Most leaders know what good leadership looks like. The problem isn't knowledge. It's sustainability.

It's January. Leadership articles everywhere are sharing the habits you should adopt in 2026.

• Acknowledge your team more.

• Coach instead of directing.

• Communicate regularly.

• Encourage development.

• Ask for feedback.

The advice isn't wrong. These are excellent leadership habits.

However, the problem is that most leaders will try these habits for a few weeks, maybe a month, and then quietly drift back to their old patterns by February.

Why?

Because they're treating habits as behaviours to perform rather than identity to embody.

When you try to "do" these habits, they require willpower. When things get busy, stressful, or chaotic, the habits disappear because they're not actually who you are. They're what you're trying to remember to do.

However, when you become the leader who naturally does these things, they're permanent. They don't require willpower. They're just how you lead because that's who you are.

That's the difference between performing leadership habits and having leadership identity.

This is what I teach through the PIIPS Framework. The Identity pillar is the part most leaders skip, and it's why their habits don't stick. You fall to the level of your identity, not rise to your goals.

Here are 7 human-centred leadership habits that research shows make a difference in 2026, and the frameworks that will help you turn each one from a behaviour you perform into an identity you embody.

Why Leadership Habits Fail (And How to Make Them Last)

Habits are behaviours. Identity is who you become.

Most leadership development focuses on behaviours: do this, say that, implement this system. That's why it fails. You're trying to layer new actions onto an old identity.

Real transformation happens at the identity level. When you shift who you are 'being', the behaviours follow naturally.

This is the Performance pillar of my PIIPS Framework: removing the 'hustle harder' ethos and focusing on building habits, behaviours, and confidence that are sustainable because they're aligned with who you are.

When habits align with your identity and values, they don't feel like effort. They feel natural.

That's what I am going to share in this blog with these 7 habits.

Not just tell you what to do, but show you how to become the leader who naturally does them.

1. Acknowledging Others

The Habit

Research shows that 91% of employees say receiving recognition for their work motivates them to put in more effort. Authentic leaders express gratitude and understand that thanking their people publicly is even more meaningful.

Honest, thoughtful praise is among the most impactful actions leaders can take.

Performing vs Being

Performing: You remember to say thank you. You set a reminder to acknowledge someone once a week. You do it because you read it's important, but it feels forced. When you're stressed or busy, you forget.

Being: Recognition is woven into how you see your role. You notice contributions naturally because you genuinely value what people bring. Acknowledgement flows from who you are, not what you're trying to remember to do.

The Framework That Makes It Identity: Aligned Choices Triangle

Use the Aligned Choices Triangle to check whether acknowledging others aligns with your core values.

If one of your values is "making a difference" or "contribution," then recognising others' contributions becomes an expression of your own values. You're not performing a habit; you're living your values.

Ask yourself: what are my three core values? Does acknowledging others align with those values?

If recognition feels performative, it's because it's not connected to your values. When you connect it to what matters most to you, it becomes natural.

The Shift

From "I need to remember to thank people" to "I naturally notice and appreciate contributions because that's what I value."

2. Coaching

The Habit

Authentic leaders understand that their people are talented and resilient. They use coaching techniques, asking powerful questions (instead of providing answers), listening with the intent to understand, and driving toward progress.

These techniques are much more powerful than being directive.

Performing vs Being

Performing: You ask questions because you're supposed to, but you're really just waiting to answer. You coach when you have time, but revert to telling when you're busy.

Being: You genuinely believe your team has the answers. You're curious about their thinking. You see your role as developing capability, not solving problems. Coaching is your default because you trust your team's competence.

The Framework That Makes It Identity: CLEAR Model + Self-Efficacy

I covered this in detail in my recent blog on human-centred leadership. The CLEAR coaching model (Contract, Listen, Explore, Action, Review) helps you move from rescuer to coach.

However, here's what makes it identity: understanding Self-Determination Theory. Your team needs autonomy (control over choices), competence (confidence in capability), and relatedness (connection and belonging).

When you truly believe this, when you understand that rescuing undermines these core psychological needs, coaching becomes who you are, not what you do.

You're not performing coaching questions. You're genuinely developing capability because you understand that's what your team needs to thrive.

The Shift

From "I should ask more questions" to "My role is to develop capability, not provide answers, because that's what builds resilient teams."

