Renewal before the new year: Shifting the leadership paradigm
As the year unfolds, leaders should pause for self-examination, reflecting on the habits, assumptions and inner beliefs that shape their decisions, so that new goals are pursued with clarity, steadiness and purpose
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
- Appeared in print edition of TMR (The Malaysian Reserve) on 29th December 2025.
- Appeared in online edition of TMR on 31st December 2025 – click to go to TMR online article.
We review strategies, budgets and calendars. This ritual is familiar and necessary. Yet experience suggests that renewal rarely succeeds when it begins with plans alone.
Sustainable renewal begins with a shift in paradigm.
A paradigm is an assumption or mental model through which we see ourselves, others and the world around us.
It shapes what we notice, how we interpret events and what we believe is possible. In leadership, paradigms quietly influence decisions, energy and behaviour long before any strategy is written down.
In my work as a CEO coach, I often meet capable leaders who feel stuck despite having skills, experience and good intentions.
The obstacle is rarely a lack of knowledge or effort. More often, it is an unexamined paradigm that keeps them operating within invisible limits.
That paradigm does not live in spreadsheets or frameworks. It lives in the heart.
Why the Heart Matters in Leadership Renewal
When we speak about the heart, we do not mean only the physical organ, though my own triple bypass surgery earlier this year certainly brought fresh appreciation for it.
In this context, the heart refers to the inner centre of perception, intention and meaning. It is where beliefs settle, where fears and hopes coexist and where trust or hesitation quietly form.
In the Islamic tradition, the heart (qalb) is central to human consciousness and moral orientation. It is described as the seat of understanding and discernment. When left unattended, distortions form gradually and become normalised.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Indeed, in the body there is a piece of flesh. If it is sound, the whole body is sound. If it is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted. Truly, it is the heart.”
For leaders, this insight has practical consequences. Without inner clarity, outer change becomes short-lived or exhausting. Renewal that bypasses the heart eventually loses momentum.
Muhasabah: The Gateway to Paradigm Shifting
A powerful practice for inner renewal is muhasabah, or honest self-examination. It is a form of personal stocktaking that looks inward with truthfulness and compassion. It involves recognising patterns without self-attack, guilt or shame.
Muhasabah helps surface what is already shaping our actions, especially the habits and assumptions we have normalised.
For leaders, renewal requires asking a deeper question beneath performance metrics: How do I limit myself, and how can I stop? This question opens three layers of reflection.
Layer 1: Limiting Behaviours
Begin by identifying areas where results fall short of potential. These may involve leadership presence, health, relationships, confidence, consistency or courage.
Then observe behaviours that show up repeatedly under pressure. Write them down clearly, using verbs:
- Avoiding difficult conversations
- Overthinking instead of deciding
- Staying busy to avoid reflection
- Delaying action
- Seeking approval without clarity
These behaviours are visible signs. They point toward something deeper.
Layer 2: Limiting Explanations
Behind repeated behaviour lies an internal narrative. These explanations often sound reasonable and protective:
- “This is just how I am.”
- “Now is not the right time.”
- “Others wouldn’t understand.”
- “I need to be realistic.”
Such stories preserve identity and reduce discomfort. Over time, they solidify into limiting beliefs. In coaching conversations, this is often where insight emerges. Leaders recognise that what appears as realism may actually be fear expressed in logical language.
Layer 3: The Core Paradigm
When we examine several limiting beliefs together, a pattern begins to appear. One dominant paradigm often holds them all together:
- “I must not disappoint others.”
- “I am responsible for everything.”
- “If I slow down, I will fall behind.”
- “My worth comes from performance.”
This core paradigm influences decisions, emotional tone and energy. It may have served a purpose earlier in life, helping someone succeed or survive. Yet what once protected us may now constrain us.
Renewal requires surfacing this paradigm with honesty and gentleness.
Discovering the New Paradigm
Paradigm shifting begins internally. New behaviour follows naturally once the inner shift settles.
The key question becomes: What needs to shift inside the heart?
A new paradigm is usually a simple, grounding statement aligned with faith, responsibility and trust. It reframes how a leader relates to effort, control and outcomes.
Examples include:
- “From control to trust”
- “From proving to serving”
- “From fear-driven effort to intention-led action”
- “From self-reliance to reliance on god alongside effort”
- When leaders articulate and internalise a new paradigm, something changes. Energy lightens. Decisions feel calmer. Presence strengthens.
The Qur’an reminds us: “And whoever places their trust in Allah, then He is sufficient for him.” (65:3)
Renewal Before the New Year
As a new year approaches, it may be wise to pause before setting new goals. Clearing space in the heart first allows goals to be owned rather than forced, pursued with clarity rather than strain.
Muhasabah helps leaders see clearly. Paradigm shifting helps them move forward with steadiness. When the heart realigns, effort feels different and leadership becomes more grounded.
This is renewal that lasts.
You may wish to reflect quietly on these questions:
- “Where am I underachieving relative to my potential?”
- “What behaviours appear there consistently?”
- “What explanations do I give myself?”
- “What core paradigm is operating beneath them?”
- “What new paradigm would better align with trust, responsibility and faith?”
A new year does not only require new plans. It requires a clearer heart. When the paradigm shifts within, results follow without force. Renewal begins there. InshaAllah.
- Hasannudin Saidin, CEO Coach, Rubah Associates and can be reached at hasan@rubah.my
