. Fewer goals create accountability. Progress becomes visible.

Step Four: Create Real Accountability

Growth does not happen in isolation.

• Who will support you?
• Who already has the skills you want?
• Who should you share your plan with?
• How will progress be measured?

Accountability turns intention into change.

Step Five: Measure What Winning Looks Like

Winning businesses and winning teams always know the score.

Track what matters:

• Consistency
• Profitability
• Customer satisfaction

The goal is clarity, not complexity.

Be the Best at Being Better

Your job as a leader is not perfection. It is commitment to improvement.

When you focus on getting better day by day, you create space for your team to do the same. That is how strong cultures are built and sustainable businesses grow.

This article was adapted from Made to Make It.

The first five people who email me will receive a copy of the book as a thank-you. Send me a note and include why you want to learn and improve in 2026 along with your mailing address, rmoor@ryonet.com.

Let’s head into the next year focused, prepared, and committed to being the best at being better.