2025 Year in Review: Stillness, Strength & Connection

If you’re new here, welcome!
Every year, I share a Year in Review—a personal snapshot of lessons, wins, and the messy middle. It’s one of the most transparent things I write all year. So if you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Conduit International—or just want a moment to reflect with a fellow traveler in life and leadership—let’s dive in.

Top 5 Goals for 2025

• Launch Be Different—and enjoy the process

• Serve clients with creative solutions

• Invest in the CIL team's health and wellness

2025: A Year of Being Still (and Moving Anyway)

This year, my word was Be Still.
At the start, I wasn’t quite sure how it would show up—but as a business leader and person who grounds their work with faith, I’ve learned that stillness doesn’t mean stopping. Sometimes it means loosening your grip, softening your edges, and making space for what’s already unfolding. This year was full of moments that asked me to do just that.

What Went Well

• The Book Launch: Be Different

This year, I released my second book Be Different —and oh, the power of community. The launch reminded me that sharing a gift, a thought, a message, or a product is never a solo endeavor. It takes a village of friends, collaborators, and readers to bring a dream to life.

One unforgettable highlight? Speaking in Barbados for International Women’s Day with the amazing women of EGI. Their inspiration, fashion, and fierce sense of connection were unmatched—and a beautiful reminder of what’s possible when women show up for one another with strength and grace. Where have you seen the power of community show up in your life this year?

Of course, as is often the case, not everything went to plan with the launch. A plumbing disaster, a sick speaker—let’s just say we had to execute Plan Be. But that’s the beauty of learning to be still: when the unexpected comes, you pivot. You show up anyway. You trust that the message matters more than the method. And it does. What pivots did you have to make this year that ended well?

• Strengths-Based Cultures: More Than a Workshop

This year, we delivered more strengths-based training and assessments than any other year in our company's history.  We also partnered with several organizations to implement strengths-based cultures—not just one-off trainings, but long-term shifts in how teams think, work, and achieve results together. These collaborations reminded me that when people understand what makes them strong, everyone wins.

It’s a joy to watch leaders light up when they understand what makes them (and their teams) strong. How well do you know your own strengths—or those of the people you work with?

Curious what this could look like for you or your team? Reach out here. 

• Team Health & Wellness

Our team is comprised of very busy career women with children. No surprise, for each of us, it was easy to get caught up in the doing.  However, along the way we did two things 1) during our team meetings, we spent some time discussing and then holding each other accountable to our wellness goals and 2) leveraging the yearly word and the concepts of being still and relaxing your grip to take a step back and think about the initiatives and goals we had set for ourselves. As the practical realities of life and business shifted we asked: 

Is this project still important or do we need to place it on hold?

Is the scope right sized for where we are right now? Are we doing too little or too much?

Is there a way to approach this that would be smarter, more efficient, or leverage someone's strengths?

As you had into 2026, I encourage you to ask these questions ad you the goals that you have in life and, especially if you lead people.  Sometimes, good is the enemy of great and too much activity is the killer of accomplishment. 

What I Learned (or relearned)

• Stillness Isn’t Stopping—It’s Releasing the Grip

From book launches to keynote pivots to unexpected client changes, Be Still kept whispering, “Hold the plan loosely.” Stillness became a mindset, a way of leading and living with more peace—even when the pace was fast. If things didn’t go quite as planned for you this year, maybe it’s time to release the grip too?

• You Can’t Pour from an Empty Cup

I am embarrassed to admit it, but even with the focus on wellness this year by July of 2025, I hit a wall. Burnout arrived in full force. So I took some time off off—rested, regrouped, and spent quiet time with family. Since September, I’ve shifted my focus and encouraged the team to do the same. Suddenly, the journey feels less like a battle and more like an invitation—to live well, for the long haul. If you’ve been feeling stretched thin, what’s one small thing you could do to care for your body, mind, or spirit?

Word of the Year 2026: Quiet

Not stopping. Not silence. Just...quiet. Next year, we’ll be exploring what it really means do good work, while working and living with laser sharp intention. More purpose. More space for what matters most.

Please consider this your invitation to come along for the journey by subscribing to The Quiet Life newsletter—where I’ll be sharing stories, strategies, and resources to help you along the way.
Join here 

As for goals? I'm still listening.

2026 marks the sixth anniversary of Conduit International Ltd. and we plan to celebrate by giving back to our community. Outside of that, the focus is clear:

• Continue to serve our clients with creativity and care.

• Share Be Different and Assemble the Tribe more broadly 

• Invest deeply in my (and my teams) well-being so we are ready and able to serve.

A Gift for You

As you reflect on 2025 and dream about 2026, I’m delighted to once again share my Reflect and Project guide. This tool is designed to help you celebrate your wins, learn from challenges, and set intentional goals for the year ahead in your life and leadership.

Whether you’re a journaler, planner, or just someone craving clarity, I hope it gives you the space to pause, dream, and step into the next season with confidence.

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE

Final Thoughts

Whether this is your first time reading this year in review or you have read every single one, thank you. Your presence, encouragement, and belief in the work I do mean more than you know.

As you prepare for a new year, I invite you to pause and reflect on your own journey. What might your word for the year be? What’s calling you deeper? Leave a message in the comments—I’d love to hear from you.

Let’s keep growing—quietly, courageously, together.

Blessings for 2026 and beyond! 

Meet The Author

Leah JM Dean is a bestselling author, speaker, coach, and trusted advisor to organizations and leaders across the globe. She is also Founder and CEO of Conduit International Ltd., a professional and personal development solutions company dedicated to helping organizations, leaders, and women work smarter, live well, and foster meaningful connections. A self-proclaimed recovering workaholic, Leah is passionate about helping her clients find strategies to work smart, live well, and connect people. Join our community to receive our monthly newsletter—full of practical tips, tools, and inspiration. Sign up at www.leahjmdean.com/join.