2025 was a year of being stuck and not growing.

Growth is defined as a process developing or maturing physically, mentally and spiritually.  It is also defined as the process of increasing in amount, value or importance.

To achieve growth, you have to work through a process.  Dah…however, I had to be reminded to revisit a process. Below are three actions I took in my process to rediscover growth and get unstuck:

(1) Re-centered my why and got re-aligned.

Sometimes leaders are forced to change or pivot due to macro events, regardless of the best laid plan.  2025 forced leaders to get clear on their “why” for doing the work.  The first action I took to get re-centered and re-aligned was to create a vision board.

The vision board helped me transport what was in my head to a physical image. After completing my vision board with a room full of strangers seeking inspiration, I walked away with the following growth themes:

1. Focus On The Main Thing…queue the theme song “Eye Of The Tiger.”
2. Build Better Connections.
3. Make More Money.
4. Mind, Body, Spiritual and Financial Wellness.
5. Get Back To Having Fun On The Journey.

We also created a BINGO incentive and rewards card for achieving 2026 growth ambitions.  Although I’ve heard many leaders use a vision board in framing their goals, somehow it was lost upon and moving forward, this is something I will do every year.

(2) Got inspired by learning from others who got unstuck.

Last year I had 20+ meetings with leaders outside the brand, creative and marketing industries.  The meetings helped me get different perspectives, crystallize the problem and potential solutions.

The first takeaway from the meetings, get back to the basics and focus on revenue generating activities. I re-read a book from a number of years ago, How To Master The Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins.

I was reminded to focus and keep the main thing, the main thing.  Get out of my head and back to presenting a compelling value proposition to buyers seeking brand growth and marketplace change acceleration at scale.

Second, be open to learning from others outside of your domain.  Last fall I had a lunch meeting with a former client within the hospitality industry.  She recommended reading Notes From A Young Black Chef by Chef Kwame Onwuachi with Joshua David Stein, a memoir.

It read like a documentary.  My “go-to” books are non-fiction, business.  The key takeaway from the book?  He never stopped growing when confronted with adversity and obstacles.  I had to be reminded no one is coming to save you.

(3) Got an accountability partner that helps measure and report goal outcomes.

This is something I’m finalizing as we speak.  Accountability partner(s) meet monthly or quarterly to review growth goals, stay on track and keep you motivated.  This can be an individual or a community.  It is important to build a team and grow from the inside, out as well as the outside, in.

To kick off 2026, we are sharing leadership reflections from 2025, reintroducing Reframe Consulting Services and the value created in helping leaders accelerate brand growth and marketplace change at scale.

To learn more about our thinking and services, contact us.

Jeffrey L. Bowman is the CEO and founder of Reframe Consulting Services, award winning author of Reframe The Marketplace:  The Total Market Approach To Reaching The New Majority and The Reframe Marketplace Change Guide Book For Growth Acceleration.