Leading When Everyone’s Mentally Checked Out. . .

If leadership had a pressure-test month, December would be it.

Christmas doesn’t create workplace dysfunction — it reveals it. Teams with strong communication glide into year-end like a well-oiled machine. Teams with poor leadership can crumble faster than New Year Resolutions, with everyone blaming “the busy season” instead of taking a little bit of accountability.

The best leaders don’t guilt people for being tired. They expect it and then plan for it. They strip out the distractions and ask the only real question that matters: “What actually needs to happen before we switch off for the year?”

Effective leaders then do something next-level - they say “No”. “No” to pointless new December initiatives; “no” to managers who confuse urgency with importance. And “NO WAY” to anyone replying to emails after hours.

The reality is that leadership over the Christmas period is less about driving performance and more about directing energy. People are stretched, overstimulated, and fatigued from family expectations. If you model burnout as a festive tradition, don’t be shocked when it becomes contagious. Leaders who burn out teach their team that burnout is normal and somewhat expected, which is a seriously business-limiting culture. Your job isn’t to push harder — it’s to guide smarter.

Cut the overwhelm. Be specific. Celebrate loudly. Remind your team that the finish line is near.

Christmas leadership isn’t soft. It’s strategic, human, and authentic – with a little bit of chaos thrown in. But wrap it in humour, sprinkle in compassion, and the January-version of you will thank the December-version for setting you up for successful downtime – and so will the rest of your team!

Contributed with thanks to July Porter (Shiift)

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