It's a cold January morning, and I'm reflecting on my first full year focused on Taggart People.

Three simple questions from the world of cycling have me thinking about what 2025 taught me, what I'm after in 2026, and how I'll get there. What are you carrying forward into the new year?

Dave Brailsford's "marginal gains" transformed British Cycling. But in leadership, we've borrowed the language without always taking the practice. The real marginal gains aren't the big strategic pivots or inspiring speeches. They're the small, unglamorous, every-single-day moments: the morning check-in with yourself, actually listening to people, asking questions that give them space to think. What are your leadership rhythms that compound into real change?

The worst teams lead organisations. And then they pay consultants and coaches to sort it out. While individual executives may be brilliant, as teams they often fall short. Research identifies three recurring patterns: the Shark Tank (hyper-competitive and political), the Petting Zoo (conflict-avoidant and complacent), and Mediocrity (lacking capability and looking backwards). But there are teams that work differently - and it's not an accident.

We've seen the enemy… and it is us.

A reflection on the manager behaviours we all recognise - the good ones we aspire to, and the difficult ones that emerge when we're running on empty.

What does it take to stay on the left side of that line?

As senior leaders, we're used to being the go-to person when things go wrong. But sometimes that weight on your chest isn't caused by anything you've done wrong.

Here's what I learned about when to stop blaming yourself for outcomes beyond your control.