Choose A Word Change Your Trajectory Lead With Intention

A new year often feels like a clean slate, yet most resolutions fade because they add complexity instead of clarity. In this episode, Chris Comeaux makes the case for a simpler, more enduring tool: choosing One Word as your theme for the year.

A single word sharpens focus, clarifies priorities, and guides daily decisions without a bloated checklist. Leadership is about changing trajectories—not reacting to noise—and a clear theme helps leaders stop drifting and lead with intention.

The process begins with reflection, not prediction. Look back before you look forward. Review the past year for lessons and patterns, revisit your mission, and clarify your role—not as a job description, but as the part you are meant to play in the story. Deeper questions like Why am I alive? and What am I willing to die for? cut through distraction and reveal what truly matters. From that clarity, a word emerges that helps you say yes faster and no sooner.

Once chosen, the word becomes a companion for the year. Document it, return to it, and allow its meaning to deepen as circumstances change. Pair it with rhythms of rest and intentional time, because sustainable leadership requires margin. When your word and your time align, leadership shifts from reaction to design. Choose the word. Live the word. Let it change your trajectory.

The Anatomy of Leadership podcast explores the art and science of leadership through candid, insightful conversations with thought leaders, innovators, and change-makers from a variety of industries. Hosted by Chris Comeaux, each episode dives into the mindsets, habits, and strategies that empower leaders to thrive in complex, fast-changing environments.

With topics ranging from organizational culture and emotional intelligence to navigating disruption and inspiring teams, the show blends real-world stories with practical takeaways. The goal is simple yet ambitious: to equip leaders at every level with the tools, perspectives, and inspiration they need to lead with vision, empathy, and impact.