January has a leadership problem.

Every year, leaders sit down with good intentions and do the same thing:

They add goals.

Add initiatives.

Add meetings.

Add priorities.

And then they wonder why momentum stalls by February.

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Here’s the truth most leaders miss:

Momentum isn’t created by piling on.

It’s created by subtraction.

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In aviation, there’s a simple but non-negotiable rule before takeoff:

Remove Before Flight.

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Anything unnecessary, restrictive, or dangerous gets removed before speed is applied.

Not after. Not mid-air.

Leadership works the same way.

Most teams don’t fail because they lack ambition.

They fail because they’re overloaded.

Too many priorities.

Too many “important” initiatives.

Too much noise masquerading as progress.

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Great leaders understand something counterintuitive:

Adding speed to a cluttered system doesn’t create momentum. It creates instability.

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The best leaders remove friction faster than everyone else.

They cut meetings that no longer serve a purpose.

They eliminate goals that don’t move the needle.

They shut down projects that sounded good but don’t align anymore.

And they do it decisively.

Because leadership isn’t about doing more.

It’s about protecting what matters.

January resets are dangerous because they reward optimism over clarity.

Everything feels possible.

Everything feels urgent.

Everything gets a green light.

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But leaders who create real momentum ask a different question:

“What must be removed before we apply power?”

What’s weighing the team down?

What’s creating drag?

What’s stealing energy without delivering results?

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Subtraction is uncomfortable.

It requires saying no.

It requires disappointing people.

It requires clarity.

But it’s also where leadership shows up.

You don’t earn trust by adding work.

You earn it by making work matter.

Because when the unnecessary is removed, what’s left finally has room to move.

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Your Shift

Before adding anything new this year, identify one thing to remove:

A meeting.

A priority.

A commitment.

Remove friction first.

Momentum comes next.

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If this resonated, you’ll like The Shift — a short weekly note on leadership, energy, and systems to help you create real momentum.

Join the newsletter below.

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Chris Wilson