Sustainable performance is built in routines, not bursts of motivation. By early October, the “back to school” feeling is pretty much over. Nobody is sharpening new pencils anymore. The novelty of September has worn off. We’re simply in it. And that’s where leadership gets interesting. Fresh starts are motivating because they create energy. New year. New quarter. New project. New role. But motivation fades. Rhythm is what remains. The strongest teams I’ve worked with don’t

A new quarter is a good time to stop carrying old weight. October 1 feels like a fresh start. New month. New quarter. New targets. But before adding another list of priorities, there’s a better question to ask: What should we stop doing? Most teams don’t struggle because they have too few priorities. They struggle because new work keeps getting added while old work never goes away. The meeting that no longer serves a purpose. The report nobody really reads. The process cre

Reconciliation begins long before we think we have the right words. September 30 is Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. For leaders, particularly those working in industries and communities across Canada, it’s a day that should encourage something deeper than a statement or a social post. Listening. Many organizations operate on or near lands where Indigenous communities have lived for generations. Those relationships carry history. They also carry present-