In the final episode of Leadership Blueprints for 2024, BJ Kraemer focuses on Christmas gratitude, reflecting on the year, and planning for a successful 2025. The episode emphasizes the importance of annual reflection as a tool for growth, acknowledging wins and losses, and setting clear, actionable goals for the coming year.
Key Points From This Episode:
· The significance of the movie It's a Wonderful Life as a lens to understand gratitude and perspective.
· Kraemer’s personal annual reflection process, which includes reviewing his calendar and photos, identifying wins, losses, and lessons learned.
· Planning and prioritizing goals for 2025 with a focus on professional, family, and personal objectives.
· The power of habits and systems in achieving success, with advice on creating an "ideal week" and building consistency.
· A closing message on reframing challenges as lessons and expressing gratitude to those who made an impact.
Quotes:
- “No year is a failure if we learn from it.” — BJ Kraemer
- “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” — William Arthur Ward
- “The person we want to become is a direct result of the goals we set and achieve, the people we meet, and the books we read.” — BJ Kraemer
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
What is Leadership Blueprints?
Leadership Blueprints is a podcast dedicated to helping leaders align teams, navigate chaos, and accomplish the mission. Hosted by BJ Kraemer—West Point graduate, combat veteran, and President & CEO of MCFA—this show dives into the principles, stories, and strategies behind effective leadership.
With a background in military service and experience leading teams in business, infrastructure, and complex projects, BJ understands that success comes down to execution, adaptability, and leading people well. Through in-depth interviews with accomplished leaders across business, sports, the military, and beyond, Leadership Blueprints will help you bring your vision to reality on projects that shape communities and industries.
Whether you’re leading in the boardroom, on the field, in the military, or within your own organization, this podcast is designed to provide the tools and mindset needed to lead with clarity, resilience, and purpose. Subscribe now and start building your Leadership Blueprint.