_{A Monthly Newsletter: December 2025}

Welcome to this month’s newsletter - how can it be nearly the end of 2025?! I am delighted to once again share space with someone who I am privileged to know and who shares some wonderful insights on leadership for you all. This month is also all about career review and reflection, with a few tips thrown in! Happy reading and have a wonderful holiday season if you are celebrating Christmas.

I’m always fascinated when I talk with people about their careers and hear that they never really had a plan — they simply moved seamlessly from one role to another.

Perhaps it started with a past colleague who shared the right opportunity at just the right moment. Maybe there was a mentor or a champion who opened doors, made introductions, or helped them navigate an interview process. For these individuals, having a plan was never essential — and may still not be. Sometimes others recognize talent and help elevate it.

That’s wonderful when it happens. But for many people (me included), it doesn’t always unfold so conveniently.

What I hear more frequently is this: as people start reflecting on the past decade of their careers, they realize they might not be doing exactly what they had hoped for. They sense it’s time for a reset — but the question is, how?

Start with Priorities, Not Plans

The steps to gaining clarity are simple, though not necessarily easy. Everything begins with understanding your priorities — not your next title, not your dream company, but what truly matters to you right now.

It may sound straightforward, yet between professional demands and societal expectations of “success,” it’s easy to lose sight of what we actually need. Here are a few questions that help surface those priorities:

• Where do you need to be located? Is that fixed? (Geography matters more than most people admit.)

• What income do you need if you transition to a new role — and could it be different from what it is today?

• What level of flexibility do you currently have, and which forms do you need in the future?

• What are your non‑negotiables for the next position?

• What commitments or responsibilities shape your choices right now?

Let these questions simmer for a while — some answers may come only after conversations with your partner or family. Over time, your true priorities begin to surface.

Take an Honest Look at Where You Are

Next, examine your current role. This kind of self-evaluation can be revealing — if you’re willing to be honest about what energizes you and what drains you.

Ask yourself:

• What do I enjoy about my current work?

• Which skills do I want to continue using — and which ones would I miss if I left?

• What tasks do I dislike or naturally delegate if given the chance?

• What am I good at but find exhausting?

• Am I still learning and challenged in this role?

• What do I want to explore (or might regret not exploring) in the next 10 years?

Sometimes, this reflection confirms that staying put is the right choice. But often, it wakes something up — a curiosity, a longing, or simply the recognition that you’re ready for something different.

Give Yourself Permission to Choose Differently

The final — and perhaps hardest — part of gaining clarity is giving yourself permission to imagine and pursue something new.

It sounds simple, but many people hit a mental block here. Confidence plays a role, yes, but so does identity. When your sense of self is tightly bound to your current role or organization, picturing a new path can feel impossible.

At its core, career clarity comes down to three big questions:

1. What are the constraints or boundaries shaping my choices?

2. What is the one thing I absolutely need from my next role?

3. What do I need to do — practically and mentally — to allow myself to take that next step?

These reflections won’t deliver an instant answer, but they do create the conditions for clarity. From there, new options begin to emerge — often ones that feel both truer and more energizing than anything that came before.

Wishing you success in navigating your next steps!

-Emma

ps. I love supporting action oriented individuals to help find clarity and the pathway to their next satisfying role. Book a free strategy call below if you would like some support with this!

Leadership Spotlight!

This month I am delighted to spotlight Mike Loken. Mike is a leader that I greatly admire and I was excited to be able to share is journey and insights with you!

Q: Can you describe your career journey into leadership?
A: I started in 2004 in the mining industry with Falconbridge Nickel Mines as an Associate Metallurgist and later moved into production supervision. I was young—with direct reports who’d been with the company for decades—so I had to quickly earn trust and credibility. My journey involved technical roles, founding a rescue team, and eventually transitioning from the mining industry to water and wastewater management in the public sector. Each organization shift helped me redefine my career path and led to senior roles in both municipal and provincial public service, including my current position as Director of Strategic Services in the Ministry of Energy and Mines.

Q: How would you describe your leadership style, and how has it evolved?
A: My leadership style is direct and authentic. I’m open about my expectations, challenges, and experiences—including mental health and imposter syndrome. It is my experience that this transparency creates a culture where staff feel comfortable sharing openly. While I adapt my tone depending on whether I’m speaking to staff, executives, or elected officials, I prioritize clarity and genuine connection in all environments.

Q: How do you maintain team quality and productivity amid tight timeframes and new expectations?
A: It’s all about having direct conversations about expectations and providing timely feedback. Training is offered if skill gaps exist, but accountability remains key. Setting clear standards ensures everyone understands what good work looks like—and when new people join, it’s a discussion, not a criticism. Authenticity and openness have contributed to the positive culture and strong team performance.

Q: Can you share an example of how you approached a complex problem?
A: In the public sector, complex, multi-ministry projects require consensus-building and influence. I rely on mentors and senior leaders for guidance, seeking buy-in through consistent messaging and building allies internally and externally. Clear communication, technical credibility, and a shared understanding of objectives have been essential to resolving challenges, even as some remain ongoing.

Q: How do you foster open communication and engagement within your team?
A: I meet with each unit and openly share my journey and motivations. A simple habit—greeting everyone with a “good morning”—helps recognize and respect each person’s presence, which goes  father to build engagement than you would expect. Openness from leadership encourages others to participate authentically.

Q: What are your biggest opportunities and challenges right now?
A: The mining industry in Ontario faces an unprecedented opportunity with our vast resources of critical minerals and current geopolitical instability. If government provides the right environment, the sector can drive economic growth while maintaining strong environmental, social, and labour standards. The challenge lies in educating stakeholders about sustainable mining, and ensuring benefits for all, most critically our First Nations.

Q: What are you most proud of in your leadership journey?
A: Making tough decisions to change organizations when the culture didn’t align. These moves pushed me to grow as a leader, especially adapting to different contexts in municipal and provincial government. Creating an environment for my team to succeed—and continually pushing myself—is what fulfils me.

Q: What's next in your leadership journey (“Mike 3.0”)?
A: I’m pursuing the next step in my career with the Ontario Public Service, which means learning to manage through people at a higher strategic level. Continued growth means remaining authentic and supporting a culture where people perform and grow together. 

Q: What's your best advice for new leaders?
A: Be open to opportunities—you never know where your career will take you. Say yes, embrace the unknown, and advocate for yourself. Make sure your supervisor knows your goals; no one understands your ambitions unless you’re direct about them. 

-Thank you Mike, for taking the time to share your wonderful insights!

Mike is the Director of Strategic Services in the Ministry of Energy and Mines in Ontario and you can connect with Mike here through LinkedIn.

If you are looking for some support in your own leadership journey, booking a free strategy call with me today and let’s create a plan that excites you!

Referring Someone in Your Network

It makes sense that you trust your colleagues and friends to provide great professional contacts. So, if someone in your network could use coaching and/or team training support, please introduce us!

My LinkedIn profile for sharing is here.

I’m very grateful for everyone who connects me with their colleagues and friends. Thank you!

Emma