During a recent 360 feedback interview, the client I was working with said something that caught my attention. I’ve been thinking of it since then, and it’s having an impact on what I am identifying as my priorities and targeted behaviors for this year.

My client said there are five things you can never be too good at and always need to develop. I think he’s right:

1. Your profession. It’s important to keep learning and going deeper into your profession. Even if you’re an expert, keep learning!

2. Leadership. No matter where you are in an organization or in life, you are leading someone. Maybe you’re leading yourself and your family or maybe you’re a leader in a Fortune 50 company. Look for areas for development.

3. Collaborating. Partnering with people is a skill and a gift. Some people collaborate well and others don’t. Collaborating means sharing. It means helping each other, covering for each other, and correcting each other without making each other wrong. What do you do well and what areas need some attention?

4. Communicating. Communicating is easy when everything is going well. It’s not as easy when there are challenges. When you discover a pattern of communication that’s not working—i.e., not responding well to feedback you receive; realizing your assertiveness is turning into aggression; wondering why people aren’t motivated after conversations with you—it’s time to learn a new way of doing things. Pay attention and keep developing!

5. Cherishing and valuing your relationships. What’s really important to you? Is it your job? Money? Your friends? Your family? Once you know your priorities, think about how they fit with your life right now. Are you spending the time you want to spend with your family or friends? Relationships are important. Keep developing them!

Remembering to aim for continuous improvement in these five categories might be a great way to prioritize and plan for whatever is ahead.

How do these match up with your priorities? Anything you would add? Use the Comments feature below to share your list of leadership priorities for this year.

About the Author

Linda Miller is the Global Liaison for Coaching at The Ken Blanchard Companies’ and a senior coach with the Blanchard Coaching Services team. Since 2000, our 130 coaches have coached over 14,500 individuals in more than 250 companies throughout the world. Learn more at Blanchard Coaching Services. And check out Coaching Tuesday every week at Blanchard LeaderChat for ideas, research, and inspirations from the world of executive coaching.