I’ve never chosen a “word of the year” before.
It always felt a bit… trendy, maybe even a little forced. Like new Year’s resolutions, would I stick to it?
This year I did. I actually plugged my intentions and plans for the year into AI and asked it to offer me some suggestions that suited what it knew about me.
Amplify.
I liked it, now hear it everywhere. I am not sure if I am turned into it more but now it doesn’t seem to be a driving force.
In a recent mid-year business planning session I got thinking about the rest of the year and what this means for the next 6 months.
I am finding it’s a way of tuning into what matters, within me, within others, and within the work I do and choosing to ‘adjust’ it up with intention.
Amplify doesn’t always mean louder. It means more intentional.
Think of a soundboard.
You don’t crank up every dial—you tune it.
You listen.
You adjust.
Just like situational leadership, we adjust our approach based on what the moment, the person, or the team requires.
We can do the same with our strengths:
- Leading through complexity?
- Supporting someone in doubt?
- Driving a deadline?
What would you adjust about using your talents and strengths in these scenarios?
It’s not about changing who you are or just turning up or down, it’s about curating what you bring forward with intention.
What could Amplify look like in action?
For coaches:
Helping someone hear their own voice more clearly, tuning in to insight, not just output.
For leaders:
Creating connection and clarity, not just results. Lifting strengths while tuning out the noise that gets in the way.
For communities:
Becoming a connected sound system. One voice might inspire, but many voices, aligned and amplified together, move people.
A few questions I’ve been asking of myself, and others:
- What do you want to turn up this year, want more of maybe?
- Where do you feel most alive, most connected?
- Which strengths are underused right now and which are overplaying their part?
And a re kindled favourite:
“Why?”
Just like kids do, as with relentless curiosity. No filters. Just digging deeper.
The 5 Whys technique, originally from Toyota, isn’t just for root cause analysis. It’s a great tool for rediscovering purpose.
The first answers come from the head. By the fifth, you’re speaking from the heart. The real why.
Try asking ‘Why do you work at [fill in the blank]?
Whatever they say next – go to the next Why, it could be
Why does that matter?
Why is that important?
Keep going 5 times.
See what you get, what they notice.
The research backs it up:
According to Harvard Business Review, employees with a strong sense of purpose at work are:
- 2x more likely to stay long-term
- 3x more engaged
- More resilient during times of change
And a McKinsey study found that while 70%of people define purpose through their work, only 15% of frontline managers feel they can live it out daily.
That gap?
It’s not just about motivation.
It’s about what’s not being heard and what deserves to be amplified.
So as you step into the last half of 2025
Are you turning up the right things at the right time?
Showing up not just louder but clearer?
Tapping into your talents and strengths intentionally?
Finding communities that resonate.
Finding your purpose that doesn’t whisper.
To Amplifying—on purpose. Food for thought.
