Finishing the Year Strong ≠ Finishing Exhausted

🌟 While we no longer record the Q&A discussions during our Leadership Strategy Sessions, we continue to record the opening teaching. Enjoy a special preview of what we shared about finishing December with integrity. If you want to see the complete teaching and take part in upcoming sessions, consider upgrading to join us live next month.

“Finish the year strong!”

It's December, which means this phrase is everywhere. But what does “strong” actually mean for you and your team?

We understand “finish strong” often gets associated with hustle-bro culture: push harder, do more, squeeze every last drop. But true strength comes from a place of integrity. It means standing strong in your values, your priorities, and in the work you have with each other.

So when you think of finishing the year strong, don't think of pushing yourself and your team to the point of exhaustion. Instead, think of it as:

Strong in your values and priorities. Not strong in output at any cost. This might mean rallying to close out a project so it doesn't carry into next year. Or it might mean releasing fever-dream strategic plans that no longer serve you.

Strong in the integrity of the work you have with each other. Recommitting to what matters and what you're not going to do, without blame or running with scissors at each other.

Strong in spirit. Creating space for your team to arrive at the end of the year, not just survive it.

Strong can mean a lot of things beyond exhaustion. Make sure you and your team are aligned on what finishing strong actually means for you.

This month's Q&A covered:

• Task Management vs. Personnel Leadership: Stepping back from the task widget view to ask: How has this human been doing this year? What does this person need to shine?

• Getting Team Buy-In on Changes: Bringing your team into problem-solving so they actually invest in implementing solutions rather than resisting them.

• Holding Authority Without Being Directive: Maintaining standards and outcomes while giving teams space to determine their own process.

• Navigating Institutional Performance Constraints: Helping team members separate their personal standards from quota systems outside their control.

• Supporting Team Members Through Loss: How to acknowledge grief during the holidays without prescribing how people should feel or cope.

• Using December's Parking Lot: Capturing ideas now for later review instead of adding initiatives during the year's compression.

Make finishing strong about how you are with each other, not just what you get done.

Before you jump into planning 2026, join us for a 90-minute workshop to reflect on the year that was. We'll work through taking stock of accomplishments, challenges, lessons, and the insights that deserve to shape your next moves. This isn't about making plans: it's about seeing clearly so you can step into next year with intention rather than reaction. Available exclusively to paid subscribers.

Our next Leadership Strategy Session will be on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. PST

Premium subscribers can watch the full opening teaching and access below 👇🏽 all related resources shared during the call.