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How to Motivate Teams in January: Why a Motivational Speaker Sets the Standard for 2026
24 November 2025
January is one of the most important moments in the business calendar. Teams return from the year end break needing clarity, connection and a fresh sense of purpose. If you want to understand how to motivate teams in January, the answer begins with creating a moment that sparks energy and sets the tone for the year.
Bringing in a motivational speaker for a face to face or virtual event turns the return to work into a launchpad, helping people re-engage, re-focus and re-energise after a demanding year. A powerful speaker experience lifts spirits, provides teams with practical strategies, lived experience insights and a renewed mindset that drives performance through the months ahead.
Why Teams Need Motivation in January
The early weeks of the year shape how people think, feel and perform. Workloads rise quickly and motivation varies from person to person. The right intervention helps teams settle, re-align and feel part of something bigger than their individual to-do lists. January is also when employees need reassurance. They want to feel valued, inspired and connected to meaningful goals. Understanding how to re-energise teams in the new year is essential for any organisation that wants to build momentum, not lose it.
Why a Motivational Speaker Transforms January Performance
A motivational speaker provides a voice that teams can trust. They bring real experience of pressure, resilience, change and high performance. This helps people reconnect with the mindset needed to deliver their best.
If you are looking for January team engagement ideas, a speaker is one of the most effective ways to:
• Create collective momentum
• Rebuild energy and confidence
• Reframe challenges as opportunities
• Encourage ownership and accountability
• Spark creativity and fresh thinking
These are just some of the reasons to motivate teams in January and booking a motivational speaker that internal messages alone cannot achieve. An external perspective cuts through noise and gives people a clear reason to re-engage.
January Team Motivation Ideas That Drive Real Action
If your goal is to motivate teams in January and set strong performance expectations for 2026, consider ways to bring people together at the beginning of the year. Workshops, team resets and strategy sessions all help. A motivational speaker brings an emotional and intellectual lift that lasts far beyond the event itself. This is why so many clients choose to start the year with a motivational speaker. It focuses everyone, creates commitment and builds shared energy at exactly the right moment.
Raise the Bar Motivational Speakers kick starting January 2026 events for your teams
Col Dame Kelly Holmes DBE brings extraordinary impact to January with her lived experience of pressure, resilience and high performance at the very highest level. As a double Olympic Champion, former British Army PTI and global advocate for mental health and inclusion, she gives teams the clarity, courage and honesty they need to start the year with purpose. In January 2026, Kelly inspires people to overcome self doubt, embrace authenticity and build the mindset required for sustained performance and meaningful change.
Steven Bartlett brings a powerful start to January by challenging teams to think bigger, innovate faster and take ownership of the year ahead. As the entrepreneur behind Europe’s number one podcast and one of the most influential business voices of his generation, he delivers clear, disruptive thinking on mindset, performance and the future of work. In January 2026, Steven energises teams to act with purpose, embrace change confidently and build the momentum needed for exceptional results.
Ruby Wax OBE brings a unique mix of sharp insight and psychological expertise to January, helping teams reset their mindset and build healthier habits for the year ahead. After decades on screen and a master’s degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, Ruby uses science, humour and honesty to cut through stress and spark meaningful conversations about wellbeing. In January 2026, she helps teams reconnect with resilience, clarity and compassion so they can navigate change with confidence and start the year feeling grounded and empowered.
Jamil Qureshi brings a world class start to January with a masterful understanding of performance psychology and the mindset shifts that unlock potential fast. Having coached world number ones, elite athletes and global leadership teams, he shows people how to think differently, break unhelpful habits and approach the year with clarity and conviction. In January 2026, Jamil helps teams raise their standards, strengthen their attitude towards change and build the momentum that drives high performance all year long.
Stefanie brings an electric start to the year by challenging teams to think bigger, act braver and step out of the comfort zones that hold them back. Her global experience in personal branding, confidence and creative courage empowers people to own their voice, celebrate their successes and make decisions that matter. In January 2026, Stef helps teams shake off hesitation, embrace originality and build the bold momentum needed for a powerful year ahead.
Nic Hamilton brings an extraordinary message for teams starting the year, showing what determination, mindset and resilience really look like after overcoming cerebral palsy to become a British Touring Car Championship driver. His story challenges people to rethink what they believe is possible, embrace goals that stretch them and use setbacks as fuel for growth. In January 2026, Nic gives teams the clarity, motivation and belief they need to move forward with purpose and energy.
Make January unforgettable. Explore our speakers and lock in your perfect fit for 2026.