So many people I’ve spoken to have shared that they’re practically running on empty. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “I’m just trying to get to December.”
This is the time when true leadership starts to show. Anyone can lead well in January, when energy is high and teams come back from leave rested.
I know some leaders who treat these last three months of the year as a sprint. They push their teams harder, create a sense of urgency for everything and expect more of their teams. This may work for a little while until their teams start feeling the strain and slow down quietly.
There is another way to lead through the last quarter – leading with purpose. Here are a few deliberate choices you can make in the next few weeks to lead you team to end of the year.
Be honest about the energy: Your team is tired and instead of ignoring it, acknowledge it and then talk to them about what’s realistic. Your team will give you more when you acknowledge their limits (and yours), than when you ignore them.
Decide what really needs to be finished: Not everything needs to be completed by December, and some things can even be dropped altogether. Sit down with your team and sort the work in what has to be completed, what can be moved into the new year and what you be stopped. If you don’t intentionally make the call, your team will make it quietly and without your guidance.
Have the year-end conversations now: People want to know where they stand before the year closes, not after. A short performance conversation in October can help your team to focus on what’s really important.
Protect rest: Your team takes their cue from you. If you tell them to switch off but you’re sending emails at 11pm, they’ll follow your behaviour. Let them see you as the example to model.
Ask for help: Leaders often carry the end of year pressure alone because they feel like they have to. Tell your own manager what you are able get done, and what you’re not able to get done. Ask someone to take something off your plate or ask someone to share the load.
Recognise what’s already been done: By the last quarter, people have forgotten how much they’ve achieved since January. Remind them by being specific about what each person did and what difference it made.
In the new year, your team will return remembering how you
led them during this time of pressure, not what targets they had hit. Choose one or two practices from this list
and start your next team meeting with it.