The 90-Day Window That Changes Everything

To prove AI didn’t write this...
Let me introduce you to one of the most unexpected things I’ve seen in business lately.

Meet … This goose.

You’ll find it proudly displayed in the front window of Innovators Insurance in Charlestown, Indiana … aka the Chick-fil-A of insurance companies. (Seriously. You have to experience it.)

They dress up this goose in different outfits to reflect what’s happening in the local community, from back-to-school themes (like this one) to holiday attire and beyond.

It’s playful. It’s pure connection.

Shoutout to Daniel Dieterlen, founder of Innovators Insurance, for building a culture that reflects both excellence and personality. It’s rare. It’s working.

If you’re looking for an insurance agency that actually lives up to its brand, check them out by requesting a quote here. Commercial, Cyber, Life, Home, Auto, Etc.

Inside this month’s LEADing Diligently newsletter:

• A 3-part framework to define Q1 2026 ROCKS and Key Results

• How to lead your year one quarter, one month, and one week at a time

• Why clarity, not activity, determines results

Let me ask you a hard question:

What you do in the next 90 days will shape how 2026 ends.

Most people look at a year as one long stretch of time. Effective leaders break it into quarters, then months, then weeks. That is where focus lives. That is where progress is actually made.

When a business lacks clarity in the first quarter, everything that follows becomes reactive. The team stays busy but not aligned. Goals exist but are not owned. Energy is spent solving symptoms instead of moving the business forward with intention.

The opposite is also true.

When Q1 is clear, the rest of the year begins to organize itself around that clarity.

That clarity comes from two things. ROCKS and Key Results.

Not vague goals. Not wish lists. Not ideas sitting in someone’s head. But clear, measurable, owned commitments tied to the next 90 days.

Company ROCKS determine direction.
Department Key Results determine execution.

If either one is missing, momentum breaks down.

This is why Q1 is not just another quarter. It is the foundation. It sets the rhythm, the expectations, the accountability, and the standard for the rest of the year.

Your year does not unfold all at once. It is built one quarter, one month, one week at a time. And it starts now.

A 3-Part Framework for a Strong Q1 and a Strong 2026

The leaders who finish strong do not sprint harder in December. They align harder in January.

Part 1: Quarterly Clarity Through Company ROCKS

To make sure you understand … a ROCK is not a goal.
It is a non-negotiable outcome.
The duration of the ROCK is to be determine, but the initiative of the ROCK is crucial to the health of the business or department pursuing the ROCK.

Not everything can be a ROCK in your business.
But identifying the right ROCK(s) changes everything about the outcome for the year.

For Q1 2026, your company should only have one to three ROCKS. No more.

Each ROCK should answer one question: “If this is the only thing we accomplish in the next 90 days, will the business be stronger because of it?”

If the answer is not clearly yes, it is not a ROCK worth pursuing at this time.

This is where most companies struggle. They try to move ten things forward and end up moving none of them well.

Clarity is not found in doing more. It is found in choosing less.

Side-note:  Here’s what the most effective operational teams are doing differently:

1. They identify their constraint — often their most skilled or trusted team member — and protect their time like gold.

2. They front-load projects with prep work, documentation, and coordination — all handled by support staff or junior team members.

3. They use systems and checklists so team members arrive ready — not reactive.

4. They train for autonomy in every task that doesn’t require top-level decision-making or technical skill.

5. They develop people intentionally using LEAD Diligently’s Employee Development Pathway™ — a strategic framework that clarifies roles, builds targeted skills, encourages real-time feedback, and connects day-to-day performance to shared results and long-term growth.

Part 2: Monthly Direction Through Department Key Results

Once your ROCKS are clear, the next layer is ownership.

Each department must define two to three Key Results that directly support the Company ROCK.

Key Results are not aspirations. They are measurable outcomes that must be achieved in order for the ROCK to succeed.

Sales, Operations, Finance, Marketing, Customer Experience. All of them play a role. Each department must know its specific responsibility.

If a Company ROCK is the destination, then Department Key Results are the routes that get you there.

Assign one clear owner to each Key Result. Then break each Key Result into three monthly milestones for January, February, and March.

This is what prevents drift.

Part 3: Weekly Execution Through Discipline and Review

The plan is built at the quarterly level. The progress is made at the weekly level.

Every week, ask three simple questions.

What moved forward last week
What is moving forward this week
What is in the way

This is where your Issues List lives. Not every issue is tied to a Key Result. Some are operational. Some are relational. Some are unexpected.

The purpose of an Issues List is not perfection. It is clarity.

This weekly rhythm turns intention into momentum and momentum into results.

Journaling Exercise - Three Reflection Questions:

• What is the single most important ROCK for your company in Q1 2026?

• What must each department accomplish in the next 90 days for that ROCK to succeed?

• If nothing changed over the next 90 days, where would your business be by the end of 2026?

Take Action

In the next 7 days, schedule a 90-minute clarity session with your leadership team.

Use that time to complete only three things:

1. Define one to three Company ROCKS for Q1 2026
   

2. Define two to three Key Results per department that will move the company forward in profitability, efficiency, and serving customers
   

3. Assign ownership to every ROCK and Key Result

If you do nothing else this month, do this.

Application - Let’s Put This To Practice

At LEAD Diligently, we believe multiplication begins when we free up our greatest resources to focus on what matters most. Capacity does not grow through hustle. It grows through trust, structure, and stewardship.

This month, take one intentional step to remove the constraint in front of you:

• Spiritual – God does not ask you to carry an entire year. He asks you to be faithful in the season in front of you. Have you prayed over the decisions you are about to make for Q1?
  Professional – Schedule a 30-minute team conversation this week and ask one question. What must be true on March 31 for us to say Q1 was successful?
  Personal – Reflect: Where are you creating confusion or bottlenecks by refusing to take steps to simplify / communicate with clarity?

God doesn’t need your perfection—He desires your obedience. And when you step out in faith, even when it feels risky, He meets you there with strength, clarity, and provision.

That’s it for this month’s LEADing Diligently newsletter—I’ll see you again next month!

The next 90 days will determine far more than you think. Choose clarity. Choose focus. Choose ownership.

Reply and let me know: What is the one ROCK you are committing to for Q1 2026?

— Paul Harstrom

P.S. If you’re looking for deeper clarity in your leadership and purpose, here are a few ways to work with me:
✔ Executive Coaching & Advisory Services
✔ CEO & Emerging Leader MasterMind Groups
✔ Strategic Leadership Consulting
✔ 2-3x Your Business – Systematize and Scale for Sustainable Growth

Want to learn more? Reply to this email or visit my website