Stop, Start, Continue: A Leadership Reset Using the Core Pillars

Most leaders start the new year by setting goals.
Strong leaders start by deciding what needs to stop.

In this episode, I break down how I use the Stop, Start, Continue method as a leadership reset, not a reflection exercise, and how pairing it with defined Core Leadership Pillars creates clarity, focus, and real capacity before annual planning begins.

This is a framework I’ve used year after year in my own leadership and with business owners and team leaders who want sustainable growth without burnout.

Ready to close the gap between goals and results?

For a clear and consistent way to lead your business, download the free GAP Guide.
Grab the download 👉🏾 https://go.cignalpartners.com/gap

If this episode helped you:

If this episode resonated, share it with a leader who needs it or leave a review to help more leaders find these conversations.

Chapters

• 0:00 New Year And Planning Mindset
• 1:03 Why Goals Fail Without Subtraction
• 2:55 Introducing Pillars For Stop Start Continue
• 4:35 Principles As The Leader’s North Star
• 8:05 Planning For Priorities And Capacity
• 9:23 People: Roles, Clarity, And Ownership
• 11:29 Processes And Platforms That Reduce Friction
• 13:12 Performance: Metrics And Accountability
• 14:36 Positioning: From I To We
• 17:20 Turn Reflection Into Decisions And Action
• 19:03 Team Use, Psychological Safety, And Follow-Through
• 21:23 The Power Of Stop And Final CTA

