Stronger Leaders. Deeper Impact — Reflecting on 2025
Building Endurance for Leadership and Life
As 2025 comes to a close, I’m trying to decide whether this has been a really long year or a really short one.
As things slow down for the holidays, it’s a great time for reflection about the last twelve months and to use that to set the stage for next twelve.
This year reminded me of something that I believe strongly; that is that leadership impact isn’t just about what we build, what we deliver or how we show up, it’s also about how we sustain ourselves while doing it.
Across Milestone Leadership, board work, and a full slate of endurance events, 2025 was a year of testing professional, physical, and personal limits.
Our Shared Context
Over the past year, every leader’s impact was heavily influenced by political polarization, ongoing uncertainty around healthcare, rapid advances in generative AI reshaping the workforce, and a pullback from environmental sustainability commitments. While the context was discouraging, the fact that the rate of change was faster than many leaders and organizations were prepared to manage was also a significant challenge.
And yet…
Working alongside exceptional leaders, some clients, some colleagues, has been a consistent source of energy and inspiration. Across healthcare, education, technology, climate, community development and social impact, leaders in my network are choosing long-term impact over short-term wins, investing in people and staying aligned with their values even when it’s difficult.
The contrast between external complexity and internal alignment is a good lesson that building judgment, conviction and resilience are durable leadership investments and can help leaders effectively manage uncertainty instead of being caught in it.
Lessons from 2025
How endurance is built
I ran quite a few endurance events in 2025 and realized that whether in leadership or on the trail, endurance doesn’t come from a single defining moment. It comes from preparation, pacing, as well as training and discipline day after day. Leadership lessons that I took away from endurance events like 29029 Stratton and Aspen, the Seattle Marathon, Tiger Claw, the Park City Trail Event, and a three-week trek in Nepal reinforced the idea that consistency builds endurance and resilience.
The leaders who want to make deep and sustaining impact over time, build habits, systems, and support before they’re needed. (some credit to Stephen Covey and his “Sharpen the Saw” message)
The importance of stronger leaders making deeper impact
Professionally, this last year reinforced the importance of helping leaders increase their impact while managing a challenging context and without sacrificing their health, relationships, or sense of purpose. Our coaching conversations, workshops, and advisory work were, at their core focused on helping leaders develop systems to make impact for the long term.
The relationship between physical and leadership challenges
The physical challenges weren’t about competition. They were about commitment, recovery, building resilience and creating opportunities gain insights while minimizing distraction. That feels like leadership. The overlap between leadership and endurance felt especially interesting this year: both demand intention, commitment, a willingness to learn from experience and for me, humility that comes from being a work-in-progress.
The importance of social health
This year reinforced the importance of social health, including the friends who checked in, meet with me over happy hour, and asked how I’m really doing. Between supporting aging parents, dealing with a fallen tree and ongoing water damage to our home, and living in a community where historic flooding displaced neighbors and disrupted daily life, those moments of connection were incredibly helpful.
That personal context is a great reminder that every leader is dealing with something. Family responsibilities, personal uncertainty, health concerns, or other challenges. Recognizing that life isn’t only about work, changes how we lead. It builds empathy, patience, and a deeper appreciation for connection. Leaders who invest in relationships, both inside and outside of work, are better equipped when things get difficult.
The durable importance of FLARB
Throughout the year, my practice of “FLARB” (Fitness, Linking, Appreciation, Reflection, and Book-learning) was a non-negotiable practice that helped keep things in context and ensure a good balance between work and life outside of work.
if you are unfamiliar with FLARB, check: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mike-j-miles_leadershipmindset-highperformance-morningroutine-activity-7300177272634818560-vRhG?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAAfCNABvVeAOvFtqU-StXy6uDu1l3uq44w
Fitness created energy and resilience.
Linking strengthened relationships that matter.
Appreciation grounded progress in gratitude.
Reflection turned experience into learning.
Book-learning added perspective and challenge.
FLARB wasn’t simply a checklist it was a really rewarding morning ritual.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead to 2026, my priority isn’t to do more; it’s to lead effectively and intentionally. That means being disciplined about how I spend time, continuing to invest in relationships that matter, and continuing the practices that build endurance and resilience.
(Next post: Stronger Leaders. Deeper Impact — Thinking Ahead to 2026)