As we wrap up 2025, the question on everyone’s mind is: What can we expect in the year ahead? What skills should we build? What actions should we take? What trends should we watch? Technology and AI will no doubt stay front and center. But if you’re serious about self- development, I believe your real competitive advantage will lie in relationships.

My prediction for 2026: The ability to build and maintain strong relationships will be the most important skill a leader can have.

As we get back into our routines after the holidays, many of us are still reflecting on time spent with family and friends. Those gatherings often bring a mix of moments—some energizing, some challenging—as family dynamics can be complex. It’s easy to notice how interactions felt or where things could have gone better, but there’s also an opportunity to pause and reflect on our own role in those moments. Taking time to consider what we might do differently can be a powerful step toward more meaningful conversations and connections going forward.

That’s why I appreciate my colleague Dan Collard’s new book, Genfluence: How to Lead a Multigenerational Workforce, co-written with Dr. Katherine A. Meese. Genfluence introduces a framework that helps leaders rethink how they engage with people across generations. Step 1 is “take the focus off the other person and put it on you.” Before you can navigate difficult situations with others, you have to understand and manage your own reactions. I try to understand what drives my reactions. That insight helps me make more intentional choices moving forward.

As a certified Management By Strengths (MBS) trainer, this “look in the mirror first” idea resonates deeply. MBS teaches people to recognize and understand various temperaments—their own and others’. I have seen firsthand how transformative this is in the workplace and in personal relationships. Here’s how it works:

Part One of the MBS program focuses on self-understanding. For instance, why do certain things aggravate you? What triggers you? What motivates you? How do you make decisions? You gain clarity on how you’re wired—and how others experience you.

Part Two shifts the focus outward. You learn why others act the way they do. When you apply this insight, you reduce misunderstandings, bypass conflicts, and gain cooperation. Relationships improve.

The challenge is two-fold:

1. Recognize the other person’s temperament.
2. Appeal to it.

This is where many people are surprised: You have to bypass the Golden Rule. Don’t treat others how you want to be treated. Treat them how they want to be treated. When you communicate in a way that aligns with someone’s temperament, they are much more likely to cooperate.

But it’s not just about getting the outcome you want. When you learn to look beyond frustrating words and behaviors, you’re less offended, less distracted, and less upset—and way more productive.

Effective communication starts when we’re willing to listen from the other person’s point of view.

 One final MBS principle stands out to me: It only takes one to make an effort for a relationship to improve. So make relationship-building your resolution in 2026. You may be surprised by how much easier it makes everything else.