The day after Christmas, our living room ceiling turned into a waterfall.

A cracked shower drain upstairs gave way. Water followed gravity. Drywall followed shortly after. What should have been a quiet pause after the holidays became buckets, towels, and a very visible mess on the floor.

But that wasn’t the part that mattered most.

A Word of the Year can be powerful—but only if it shows up in real decisions.

Here’s the question I don’t see enough firm leaders asking themselves.

Every January, firm leaders choose a Word of the Year.

Focus. Momentum. Alignment. Growth. Clarity.

It’s well-intentioned. Sometimes even energizing. And at its best, a single word can act as a compass.

Leadership doesn’t always look serious.

Sometimes it looks like laughter in the middle of a photo shoot — not because the work isn’t important, but because the people are.