By Tami McVay
Summer invites us to play. The long days, warm nights, and sun-drenched weekends give us permission to recharge, to step back, and to enjoy the fruits of our labor. If you took that time to rest, reflect, and reconnect with yourself – good. That’s exactly what you were meant to do.
Fall is nature’s transition period. As the light shifts and the air sharpens, so does our energy. This season carries a quiet invitation – not to slow down, but to step up.
While many people begin to pull back, waiting for the “fresh start” of a new year, those who are serious about growth understand something different: the most powerful way to stand out… is to do what others aren’t doing.
That’s where leadership begins.
The Quiet Season That Separates the Average from the Bold
There’s a subtle rhythm this time of year – one that nudges people toward comfort and coasting. The sweaters come out. The calendars get filled with events. The intention to “get back on track” gets pushed to January.
But for those of us who lead, fall isn’t a retreat. It’s a recalibration.
It’s the moment we take inventory of the year so far, ask honest questions, and make the deliberate choice to finish strong… not for the optics, but for the integrity. Because leadership isn’t built in public – it’s built in moments of quiet decision, when no one’s watching.
What most people forget is this: The way you finish the year is how you enter the next one. Momentum doesn’t start in January. It’s forged in the fall.
Nature doesn’t hold back when it’s time to evolve. The trees don’t cling to their leaves out of fear of starting fresh – they let go with grace and confidence.
Take the cue.
What habits, obligations, or patterns are weighing you down right now? What mindsets are keeping you from showing up as the leader you know you are?
Now is the time to shed. Not later. Not when it’s convenient. Because what you release now creates space for the clarity, power, and momentum you’ll need to move forward.
And here’s the real gift: When you push with intention now, you get to enjoy the holidays—not overindulge out of stress, guilt, or burnout. You’ll be present, not panicked. Fulfilled, not frenzied.
So light the candle. Wrap yourself in your favorite flannel. Sip the latte. But also: pull out the whiteboard. Rewrite your goals. Reconnect with your values. Make the decisions that your future self will thank you for.
That’s what power moves look like. It’s not in the volume. It’s in the consistency. It’s in doing what others delay. It’s in becoming the kind of leader who doesn’t wait for the new year to rise.
Fall isn’t just a season. It’s a strategy.
And if you choose to embrace it, you won’t just finish strong – you’ll start ahead.
