The best way to grow in 2026 isn’t to add more strategies. It’s to subtract the friction.

Every January, leaders are bombarded with lists of “10 Things You Must Do.” Implement AI. Adopt Agile. Boost Retention. It is exhausting.

In the Nordics, we appreciate the concept of selkeys (clarity). Growth often comes not from doing more, but from removing what no longer serves us.

As we stand on the threshold of 2026, here is an “Anti-Resolution.” Three management habits that were standard in 2015, tolerated in 2025, but will be toxic in 2026.

Let’s leave them behind.

1. Stop Confusing “Presence” with “Performance”

   The Old Habit: Valuing the employee who stays online until 19:00. Assuming that if you can’t see them working, they aren’t working.

   The 2026 Reality: In a hybrid world, “Time Spent” is a vanity metric. If you are still checking green dots on Slack, you are managing anxiety, not productivity.

   The Fix: Shift to Output & Impact. Trust your team to manage their energy. If the code is shipped and the client is happy, it doesn’t matter if it was done at 10:00 or 22:00.

   Tool: Use data to track results, not keystrokes.

2. Stop Hoarding Feedback for December

   The Old Habit: Noticing a great job in March, but saving the formal praise for the “Annual Review” in December.

   The 2026 Reality: By December, the dopamine has evaporated. The employee has forgotten the win, and worse, they feel their daily efforts are invisible. Delayed gratitude is no gratitude at all for the modern workforce.

   The Fix: Radical Immediacy. Make feedback a daily hygiene habit, like brushing your teeth. Did someone help you? Send a coin or a kudos now.

   Tool: Automate recognition so it happens in the flow of work (Slack/Teams).

3. Stop Guessing Who Your “High Potentials” Are

   The Old Habit: Promoting the person who speaks loudest in meetings or has the most charisma.

   The 2026 Reality: This creates the “Toxic Star” problem. You promote the individualist and lose the quiet “Glue People” who actually hold the team together. Managing by “gut feel” is simply too expensive ($12k per bad hire).

   The Fix: Democratize the Data. Look at the network. Who are peers turning to for help? Who is the quiet architect of your team’s psychological safety?

   Tool: Use Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) to see the hidden truth.

A Lighter Leadership Backpack

2026 will be a year of speed and adaptability. You cannot move fast if you are carrying the heavy baggage of industrial-era management.

Drop the micromanagement. Drop the annual delays. Drop the guesswork. Travel light.

Happy New Year from the team at AlbiMarketing.

References

• Klotz, L. (2021). Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less. Flatiron Books. (Why we overlook subtraction as a way to improve).
• Pink, D. (2009). Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Riverhead Books. (Autonomy vs. Control).