As we approach the end of the financial year, I’ve noticed a familiar pattern in conversations with leaders.
People are already looking ahead.
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Planning.
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Forecasting.
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Setting goals.
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Thinking about what needs to happen next.
While there’s value in that, I’ve found myself wondering if we’re sometimes too quick to move forward.
Q3 and the Winter Solstice is approaching – the shortest day and longest night of the year. For centuries, it has been recognised as a turning point. Not because something dramatic changes overnight, but because it marks the moment when the light slowly begins to return.
There’s something about that rhythm that feels relevant to leadership.
Nature doesn’t move at a constant pace. It cycles through seasons of growth, harvest, rest and renewal. In leadership, we could be inspired by this rhythm. Many leaders spend their year moving from one challenge to the next without ever pausing long enough to understand what those experiences have been teaching them.
Over the past six months, I’ve had the privilege of working with leaders navigating uncertainty, leading change, having difficult conversations, building capability and trying to create impact amidst competing priorities.
The leaders who seem to grow the most are often the ones who are willing to stop and ask:
“What is this experience trying to teach me?”
As you approach the midpoint of the year, perhaps that’s a worthwhile question for all of us.
Not just:
What did I achieve?
But:
What did I learn?
What strengthened me?
What challenged me?
What patterns am I noticing?
What do I want more of in the months ahead?
It’s not always about the planning. It’s also about understanding the lessons already provided.
Reflection Question
Looking back over the first half of the year, what lesson would be a mistake to leave behind?
If you want to host a discussion with your team that is about reflecting on the first half of the year, reach out and I will share a workshop agenda with you.
