Helpful Leadership Tips for the Holidays

The holiday season is synonymous with stress nowadays. Where the holidays are meant to be joyful and celebratory, many working adults find this time of year to be stressful and frustrating. Leaders and employees alike feel the pressure at work due to the year’s end. Perhaps it is an increase in demand from customers/clients and the organizations they work for; all looking to get things done at the last minute. Or the stress may come from the home, where expectations are raised to appease the whole family.

As a leader, you have the added responsibility of managing your employees’ workload as well as your own. You also have to manage their personalities, which all feel the same effects of stress that you do during the holiday season. They say misery loves company, but it does not have to be that way every holiday season. Rather than bond over the misery of added work or stressful home lives, you can create an environment for your team that is uplifting and engaging in spite of the added stressors. Sure, you cannot simply eliminate their stressors entirely; but you can however do things to help mitigate your reactions to them.

Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind this holiday season:

1. Help your team, and they will help you. As a leader, your job is to make their lives easier, not the other way around. But, if you help your team succeed, they will in turn help you succeed. Do what you can to help your team stay afloat and perhaps even get ahead. In return, good employees will work hard and deliver the results you want.

2. Create buy-in. This is something that can be done all year round, but it is especially important during times of stress and pressure. If you have fostered an environment where you have created buy-in from your team on the tasks at hand, they will be more likely to perform better. When it comes to more stressful times, employees will still have the motivation to complete the work that needs to be done. However it is imperative you continue to create that buy-in throughout the year, and especially so during the holidays to ensure your team is on the same page.

3. Be empathetic. Your team is stressed out this time of year, the same as you are. Remember that. Having empathy for someone who has similar struggles as you makes the interaction more authentic. Recognize this in your conversations, and acknowledge & validate your team when they do express their vulnerability during these stressful weeks. Your employees want to be seen and heard before they get a “rah rah” pep talk from their manager, so building on your relationship with empathy is imperative.

4. Set and commit to your boundaries. All year long you have held up rigid boundaries for yourself; so why is it that during the holiday season we suddenly remove those boundaries? Sure, work has increased, but there are still some boundaries we can keep. For example. Going home without your work is a practice of discipline. Same with not working while on a meal break. You may be successful during good times, but now when the times get tough, you need your boundaries the most. Remember why you have boundaries, to begin with; to safeguard your mental health and keep your energy at optimal levels.

5. Live by your values, not someone else’s. This applies to both work and home during the holidays. It is easy for us to compromise on our values when we have obligations to meet from our bosses and/or our families. If we do this too much, however, we find ourselves in a spiritual crisis. This is a reminder to not compromise on your values too much during this holiday season. Stand up for what you value most (If you struggle with this, it may be time to take inventory on what it is you do value most in life).

Conclusion:

Stress may be unavoidable, but suffering from it is optional. Let the end of 2022 happen with a greater sense of peace of mind. I hope you all have a happy holiday season!