Hot Take: The Number One Leadership Lesson I Learned in 2025

I am reflecting on the single biggest leadership lesson I'm taking from 2025 into 2026 in leadership: the power of clarity.

After returning to building a team following time as a solo founder, I'll share an honest look at what changed between an early hiring misstep and a year of rapid, healthy growth at DogCo.

With a growing team and expanding responsibilities, I'll break down why clarity, context, and intentional onboarding are not optional leadership skills, but foundational ones.

I’m talking about:

• Why vision alone isn’t enough without clear communication

• The responsibility leaders carry when teams lack context

• How clarity directly impacts execution, morale, and scalability

• The shift from explaining everything yourself to building systems that create clarity

• What I'm intentionally focusing on as DogCo moves into 2026

If you lead people, or plan to, this is a powerful reminder that when people don’t have what they need to succeed, the work starts with leadership.

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To learn more about how DogCo Launch helps pet care companies grow and scale, visit dogcolaunch.com.

Michelle Kline is the founder of DogCo Launch, and the host of the DogCo Secrets Podcast. Michelle spends her time helping pet care companies in the industry grow and scale their teams, increase their revenue, and increase personal profits - all while protecting their time. Learn more about Michelle here.