We've been having more honest conversations than ever with senior professionals recently. Conversations that don't usually happen out loud with people who look successful on paper, they have strong roles or good income and a solid reputation, and yet almost without exception, they all say some version of the same thing.

"Something just feels off."

Not because things are going badly, but because the rules that they build their careers on no longer seem to fit the world that they're leading in.

Most of us working in professional services environments, were taught a very clear formula for success, and here it is. Work harder, say yes, push through.

And to be fair, that formula worked for a long time. We know only too well. But the context that you and I are leading in has changed.

AI is changing how we get work done.

Clients are even more demanding and firms are under constant pressure now.

The issue is an effort anymore, it's direction.

And that's an important distinction to understand because this isn't about people becoming weaker or less than.

It's about our world becoming different. The speed of change has never been as fast as it is right now, and it's only realisation get faster. No matter which country we are working in, one of the patterns we see most often is leaders who are highly capable, highly committed, and completely exhausted.

Not because they don't care, but because they're running on autopilot.

They're still achieving, they're always busy, they're constantly delivering, and they're tired in a way that rest doesn't fix. And yet there's still a quiet sense of disconnection.

We've worked with many partners who have achieved everything they thought they wanted only to realize they no longer know why they're doing it.

The cost of this realisation can be quite significant.

Energy drops, health suffers, relationships get strained, and you burn out.

This isn't some dramatic failure. It's misalignment.

Now, this can be turned around with some key changes in thinking and behaviour.

One of the first shifts leaders need to make is realising that success isn't actually about achievement at all.

It's about alignment.

Unfortunately, you can have a great career and still feel empty. You can be constantly busy and still feel lost, and when your why becomes unclear, everything feels heavier than it should.

You might be there right now.

But when you reconnect to what really matters to you, something changes. How you lead, what you say yes to, and what you walk away from.

Everything you do is more in line with your true priorities.

Success becomes intentional, not accidental.

This is where a different way of thinking about leadership starts to emerge. Leadership today isn't about doing more or proving more or carrying everything yourself.

And leadership is shifting in professional services.

It's about how you show up personally, professionally, and with your people. When we work with leaders, we often explore how they see themselves as leaders, how they operate in their professional role, and how they influence and work through others. Not as a checklist, but as a way of making leadership more sustainable in a high pressure environment.

This new kind of leadership is more purposeful than reactive. It's more adaptive than rigid, and it's definitely more collaborative than transactional. And importantly, it's purpose fit for the world you are leading in now.

So, let us ask you a few questions to reflect on.

Where might you be running on autopilot?

What version of success are you still chasing, and where did that come from?

If leadership felt lighter, more aligned, more intentional, what would actually change for you?

Now, these aren't questions to just answer quickly, they're questions to sit with, to ponder on, to put some thought into.

In our next conversations, We'll be exploring a small number of leadership shifts that we see again and again in professional services.

This is the work that we are privileged to do behind closed doors with leaders, helping them to realign how they lead without needing to change their career or walk away from what they've already built.

So if this resonates with you, come on the journey with us. We host a free professional services community where leaders of all levels of experience continue these conversations in a safe and non judgmental space.

And for those who want to go deeper, we also run a short 20 minute live session every two weeks focused on one leadership shift at a time. We call them 20 Minute Transformations.

There's no pressure and there's definitely no pitch.

So, if leadership is becoming a bigger part of your role this year, you're welcome to join the conversation.

Here is where you can join:

 I've been having more honest conversations than ever with senior professionals recently. Conversations that don't usually happen out loud with people who look successful on paper, they have strong roles or good income and a solid reputation, and yet almost without exception, they all say some version of the same thing.

"Something just feels off."

Not because things are going badly, but because the rules that they build their careers on no longer seem to fit the world that they're leading In. Most of us working in professional services environments, were taught a very clear formula for success, and here it is. Work harder, say yes, push through.

And to be fair, that formula worked for a long time. I know only too well. But the context that you and I are leading in has changed. AI is changing how we get work done. Clients are even more demanding and firms are under constant pressure now. The issue is an effort anymore, it's direction. And that's an important distinction to understand because this isn't about people becoming weaker or less than.

It's about our world becoming different. The speed of change has never been as fast as it is right now, and it's only realisation get faster. No matter which country I'm working in. One of the patterns I see most often is leaders who are highly capable, highly committed, and completely exhausted.

Not because they don't care, but because they're running on autopilot. They're still achieving, they're always busy, they're constantly delivering, and they're tired in a way that rest doesn't fix. And yet there's still a quiet sense of disconnection. I've worked with many partners who have achieved everything they thought they wanted only to realize they no longer know why they're doing it.

The cost of this realisation can be quite significant. Energy drops, health suffers, relationships get strained, and you burn out. This isn't some dramatic failure. It's misalignment. Now, this can be turned around with some key changes in thinking and behavior. One of the first shifts leaders need to make is realizing that success isn't actually about achievement at all.

It's about alignment. Unfortunately, you can have a great career and still feel empty. You can be constantly busy and still feel lost, and when your why becomes unclear, everything feels heavier than it should. You might be there right now. But when you reconnect to what really matters to you, something changes how you lead, what you say yes to, and what you walk away from.

Everything you do is more in line with your true priorities. Success becomes intentional, not accidental. This is where a different way of thinking about leadership starts to emerge. Leadership today isn't about doing more or proving more or carrying everything yourself. And leadership is shifting in professional services.

It's about how you show up personally, professionally, and with your people. When I work with leaders, we often explore how they see themselves as leaders, how they operate in their professional role, and how they influence and work through others. Not as a checklist, but as a way of making leadership more sustainable in a high pressure environment.

This new kind of leadership is more purposeful than reactive. It's more adaptive than rigid, and it's definitely more collaborative than transactional. And importantly, it's purpose fit for the world you are leading in now. So, let me ask you a few questions to reflect on. Where might you be running on autopilot?

What version of success are you still chasing, and where did that come from? If leadership felt lighter, more aligned, more intentional, what would actually change for you? Now, these aren't questions to just answer quickly, they're questions to sit with, to ponder on, to put some thought into. In our next conversations, I'll be exploring a small number of leadership shifts that I see again and again in professional services.

This is the work that I'm privileged to do behind closed doors with leaders, helping them to realign how they lead without needing to change their career or walk away from what they've already built. So if this resonates with you, come on the journey with us. I host a free professional services community where leaders of all levels of experience continue these conversations in a safe and non judgmental space.

And for those who want to go deeper, I also run a short 20 minute live session every two weeks focused on one leadership shift at a time. I call them 20 minute transformations. There's no pressure and there's definitely no pitch. So, if leadership is becoming a bigger part of your role this year, you're welcome to join the conversation.

Here is where you can register to join: https://www.professionalservicesleadership.com/community

2026 can be your best year ever. You just need to go after it in a different way, and we are going to show you how as we move forward together.

We'll see you then.