Before You Plan Next Year, Debrief This One: A 5-Step Leadership Reflection
Imagine standing in front of a mirror on the last day of the year.
What do you see?
That’s our starting point for a simple, powerful exercise: a five-step reflection that helps you capture lessons from this year and apply them to the next. It’s based on a methodology used in Marine Corps Aviation—every flight, every mission, every time. And it translates directly to the business world.
Whether you’re reflecting on your personal performance, your team, or the individuals you lead, these five steps will give you clarity and direction for the year ahead.
- Plan the Flight → Plan the Year
Start by revisiting the plan you set last January.
Did you write a clear plan? Did you set a budget? Did you outline targets, growth areas, or strategic priorities?
Evaluate the quality of that plan:
- Was it too detailed—or not detailed enough?
- Were your assumptions accurate?
- What worked well, and what needs to change for next year?
For example, my own plan included a detailed budget with predicted revenue, expenditures, and growth areas. Assessing whether that level of detail helped—or hindered—my execution is a valuable part of the reflection.
- Brief the Flight → Communicate the Plan
A plan is only useful if the right people know it.
How did you communicate yours?
- Did you share it with your entire team or just leadership?
- Was it digital, printed, or presented in a meeting?
- Did you revisit it throughout the year—or did it sit untouched?
I created a digital plan and reviewed it monthly. I also included a “Word of the Year” that guided my priorities, which helped me stay aligned.
How about your communication rhythm? Did people know where you were going—and why?
- Fly the Plan → Execute the Plan
Now compare your plan to what actually happened.
Execution is rarely a straight line. Changes occur—internally, externally, or unexpectedly—and each one has an impact.
Ask yourself:
- How well did I stay on track?
- What caused deviations from the plan?
- How did I monitor progress along the way?
I evaluate my execution weekly, with a monthly roll-up to keep myself honest. This year brought unique challenges: a new administration, tariff threats, high interest rates, and the government shutdown—all of which affected my business.
What external forces shaped your year? And how well did you respond?
- Debrief the Flight → Analyze the Results
This is where you connect causes to outcomes. During execution, you don’t always have time to dig deeply into “why.” The debrief is when you slow down and analyze.
Look at:
- Where things went wrong—and why.
- Where things went right—and why.Positive deviations matter too. Understanding what caused success allows you to repeat it.
In my own debrief, I realized some government contracts slowed significantly due to the shutdown. That hurt. I also had a foundation I support pause work mid-year. These were not failures on my part, but they were real impacts that deserved examination.
- Lessons Learned → Apply the Insights
This is the step most leaders skip—but it’s the most valuable.
What did you learn this year?
For me, several lessons stood out:
- I did not cause the negative events—but I could have been more prepared.
- I recovered some lost work and diversified into new areas.
- I used downtime to complete professional development and earned two new assessment certifications.
- I realized I need a clear plan for slowdowns and a more balanced portfolio of work.
What about you?
- Where were you vulnerable?
- How well do you understand the cause of your deviations from plan?
- What can you do differently next year to strengthen your position?
Make Next Year Stronger Than This One
Take these five steps—Plan, Communicate, Execute, Debrief, and Learn—and run them for yourself, your team, and your individual contributors.
Early December is prime planning season, but planning without reflection is guesswork. If you slow down long enough to understand this year, you’ll make far better decisions for the next.
Apply your lessons learned now—and set yourself up for a great year ahead.
