"#7 Master Your January"

You're back at your desk. There are 800+ emails waiting. Your boss wants Q1 plans. Your team looks present but feels distant. And you're already wondering why you're not hitting the ground running like you thought you would.

Here's the truth: January isn't a sprint month. It's a setup month. And the managers who treat it like any other month are the ones scrambling by March.

In this episode, we talk about the three-week strategy that builds real momentum instead of fake productivity:

• Week 1: Get your baseline clear - why asking questions matters more than announcing plans
• Week 2: Talk to your people, really talk - how to understand actual capacity instead of wishful capacity
• Week 3: Plan based on what's real - setting goals your team actually believes in
• The conversation with your boss that changes everything (and why realistic plans make you look stronger, not weaker)
• Why foundation beats proof every single time
• How to build momentum that lasts through Q1 instead of burning out by February

This isn't about lowering your standards. It's about using January the way it actually works so you deliver results in March while other managers are still explaining why they're behind.

Thirty minutes this week to rethink your approach could make your entire quarter.

#Leadership #Management #January #LeadershipDevelopment #ManagerTips #TeamManagement #Q1Planning #LeadershipPodcast #NewYear #WorkStrategy

"#6 This Week Is Weird. You're Allowed to Feel Weird About It"

It's December 29th. You're sitting at your desk. Your team chat is silent. Nobody's answering emails. You feel guilty for not working hard enough, but also guilty for not properly resting because you're technically still working.

That's not work. That's not rest. That's just existing in limbo and feeling bad about it.

In this episode, we talk about why this week is actually perfect for something valuable and how to use it:

• Why your brain is in reflection mode this week and fighting it is pointless
• The five questions to ask yourself that will change how you lead next year
• What drained you most as a manager and how to protect yourself from it
• The conversations you avoided that you need to have in January
• The three promises every leader should make for the new year: hard conversations within 48 hours, protect your energy like it's gold, change your mind out loud
• Why elaborate goal-setting fails and what actually creates clarity

This isn't about New Year's resolutions you'll abandon by February. It's about using thirty minutes this week to get real clarity that will guide you better than any corporate planning framework ever could.

Hashtags: #Leadership #Management #NewYear #Reflection #LeadershipDevelopment #ManagerTips #WorkLifeBalance #LeadershipPodcast

Congratulations, You're on Vacation. Now Stop Working.

It's December. You're planning time off. But you're already thinking about which emails you'll check, how often you'll stay available "just in case," and how to make sure nothing falls apart while you're gone.

That's not a vacation. That's just working from a different location.

In this episode, we talk about why managers are terrible at disconnecting and how to actually rest:

• Why changing your mind when context shifts is good leadership, not weakness
• The three things stopping you from disconnecting (guilt, fear, and identity crisis)
• How to set boundaries without asking for permission
• Why turning off notifications isn't optional – it's essential
• What to do if you're a GM or senior leader who genuinely can't fully disconnect
• Your holiday homework: read fiction, do nothing for 20 minutes, notice your work anxiety

This isn't about being lazy. It's about coming back in January actually rested instead of just marginally less exhausted.

#Leadership #Management #Burnout #WorkLifeBalance #MentalHealth #LeadershipPodcast #Holidays #RestAndRecovery