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:05

Hello and welcome back to the Leveraging Operations and Leadership Podcast. I am your host, Tanya Harrison, and I want to say Happy New Year because it is now at the time of that I'm recording this, it is the first week of January 2026. So happy new year to you. This is a great time to talk about this specific topic that I want to share. And this is a smarter way to plan for the new year. This is for you as a leader and your team, if you have a team. As a new year begins, I know a lot of leaders feel pressured to set goals and reset habits and come back stronger and better than before. The 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 version. And while goal setting has its place and it is extremely important, here's the truth most people avoid. Most goals don't fail just because of a lack of motivation. They fail because sometimes we're trying to do too much. They fail because leaders carry forward the same patterns, decisions, and systems that created the pressure in the first place. So we are literally trying to do all of the things that we did before and then add something else on top of it. They are extremely important. I've done mine. But we're starting with the stop, start, continue method, but through a leadership lens, and using what I call the leadership core pillars. I also use this for in my personal life, and I have different pillars that I use for that, but this is what I do every single year. And I just told someone today that I was going to start doing it quarterly for my business. It's one of the most effective ways I know to create clarity, capacity, and focus before planning the year ahead. Because, like I said before, when we're doing annual planning, we're usually adding stuff. We're not evaluating other things. So most people that use the stop, start, continue, they use it as a loose reflection exercise, which it can be used that way, which initially, when it was introduced to me, that's how it was introduced. So you you literally think about what should I stop doing? What should I start doing? What should I continue doing? And I find that what happens is sometimes that could be a little overwhelming because it's like all of these areas, and we're not focused on a specific thing. And also usually what happens is we only reflect on what's the loudest in our mind or what recently happened, or if we're emotionally charged by something. So there are some things that we don't really consider. And that's why I use the defined leadership pillars, which are the pillars that I use in my lead ops program. That program is specifically for leaders that are leading teams of two or more, and we walk through all of the different pillars, and I help you to implement leadership and operational systems so that you increase capacity, but also that so that you build a high-performing team. And these leadership pillars, they're going to give your reflection boundaries. So you have some specific areas that you are zoned in on. You can also add to this takeaway from it, but they help you to see patterns and then you're able to turn that insight into decisions. So here are the areas that we're going to walk through. The first one is principles, planning, people, processes, and platforms, performance, and positioning. These are the pillars that we walk through. I'll explain a little bit about each pillar, and then I want to give you some examples of prompts that I use. And again, of course, you create your own, you add to it and make it yours. But I want to make sure that you have a starting point. The first pillar is principles, and this is first for a good reason, right? This is about your values, integrity, boundaries, and decision filters. And when you're thinking through the stop, start continue prompts, some examples of things that you want to think about is what am I doing out of obligation instead of alignment? And this has been real big for me. But also, what behaviors or decisions am I tolerating that no longer align with my values? And this is something that you want to take your time and think through. I feel like this principle section is like the biggest one because you have to go deep because now you are thinking about what it is that I value. What is it that is important to me? And am I allowing some things that are in conflict with that? And you may literally find that you are. I did as well, right? So, you know, one of the things that I value is spending time with God. And I realized that I was giving God the leftovers, and I wanted to give the first fruits because that's how important it is to me. The first part of my day should be dedicated to God, and that was a realization that hey, I say I value these things, I say that this is important to me, but yet I was putting it on a back burner at the end of the day with the leftover energy, and then I'm trying to rush through it and all of the things. So I want you to really take time and go through this. All of the pillars are important, but this right here, this is talking about who you are at the core. When we're talking about the start prompt, think about what boundaries need to be clearer this year, right? Because there could be things that you are allowing that you should not be allowing. What decisions do I need to start filtering through my values instead of urgency? And I'm gonna get the moving because if not, we're gonna be here too long. Continue prompts. What leadership behaviors consistently reflect who I want to be? And those are the things that I'm gonna continue. What value-based practices need protection? If principles are unclear, everything else becomes reactive. This pillar is going to be your main pillar because this is your north star. This is your direction, this is who you are. Take time, and I want you to take time as you go through all of the pillars, but for this one, I want you to take a little extra time and really think about it. The second pillar is planning, and this is about priorities, goals, and capacity alignment. When it comes to the start, stop, continue prompts. Think about what goals or commitments no longer make sense. Sometimes we hold on to things out of habits. What planning habits are creating pressure instead of clarity? And those are the things that I want to stop. A start prompt is what needs to become a true priority, not just a good idea. Another prompt for start is what planning rhythms would help me lead more intentional. Maybe it's not a yearly planning, maybe it is a quarterly planning that you want to implement. Think about what makes sense to you and your goals as a leader. Continue prompts. What planning practices are helping me stay focused and grounded? Those are the things you want to continue. What decision frameworks are working? So planning without subtraction leads to overload. This that's always going to happen. So you have to identify those stop themes. Pillar number three, people. And this applies whether you're leading a team or preparing to lead a team. But think about the people that you lead or have relationships with that people that may be dependent upon you. This could be customers. If you don't have a team, this could literally be your customers. But you know, a lot of times you want to think about you, you want to think about yourself and you want to think about your team, and it could be peers that you include in this section as well. When we think through the stop, start continue prompts. The stop prompts are what roles, expectations, or behaviors am I allowing that create confusion or conflict. Sometimes in leadership, we keep on people because they do a great job, but they have the worst attitude. And that creates a problem within the team. There may be some things that you're allowing that you don't need to allow. Another stop prompt is where am I carrying responsibilities that shouldn't be mine? If you are a leader, are there things that you're doing that should be delegated, outsourced, automated, whatever that looks like? Start prompts. What conversations about roles, ownership, or development need to happen? Where do I need to start leading more clearly instead of filling gaps? Continue prompts. What leadership habits are building trust and accountability? What people practices are actually working. So think about it. Is it the one-on-ones that are doing something? Is it the weekly stand-up meetings? People fail in ambiguity. So you need clarity when we're talking about people and leading teens. Pillar number four is processes and platforms. And this is about how work actually gets done. So you'll hear me talk about this a lot because this falls under the operational