Year-End Priorities Every CEO Needs to Finish Strong and Power Into 2026

By Tasha LeFevre, Vice President of Development

As we approach the final stretch of 2025, CEOs have a powerful opportunity to shape how their organizations finish the year—and how they step into the next one. With so much already navigated this year—from shifting priorities and evolving talent needs to relentless demands for speed and adaptability—strong, steady leadership has never mattered more.

The most successful CEOs won’t just be focused on hitting targets. They’ll be the ones who bring clarity to complexity, align their teams around shared goals, and create the energy needed to finish the year with purpose and momentum.

Here’s what should be top of mind for CEOs heading into the final stretch of the year:

1. Reignite Team Energy

Even the best strategies stall when people are running on empty. Leaders should assess not just team performance, but team vitality. Are your key players clear on their purpose and goals—or just checking boxes? Now is the time to recommit to a culture of connection, clarity, and care. A small infusion of energy—through recognition, autonomy, or even strategic reprioritization—can unlock renewed momentum.

2. Align Around What’s Most Important

With so many competing demands, this time of year is where focus either sharpens or scatters. CEOs must be clear about what success looks like between now and year-end—and ensure every team is rowing in the same direction. Alignment doesn’t mean endless meetings or elaborate plans. It means crisp communication, shared priorities, and ruthless clarity about what gets done—and what doesn’t.

3. Prioritize Ruthlessly, Delegate Boldly

At this point in the year, it’s not about doing more—it’s about doing what matters. That means cutting through clutter and empowering your team to own what’s theirs. When leaders focus on what matters most—and empower others to do the same—they unlock space for creativity, high-impact work, and renewed momentum to emerge.

4. Ensure Strategic Execution is On Track

Is your long-term strategy informing today’s decisions—or lost in the noise of the urgent? It’s easy to default to short-term firefighting, but true leadership requires balancing immediate execution with a steady view on long-term goals. Revisit your strategic objectives and ask: What are we doing today that sets us up to win tomorrow?

5. Check in With Your C-Suite

Burnout isn’t just a middle-manager issue. Senior leaders are feeling the pressure too, and it’s showing up in subtle ways—hesitation, tension, disconnection. CEOs should be intentional about reconnecting with their executive teams to reset expectations, clarify roles, and reinforce collaboration. A high-performing C-suite isn’t just effective—it’s cohesive, supportive, and aligned.

6. Don’t Let Culture Become an Afterthought

As attention narrows on year-end results, it’s easy for culture to slide to the sidelines. But culture is what holds everything together when stress levels rise. CEOs should keep their finger on the pulse: What behaviors are being modeled inside the organization? What stories are being told? What is being recognized and rewarded? Reaffirming your values and reinforcing calm, confident leadership can have a ripple effect across the organization.

7. Think Beyond December

The best CEOs are already setting the tone for 2026. That doesn’t mean launching a new five-year plan today—but it does mean looking up and out. What lessons has your team learned this year? What shifts in the business landscape will impact your next move? Leading your team with reflection and foresight doesn’t just close out the year—it inspires belief in what’s possible next.

Final Thought

In times of high pressure and limited time, CEOs are most effective when they bring clarity, connection, and confidence to the table. You don’t need to solve everything before year-end—but you do need to lead with purpose and prioritize what drives real results.

At Catapult, we help CEOs and executive teams step back, recalibrate, and align their teams for a powerful year-end push—with the tools and insight to keep moving forward. Let’s talk about how we can support your success through year-end and beyond. Contact us today.

Return to all posts