10 Business Leaders Share the Most Impactful Lessons They Learned in 2022

One of the most important aspects of an end-of-year review is assessing what went right and what went wrong for your business. Setting expectations for the following year based on those statistics helps ensure that your company continues to improve.

Here, a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council members share the most valuable lessons they learned over the past 12 months and the key takeaways they’ll implement in their businesses in 2023.

Listening Is More Valuable Than Being Heard

I learned that listening is far more important than being heard. Our team has great ideas, and our customers have amazing feedback. It’s a humbling position but always valuable. Through listening, we were able to adjust our communications, our offerings and even our investor benefits. I wish I did this much more! – Michael Kennedy, Component Wine Company

Being Adaptable Is Important for Business

We learned we have to embrace the chaos and plan to be resilient and nimble. This year was quite different from 2021, and we needed some late-year adjustments to finish out the year and set up for 2023. Our industry is still laboring under pandemic dynamics and is not predictable, so by paying very close attention we’ve been able to plan through it to have a really promising 2023. – Kevin McGee, Anderson Valley Brewing Company

Having In-Person Contact Matters

I learned how important face-to-face contact is for us. Virtual meetings are great, but having in-person screenings, selling out theaters for two premieres and reflecting on projects we’ve done and are going to do is so important. I’m grateful to be able to plan more events for next year and beyond. – Karina Michel Feld, Tallulah Films

Taking Care of Your Health Takes Care of Your Business

I was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in the summer of 2022. I skipped my health screenings during the pandemic. I learned that to take care of your business, you have to take care of yourself first. If you are not around and too ill to run your company, then what’s the point of all the years of sacrifice you put in to get here? – Michelle De Long, Mimi Productions

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Adversity Often Brings Renewed Determination

This year was a tumultuous tumble among the rough edges of economic calamity. As a leader, I have grown from the challenges and honed my skills on the grindstone of difficulty. Taking those lessons forward, I have renewed my determination to succeed for my team as much as for myself. Adversity is the pressure that turns coal into diamonds, and for that, I will enter 2023 shining brilliantly. – Sheila Dedenbach, Heavenly Sweet

Streamlining Can Lead to More Value

Streamlining is good. People do not need all the bells and whistles; they need functioning, entertaining, value-adding, purposeful things. Whether things are experiences, technology, finances or something else, they have to help people move forward in their lives and careers. – Susan Johnston, New Media Film Festival®

Always Use Your Time Wisely

This year has been a year of ups and downs — although there were many more downs. The constant volatility of markets and events only tested our ability to adapt in times of hardship and make the pivot to prepare ourselves for when things turn back around. Enduring the significant bear market this year has taught me to use these times very wisely, not by obscuring or waiting, but by being proactive. – Tim Haldorsson, Lunar Strategy

Focusing on Core Financial KPIs Makes Businesses Stronger

The pandemic taught us just how fickle the economy can be. Going forward, it is even more important to be organized, efficient and cost-effective. Businesses that are laser-focused on their core financial KPIs are going to come out of this stronger than ever. – Adam Ayers, Number 5

Smaller Meetings Are More Effective

Reflecting back on 2022, I learned that the more people there are in a room, the less likely that good ideas will be shared and the longer the meeting will be. In order to have a productive meeting, I need to plan ahead by taking into consideration who will be attending and what their role is. This way I can prompt them to share their thoughts and help drive action. – Kristin Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC

It Benefits You to Ask for Help When You Need It

I learned to ask for help. Most people are generally willing to provide help if you ask them to. In business scenarios, this translates to stronger collaborative work and being realistic about professional pitfalls. – Jacob Mathison, Mathison Projects Inc.