piece. But as a leader, that's something that we have to manage. Going through the stop, start, continue prompts, stop. What processes are inefficient, outdated, or unnecessary? And what tools are adding friction instead of clarity? And this is where you want to go through and do an assessment. Think back to things that your team has said or you've identified. And we got to get out of the habit of just doing things just because. Start prompts. What systems need to be simplified or documented? What workflows would reduce rework or decision fatigue? All right. Continue prompts. What processes consistently support focus and follow through? Those are the things that we're going to continue to do. What tools are helping, not just existing? Going back and evaluating your tools is extremely important because, again, sometimes we get used to just using a tool, but is it effective? Is it outdated? Is there another version of it that we need to implement? All of these things matter. So this pillar is where leaders reclaim time and energy. When you get those things right and you include them in your plans for the year, it's so helpful. Pillar number five is performance. This is about metrics, accountabilities, and results. Start, stop, start, continue prompts, stop. What metrics am I tracking tracking that don't actually drive decisions? I re-evaluate the metrics that I track every year. And sometimes I realize I'm tracking something and it is no benefit. There is no benefit. So I'm gonna stop doing that. Um another stop prompt. What accountability gaps am I avoiding? It's important for we for us to hold ourselves accountable, but also to hold your team accountable as well. And sometimes to hold your clients accountable. Think about that. Start prompts. What results actually matter this year? What expectations need to be clear? Continue prompts. What performance habits are producing consistent results? What accountability rhythms are working? Performance isn't about pressure, it's about clarity. Pillar number six, positioning. This pillar looks outward. Thinking about how we are positioned as a leader, and if you are a business owner, how you are positioned as a business. Stop, start, continue prompts. What positioning decisions are based on we've always done it that way, or I've always done it that way. For my individual contributors that are going to be leading teams, I want you to think about what positioning needs to change as you go from I to we. When you're an individual contributor, you talk a lot about yourself. When you have a team, you talk a lot about your team. So what are some of the things that you need to stop doing? There's a different way of thinking when it's you versus a team. So even if you don't have a team, if you are positioning yourself to have a team, then you need to start thinking about what is going to look differently. So what are the things that I need to stop doing? And then as we roll into the start, you're going to think about what are the things that you need to start doing. For my business owners, you're going to think about what offers, messages, or markets are no longer valid. For start prompts, what clarity does the market or stakeholders need from me? So if you are a business owner, this is important. But if you are working in an organization, you need to think about the people that you are reporting to. What things that do they need from you? What do they need to feel confident and secure in you and your abilities and your team's abilities? What needs to be simplified or sharpened? Continue prompts. What aspects of our positioning consistently resonate? This was a big one when I managed a team back in corporate. Because when you get your positioning right for you and your team, a lot of doors open up. Right? You're no longer being second guest when you ask for something because they already know you and your team are going to make it happen. When you know, um you end up having this department that everybody wants to come to. So you never have to worry about having positions open too long. Continue prompts. What strengths should remain front and center? Growth without positioning leads to confusion internally and externally. Right? So when we're talking about position, positioning is you're putting yourself out there. Think about your stop, start, continue prompts that you need for that. Once you go through this, and and like I said, you can use the prompts that I've provided, or you can create your own or add to it. When you complete the stop, start continue across these pillars, you don't just reflect, you actually create inputs for planning. You stop planning from overload and overwhelm, and you start planning from alignment and capacity, and you continue what actually works. This is why I always say annual planning without subtraction leads to burnout. Yearly planning without subtraction leads to burnout. You can't keep adding on, adding on, adding on. Leadership clarity creates capacity. Once you get clear on some things, you are automatically going to start to create capacity because you're going to stop doing things that are no longer in alignment. You're going to start doing the things that you need to do and you're going to continue doing the things that are already working. Now, this framework is great from a leadership perspective. But when this was first introduced to me, we were using it from a team perspective, where we would meet with our teams and we would talk through stop, start, continue. But one of the things that I recommend is using defined pillars, right? Thinking about across your team what are some of the things that are extremely important to you and your team. When you use this with your team, the feedback becomes constructive, is not emotional. And then you are able to see patterns that surface quickly. Your team is going to start to trust you when you actually act on what they hear. So you're giving them an opportunity to bring things to the table and they see you doing something about it, that creates more trust. But this only works when leaders are willing to change, too. Like, right? Like you're not gonna do it and then. Nothing changes. Like if your if one of the things that comes back from the team is that they talk about how ineffective a process is or ineffective a meeting is, then you want to at least evaluate that and either eliminate eliminate it if it's not needed. So you want to stop, or you may need to tweak it, but something needs to happen, right? So you are at least addressing it. And if most of your team feels the same way, there's probably something there that you really need to look into. I would look into it one way or another. Stop, start, continue, builds psychological safety when people see movement, not just meetings. They're actually seeing that you're taking action on some of the things that they brought up. It is extremely helpful when it comes to teen. And then if you're doing it from just a personal perspective, that is extremely helpful as well. So I have pillars that I use for from a personal perspective where I'm focusing more on faith and fitness and things like that. But come up with those different key areas that are extremely important. I gave you some from a leadership perspective, but you may want some from a team perspective, kind of looking at your team and what is important again to you and them, and coming up with those key pillars and walking them through it. And I feel that that it is I realized that it was extremely beneficial when I was in corporate, and I find it beneficial today. So um, so before you set another go, before you add another initiative, before you push harder, ask yourself what needs to stop so that this year can actually be different, even if you don't get to the start-continue piece. Do the stop piece. I don't recommend doing part of a method, but the stop piece is just that valuable and important that you are already going to be ahead if you at least do that piece. So, what needs to stop so that this year can actually be different? And again, use the P pillars when we're talking about leadership. Use the stop, start, and continue and make decisions that protect your capacity, not just your calendar, and decisions that protect your energy. That is it. Thank you for listening. Feel free to leave me a message if this resonated with you, or if you have any questions, you can always use the text option on Apple and also share this with other people, other leaders that would benefit from our podcast. All right, and definitely give us a five star review and leave a comment if you feel compelled to do so. Thank you in advance, and I will talk to you next week.