How to Power Through the End-of-Year Chaos

Oof. Humans, am I right? Especially humans in business. We’re one of the few creatures on earth that puts undue pressure on ourselves during Q4. The other being squirrels. Gah! Must bury the nuts! Must build a nest!

Most of my friends and colleagues right now are in budgeting hell. They’re getting beaten up over 2025 goals. Layer in the massive uncertainty of an election season that’s been absolutely bananas and, voila, squirrel nut fever.

I’ll say this. No matter what happens as a result of this election, we’re all going to have a lot of work to do when it’s over. Now, more than ever, we need to focus on what we can control. As Courageous Leaders we can’t succumb to the frenzy. We’re leaders after all. Our people are counting on us to keep them calm, motivated, and away from the proverbial ledge.

And we will. Because, frankly, we’ve all been here before. The end of Q4 always, always, always feels like the end of the world. It’s the mother of all deadlines. The good news is that we’ve survived it before.

So, deep breaths. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not a speeding train. It’s just 2025. Making it to the end of Q4 in style is about two things. One, taking time to celebrate what you’ve achieved as a team this year. Two, leveling up your team’s skills and knowledge for the audacious goals you’re setting for next year.

Easy peasy. You’ve got this.

You’re going to have the same, if not bigger, goals next year. So what are you doing to develop your people? What actions can you take today that will foster tomorrow’s success? How can you make sure December 31st isn’t a full stop but a springboard to remarkable accomplishments in 2025. 

4 Ways to Sprint to the Finish Without Breaking a Sweat

People bring their best work when they feel in control. Our job as leaders, in a nutshell, is to keep people focused on the task at hand no matter what’s going on around them. To zoom-in on controlling what we can control, and let the rest go.

We need to pop that illusion of imminent danger and endless uncertainty. And replace it with that feeling of weightlessness we all get when our path to success is clear and we are fully equipped to achieve our goals.

Clear and achievable beats opaque and overwhelming

The first thing we can do is be crystal-clear about the year-end sprint goals and break them into bite-sized pieces. This gives people something to celebrate at every step along the way. 

At the end of each day, take time to celebrate the bite-sized wins. Because, when people feel like they’re winning, the positivity washes away stress and anxiety. You get a dopamine release in your brain when you’re winning versus a cortisol release in your brain when you’re stressed or feeling uncertain.

Being crystal-clear about achievable goals, breaking those into bite size pieces, and celebrating wins frequently and publicly is the first step to combatting pervasive uncertainty. 

Personal progress brings the focus closer to home

The second piece to zapping the ill effects of uncertainty is bringing the focus in closer to home. That means spending time developing our individual team members. Yes, even in the final weeks of the year.

The more chaos and uncertainty there is around us, the more we worry whether or not we’re skilled in the right ways to handle the coming apocalypse. It’s a natural instinct to get ready, equip ourselves for impending battles.

As leaders, we can leverage this by devoting time to developing our direct reports. Expanding their competencies. Broadening their knowledge and experience, even in little ways. The thrill of mastering a new skill comes from a sudden sense of control over something we previously felt was out of our grasp. 

The more prepared people feel, the more positively they will frame uncertainties. They’ll begin to see possibilities and opportunities where they previously only saw danger.

The secret is reframing challenges as opportunities   

As leaders, it’s not our job to make up magical stories. To tell our people that darkness is actually light if you look at it in the right way. It IS our job to talk with them about their fears and difficulties and help them find the way through to success.  

Where are the opportunities in this mess? Is there anything that’s possible now as a result of this disruption that wasn’t possible before? Instead of *telling them* everything’s all right, we’re enabling them to find their own way out of the maze. This does two things: It reframes disruption as opportunity and gives people agency over the solution. 

What is that old saying? You might not be able to control your first reaction, but you can always make a choice about your second reaction. So how are we opening our team members’ best thinking up? How are we leading them to frame the situation in a way that moves them forward?

In times of high anxiety, routine is not our friend

When the world is swirling with uncertainty, it’s easy to retreat to staid routines in an attempt to feel some sense of control. The thing is, in times of high uncertainty, routine is not our friend. 

As leaders we need to shake things up. We need to avoid treating uncertainty with certainty and try instead to offer relief. To shake things up and pull them out of their spin.

We can’t control what they saw on social media or heard from their friends or in the news, let alone how they deal with those things. But we can think about the individuals who make up our teams. What do they need? What makes them burst out laughing? What breaks them out of a funk?

Lightening things up puts the day’s dramas in perspective. We’ve survived worse. And we are capable of surviving more things than we can imagine. When the news is dramatic and negative and bad, that needs to trigger us to remember who we are deep down inside, what we’re capable of together. It’s just the end of another year. And a fresh new one is about to begin.

WHAT’S NEXT? Right now, at Cindy Solomon & Associates, we are having a blast helping Courageous Leaders coach and lead through chaos, anxiety, and disruption. If you’re an executive or leader seeking guidance in how to engage, inspire, and develop your people, go to www.courageousleadershipinstitute.com and sign them up for a webinar, workshop, or keynote customized to your organization’s training needs.