3. Inspiring Fun at Work

The Habit

Work is the play of adulthood. Authentic leaders believe that fun is not frivolous. They know that when work is entertaining and enjoyable, it increases engagement, retention, and progress. They integrate fun into team meetings and encourage activities that keep the positive vibe going.

Performing vs Being

Performing: You organise a team social because HR suggested it. You force a "fun Friday" that feels awkward. You're doing it because you think you should, but you're not really enjoying it either.

Being: You genuinely believe that people do their best work when they're energised and engaged. You create space for lightness because you value joy alongside productivity. Fun isn't an add-on; it's part of how you create a healthy team culture.

The Framework That Makes It Identity: I'm Okay, You're Okay

This is about balance. You need to make sure that I'm okay (you're not forcing yourself to be someone you're not) and you're okay (your team genuinely enjoys how you create culture).

If fun feels performative, it's probably because you're trying to be someone you're not. Find your version of creating a positive culture.

Maybe it's not "fun Friday." Maybe it's starting meetings with genuine check-ins. Maybe it's celebrating wins in your own style. Maybe it's creating psychological safety where people can laugh when things go wrong. Laughter can be a great way to 'break state' and a key resilient behaviour.

The habit sticks when it aligns with who you are and what your team actually needs.

The Shift

From "I should make work more fun" to "I create an environment where people can bring their whole selves, including joy, because that's when we do our best work."

4. Communicating Regularly

The Habit

A 2025 report found that 79% of employees say the quality of communication they get from leaders impacts how well they understand organisational goals, and 72% say this understanding affects their engagement.

Authentic leaders commit to regular, honest communication through small check-ins, regular updates, and open-door policies.

Performing vs Being

Performing: You send the weekly update because it's on your calendar. You do the check-ins because you're supposed to. When things get busy, communication is the first thing to drop because it feels like extra work.

Being: You see communication as the foundation of trust and clarity. You understand that when people don't know what's going on, they fill the gaps with anxiety and assumptions. Regular communication isn't a task; it's how you lead.

The Framework That Makes It Identity: Values-Based Leadership

Is transparency one of your core values? Is honesty? Is clarity?

If regular communication aligns with your values, it becomes non-negotiable. You don't communicate because you should; you communicate because it's who you are as a leader.

When communication is performative, you're doing it for them. When it's identity-based, you're doing it because you can't lead any other way.

Using the Aligned Choices Triangle: Does regular, honest communication align with your three core values? If yes, it becomes part of your leadership identity.

The Shift

From "I need to send more updates" to "Clear, regular communication is how I build trust and create alignment, because that's the leader I am."

5. Encouraging Development and Growth

The Habit

Authentic leaders are lifelong learners who demonstrate it visibly. They're committed to the development of their people and make time to help them identify and pursue impactful learning opportunities (even if those goals mean someday they'll lose them to a different role). They understand that the only way to stay ahead of change is to keep learning.

Performing vs Being

Performing: You approve training requests. You have development conversations during annual reviews. You support growth when it's convenient, but you're not actively creating opportunities.

Being: You see yourself as a developer of people, not just a manager of tasks. You genuinely want your team to grow beyond their current roles. You create development opportunities because that's what fulfils you as a leader.

The Framework That Makes It Identity: Self-Efficacy and Empowerment

This connects directly to human-centred leadership. When you truly understand that your role is to build capability (not dependence), development becomes central to your identity.

You're not encouraging development because it's a good leadership practice. You're doing it because you genuinely believe people's growth is part of your responsibility and purpose as a leader.

If one of your core values is "continuous improvement" or "making a difference," then developing others is an expression of that value.

The Shift

From "I should support their development" to "Developing my team's capability is core to my purpose as a leader."

6. Celebrating Progress

The Habit

Authentic leaders know that every small win deserves recognition. They understand that acknowledging progress is just as powerful as celebrating outcomes. They see these celebratory moments as fuel for moving forward, enhancing team cohesion, and achieving big goals.

Performing vs Being

Performing: You remember to celebrate when someone reminds you. You do the formal recognition at the end of a project. You celebrate outcomes, but you miss the progress along the way.

Being: You notice progress naturally because you're paying attention to momentum, not just results. You see small wins as evidence that you're moving in the right direction. Celebration is how you reinforce what's working.

