Time To Take Stock: How To Have A Mid-Year Reset

Forbes

a day ago

To reset you need to connect with your core
Mid-year is a good time for leaders to evaluate both their personal and professional progress since January. Your goals may have shifted over the course of the year as priorities and circumstances have evolved. Or perhaps you're not as close to achieving your New Year's resolutions as you might have hoped? A mid-year reset is a good opportunity to take stock of what you've done so far and where you want to go next.
Here's how to have a mid-year reset and prepare for the second half of 2025:
A true leadership reset requires reconnecting with your core, according to Archana Mohan, author of The Through Line. 'This begins by recalibrating our through lines, the threads that connect who we are to how we lead, grounding us in authenticity, clarity and purpose,' she says.
Mohan believes that reconnecting with your core starts with reflection and asking these important questions: What does leadership mean to me? What are the features of leadership that make me come back to it day after day?
This internal recalibration has strategic value at the organizational level, too. 'When leaders reconnect with their core, they are better prepared to navigate change and realign with the broader business goals,' Mohan notes. 'The reset strengthens resilience, sharpens decision-making and aligns leadership with long-term impact.'
Mohan also highlights that a reset encourages reflection and growth. 'The beauty of a reset is that it lets us see change as an opportunity," she says. "Understanding who we are and acknowledging that we are works-in-progress are essential components of effective leadership.'
Busy schedules mean that quality thinking time is often hard to come by. Many leaders find themselves waiting for the right moment to pause and reflect, but that moment never comes.
'To reset both yourself and your organization in a meaningful way, you must intentionally carve out strategic thinking time,' advises Caroline Taylor, co-author of The Neglected Acts of Leadership and managing director of leadership development consultancy The Oxford Group.
'Finding time to think among demanding agendas, overflowing inboxes, and the daily pressures that come with leadership isn't easy,' Taylor acknowledges, 'but unless you make changes, your schedule will only become busier. As a result, your capacity to work out what's next becomes even more blurred.'
Fortunately, thinking time doesn't require extended time away from the office. What's key is to take control of your diary to make space for it. Taylor says: 'Ask yourself: What can I stop doing? What can I delegate to others? And what boundaries or rules do I have in my calendar? Once you have this clarity, you can free up space in your day for the uninterrupted thinking time that makes a reset possible.'
Resetting involves being prepared to pivot your overall business strategy as market conditions change. Adeolu Adewumi-Zer, founder of ZER Consulting Africa and author of Afro-Optimism Unleashed, believes the mid-year point is the perfect time to evaluate the suitability of your current business strategy, focusing on scalability and sustainability.
'Now is the time to create a clear roadmap outlining how you're going to achieve your business goals for the remainder of the year,' emphasizes Adewumi-Zer. This roadmap should consider factors such as technology, infrastructure, people and financials. From here, you can identify the consultants, mentors or partners who can provide valuable insights and support to help you achieve your goals.
To turn strategy into action, Adewumi-Zer stresses the importance of establishing measurable targets to evaluate the effectiveness of your strategies, saying: 'This ensures you don't lose sight of desired progress over the rest of the year.'
While you may have started the year pursuing exciting new goals, now we're at the halfway point you might have retreated to your comfort zone. If you're noticing that you are simply going through the motions, then a mid-year reset is likely to be necessary, argues Zana Goic Petricevic, founder of leadership development consultancy Bold Leadership Culture and author of Leading on the Edge.
For Petricevic, reinvigorating your approach to boldness and risk-taking is vital to resetting. 'If you find that progress is being stifled or you're missing key market opportunities, this reset is a prime opportunity to try that bold, innovative idea that is as yet untested,' she suggests.
To reset and assume this boldness, Petricevic advises leaders to focus on their specific circle of influence and those persistent game-changing ideas that patiently linger in their minds even though they're nervous about trying them out. She recommends considering where and how to apply these ideas and what will happen if you don't take action.
'Each of us is inherently bold, that is a fundamental truth,' Petricevic states. 'Denying this truth is the first step toward sabotaging our potential.'
The success of your wider strategic goals is likely to rest with the financial performance of the organization. For that reason, reviewing your resources is a key element of a strategic mid-year reset.
'Conducting a mid-year financial audit allows leaders to take stock of where the organization is now and how it has progressed since the last audit,' says Alysha Randall, founder of Fast Growth Consulting and author of Financial Leadership Fundamentals. They can then adjust goals and strategies as appropriate.
When conducting an internal audit, Randall advises starting with a financial evaluation - reviewing numbers and key performance indicators, followed by an assessment of internal controls to identify any gaps. Next, examine any relevant industry regulations and finally review current financial operations and processes.
'This internal audit enables leaders to identify and focus on their priorities for the next six to 12 months,' Randall concludes, 'laying down the essential foundation for a mid-year reset and subsequent growth.'
The world is changing fast, continually creating new challenges and opportunities for leaders. At the same time, you may find your energy levels are starting to dip if you have been working flat-out through the year. A mid-year reset enables you to assess how your strategic and leadership approach needs to evolve, in line with new priorities. As a result, it will set you on track to have a successful second half of 2025.