Aaron Huizenga anticipates a great year in 2026

February 1, 2026 By Aaron Huizenga 0 Comments

During our conversations this year, we are going to take a more internal look at the leadership mindset.

We are going to learn about some soft skills that are applicable in both work and personal settings. We will be talking about closing our mouths. Opening our ears as well as our minds. Being genuinely curious about the world around us and the situations that we are required to deal with day to day.

We will look at some techniques to gain a full understanding of situational leadership, asking questions, questioning those questions and then following up with more questions.

We are going to dive into meetings and meeting management. Identifying actionable items. Leading by example, then handing off the torch of leadership. Explaining, showing by example and creating a roadmap to success.

Then we will do some self-exploration of strengths and weaknesses, seeing where we can leverage our current abilities. Next, finding what we need to learn more about to be better leaders and more effective decision-makers.

We will talk about vision and long-range planning. Then we’ll discuss where to set your compass so that you can focus on the horizon without losing track of the water in front of you. And we’ll talk about what to do if your course needs to be adjusted.

Math, KPIs, evaluations and due diligence will come up in our learning conversations during the fall months, along with a few tips on how to navigate those waters.

And as we close out 2026 together, we are going to talk about why goals are important, but also why they might not matter sometimes. Our discussions will focus on who we want to become, and working backward toward goals, compass direction, strengths and weaknesses, and tying the whole year back together.

Together, we have been through 24 issues of this amazing publication, and I personally am very excited to share some new tips, tricks, hacks and self-awareness thoughts with everyone in the next 12 issues.

Let’s all raise a glass to 2026 and get ready to get to work.

Let’s work on your upgrade.

Aaron Huizenga is East Division manager for Lakes Gas in Wisconsin. Reach him at ahuizenga@lakesgas.com.

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