The Framework That Makes It Identity: Continuous Improvement Value

If continuous improvement is one of your core values (it's one of mine), celebrating progress isn't optional. It's how you measure whether you're moving forward.

You're not celebrating to tick a box. You're celebrating because progress matters to you. Because momentum matters to you. Because you genuinely believe that small wins compound into big transformation.

When celebration aligns with your values, it becomes natural.

The Shift

From "I should celebrate more" to "I notice and celebrate progress because that's how I create momentum toward what matters most."

7. Asking for Feedback

The Habit

Feedback is among the most valuable gifts you can give and receive. Authentic leaders provide thoughtful, constructive feedback regularly and seek feedback from their manager, peers, and team members. They integrate feedback opportunities into team activities and inspire others to do the same, creating environments where learning and improvement are expected, supported, and safe.

Performing vs Being

Performing: You ask for feedback in your annual review. You do 360 surveys because HR requires it. You ask, but you get defensive when people actually give you honest input.

Being: You genuinely want to improve. You see feedback as essential information, not personal criticism. You create psychological safety for others to be honest because you model vulnerability yourself.

The Framework That Makes It Identity: 4P Reset for Receiving Feedback

When someone gives you feedback, use my 4P Reset:

Pause: Don't react immediately. Take a moment to receive what they're saying.

Prioritise: What's the most important insight here? What matters most?

Proceed with Purpose: How will you use this feedback to improve?

When feedback becomes part of your identity as a learner and someone committed to continuous improvement, asking for it becomes natural.

You're not asking because you should. You're asking because you genuinely want to grow, and you can't do that without honest input.

The Shift

From "I should ask for more feedback" to "I seek feedback because I'm committed to continuous improvement, and I can't grow without honest input."

From Performing Leadership Habits to Being That Kind of Leader

These 7 habits are excellent. The research is clear. They work.

However, trying to perform them without shifting your identity is why they won't stick.

New Year's resolutions fail because you're trying to change behaviours without changing beliefs. You're trying to do different things while remaining the same person.

That doesn't work.

Real transformation happens when you shift who you are, not just what you're doing.

This is the Identity pillar of my PIIPS Framework. It's the part most leaders skip, and it's why their habits don't stick. You fall to the level of your identity, not rise to your goals.

When you become the leader who naturally:

• Values contribution (so you acknowledge it)

• Believes in your team's capability (so you coach them)

• Creates positive culture (so you inspire engagement)

• Sees transparency as essential (so you communicate regularly)

• Views development as your responsibility (so you encourage growth)

• Notices progress (so you celebrate it)

• Commits to improvement (so you seek feedback)

...these habits don't require willpower. They're just who you are.

That's the shift from performing these 7 leadership habits to being that kind of leader.

That's how habits become permanent. That's how you lead in a way that feels natural rather than exhausting.

How to Make This Shift

If you're reading this thinking, "I want these habits to stick. I want to become this kind of leader, not just perform these behaviours," here's what you need to do:

1. Get clear on your core values. These 7 habits only stick when they align with what matters most to you.

2. Check each habit against your values using the Aligned Choices Triangle. Which habits naturally align? Which ones need to be adjusted to fit who you actually are?

3. Focus on identity, not behaviour. Don't ask "what should I do?" Ask "who do I need to become?"

4. Use the frameworks to embed each habit into your leadership identity. The frameworks aren't extra work. They're how you turn behaviours into identity.

5. Give yourself time. Identity shifts don't happen overnight. However, they're permanent once they do.

This is what I do with my clients. We don't just work on what you're doing. We work on who you're becoming.

Because that's the only way habits actually stick

.

That's the shift from reactive leadership (performing what you think you should do) to intentional leadership (being the leader you actually are).

Want support turning leadership behaviours into leadership identity?

I help overwhelmed leaders transform from reactive to intentional leadership in 8 weeks, so you finish work on time, take The Big Week Off with zero work and zero guilt, and create success that feels as good as it looks.

You can also explore free resources to get started:

• Free Training: www.zoethompson.uk/quick-links

• YouTube Channel: Intentional Leadership with Zoë Thompson

• Podcast: The Lightbulb: Weekly Insights for Intentional Leaders