Say It Plainly: The Leadership Skill That Shapes Your 2026
The VOICE Framework for High-Stakes Conversations and Career Visibility
January brings back the conversations many of us tried to push off. It might be a performance review you meant to prep for, a project you accepted before you understood the real scope, or a role you keep circling because you want to be seen differently this year. The calendar turns, but unfinished business follows you into the new year.
I’ve learned that how I show up in those conversations sets the tone for everything that follows. That’s why I keep a simple practice every year: one word that sets my standard for how I lead, make decisions, and communicate. My word for 2026 is Voice.
For me, Voice is a filter. It helps me decide what earns my yes, what no longer gets access to me, and what I choose to say plainly. It brings me back to trusting my voice and owning my story, so my work can be seen and valued for its true impact. When I feel the urge to overextend, overexplain, or stay quiet to keep things comfortable, this word pushes me to lead from what I know and speak with purpose.
Three Questions to Stop Editing Yourself
Using voice as my filter has changed what I ask myself and what I guide clients through as they navigate major career shifts, reinvention, and building their presence. These three questions get straight to the point:
What would I do if I stopped managing other people’s expectations and led from what I know is true?
What am I holding back because I am worried about how it will land?
What decision am I postponing, even though I already know the answer?
Professionally, these questions help when you are preparing for a performance review, adjusting to a new manager, redefining your role, negotiating scope, or positioning yourself for greater visibility. Personally, they help you notice what you have accepted, what you want now, and what you are ready to choose with honesty.
Voice becomes real in communication, especially when you are setting a boundary, asking for support, or advocating for more.
Download the free one-page VOICE Leadership Brief (PDF).
Save it for your next for review, scope, and visibility conversation.
How the VOICE Framework Works
To make my word of the year practical, I built a five-part framework I use in coaching conversations. I call it VOICE, and it helps leaders turn strong work into a simple narrative, a direct ask, and a plan to execute.
It’s useful when you’re walking into a performance review, negotiating scope, moving into a new role, or preparing for any conversation where opportunity or resources are on the line. It also works for leaders who want a structure to guide development and goal-setting conversations with their teams.
V: Validate the Wins
Start with proof. Identify two outcomes you delivered and the evidence that supports them. Focus on what improved because you were there. Example language:
“I led X, which resulted in Y. Here is the metric, stakeholder feedback, or timeline impact.”
“This quarter, my work reduced risk and improved alignment across teams. Here is what changed.”
It builds your credibility fast and keeps the conversation anchored in results, so your work is remembered when opportunities are being assigned.
O: Own the Growth Edge
Choose one area you are strengthening and determine the support that makes progress realistic. Strong leaders do this without diminishing their wins. Example language:
“I am strengthening X this quarter. Support that would help is Y, along with feedback at these points.”
“I want to develop X in a measurable way. I am asking for access to Y and consistent check-ins around Z.”
This shows you have direction and self-awareness. It helps others see you as a leader who manages growth.
I: Influence the Narrative
Decide what you want to be known for in 2026 and link it to the work you are already doing. Your story shapes how others see your value and capability. Example language:
“This year, I want to be known for leading X. Here are the priorities I will drive to get there.”
“I want to be positioned as a leader of X. These are the outcomes and partnerships that support that.”
Work rarely speaks for itself in the rooms that decide visibility and opportunity. Voice gives your work the language it needs.
C: Claim the Ask
Ask clearly for what you need. That might be scope, visibility, resources, support, compensation, a title change, or a path forward. Many high performers get stuck here because they fear being seen as difficult. Example language:
“To deliver at the level we want, I need X.”
I am ready for more visibility in X. I would like to lead Y or represent the team in Z.”
This scope is sustainable with these adjustments. These are the shifts I recommend. Direct language helps you avoid being over-reliant without being fully recognized.
E: Execute the Plan
Finish with three things you can deliver confidently and a simple way to track your progress. This turns the conversation into a plan and keeps your goals on track when daily work resumes. Example language:
“From January through March, I will deliver A, B, and C. Here is how we will track results.”
“These are the milestones for the first quarter, along with when I will deliver updates.”
This step helps make sure your hard work all year isn’t overlooked or defined by someone else later.
How to Choose Your Word for 2026
A word for the year works best when it supports decision-making and communication. It should help you move with more consistency when pressure and other people’s expectations start driving the agenda. A simple way to choose yours:
Identify what you are done repeating.
Identify the leadership move you want to make this year.
Choose a word that helps you decide when things get noisy.
Voice is my word because I want my leadership to sound like me, look like me, and reflect what I know to be true. It is a commitment to stop softening what needs to be said and lead with ownership in the rooms that shape opportunity.
Ready to put Voice into practice?
I opened a limited round of New Year Reinvention Sessions for January and February. This is a private 90-minute working session for leaders who want to translate what 2025 taught them into focused direction for early 2026, a January through March plan, and language they can use during discussions that shape visibility and opportunity.