As the new year kicks in, many of us are reflecting and making New Year resolutions to become the best version of ourselves. From making more room for relaxation and connection to winding up or winding down our career development, we are all on our own journey. But there’s one thing we all have in common. No matter how experienced or evolved we believe we are, there is always room for growth. What are some of the skills and attributes you will be working on fine tuning and developing in 2026?
When it comes to leadership, there are many attributes we can work on to become more effective. Some of the obvious ones easily spring to mind; being a good communicator, listening with empathy, building relationships. Others receive far less attention, despite having a profound impact. One of the most overlooked is the ability to tie a good observer.
In a recent podcast I came across, author and thought leader Robert Greene, who wrote The 48 Laws of Power, Mastery and The Laws of Human Nature, articulated this idea clearly. He suggested that the number one skill people need to develop is becoming master observers of the world around them.
“The single most important skill to master is to be more focused outwardly. The problem is you are always inside yourself. You are always thinking about your needs, your emotions, your problems. Am I getting enough attention? That is a deadly, deadly attitude to have in business or any venture in life.” Strong words but very true. We need to find the right balance between being reflective and inwardly focussed, and being tuned into others and the world around us.
The same goes for reflecting on the data and results of your business. There’s a fine line between the facts and figures and the general culture of a business. As Greene reflected “We are social animals. So while you might think analytics, algorithms and data are what drive your company…That is certainly a part of it, but the social aspect is equally if not more important.
Employees, culture, clients, competitors and the wider world are all part of a social phenomenon. You have to become laser focused outwardly on what people are thinking, feeling and responding to. You have to become a master observer of the social game.”
It is a confronting observation and an important one. Many leaders spend far more time inside their own heads than they realise. The pressure of targets, constant decision making and the pace of modern work can quietly pull attention inward. With this mindset, leaders stay busy and well intentioned, yet increasingly disconnected from what is actually happening around them. It’s an important reminder that organisations still rise and fall on trust and relationships. Culture is shaped in everyday moments through how leaders listen and how present they are in interactions and how much we are aware and responsive to what is happening around us.
Becoming more outwardly focused does not happen by accident. It is a skill that needs to be practised and reinforced over time.
It starts with listening better. Not listening to respond, defend or fix, but listening to understand. Leaders who are strong observers slow themselves down in conversations. They notice tone, body language and what is left unsaid. They stay curious and resist the urge to jump too quickly to solutions.
It also means keeping your ear to the ground inside the organisation. Staying in touch with culture requires more than annual updates or high level reports. Simple mechanisms can make a difference, such as regular check-ins, open forums, suggestion channels and genuinely engaging with employee feedback tools like Great Place to Work surveys. The value is not in collecting the data, but in paying close attention to the patterns within it and being willing to act on what it reveals.
Strong observers dig deeper into these insights. They look beyond surface level scores and ask what is really driving sentiment. They involve their people in conversations about what needs to change and they follow through. Over time, this builds credibility and reinforces that feedback is not only welcomed, but taken seriously.
Looking outward also means staying connected to what is happening beyond your own organisation. Leaders benefit from paying attention to competitors, not just through formal benchmarking, but by noticing how others are positioning themselves, how customers are responding and what behaviours are being rewarded in the market. Maintaining relationships across your industry and learning from peers helps sharpen perspective.
Equally important is staying connected to the broader world. Regularly engaging with trusted news sources, industry commentary and social trends helps leaders understand the context their people and customers are operating in. This broader awareness strengthens judgment and reduces the risk of operating in a vacuum.
When leaders show they are paying attention to people, culture and the environment around them, trust grows. Teams feel seen and understood, and change becomes easier to navigate. Robert Greene’s insight is a reminder that leadership begins with paying attention. In a world full of distraction, that may be one of the most valuable leadership skills of all.
Rod Matthews