The holidays are upon us. The tree is up. Presents are wrapped. Bonuses have been paid or gift cards handed out. Calendars are filled with out-of-office replies, and the usual hum of productivity has softened into something lighter. More hallway conversations. More checking in. Less urgency. That is not a criticism. It is December. This pause is part of the rhythm.
Still, I find myself sitting here, sending emails that will not be answered until January, wondering about something deeper.
How many businesses can actually function when entire teams step away for two weeks? And maybe more importantly, what are we really giving our teams during this season?
Money matters. Compensation always will. A bonus can relieve stress, reward effort, and signal appreciation. But once the holiday haze lifts, once the tree comes down and Microsoft Teams lights back up, what is waiting for people when they return?
What does January look like?
I talked last year about the importance of an annual kickoff, and once again, we are doing one. It is already in motion. But a kickoff, while powerful, is only a moment. What comes after that moment matters just as much.
So, I will ask the uncomfortable question. What is on your strategic learning roadmap?
Have you built a learning plan for 2026?
Most organizations can tell you their revenue targets without hesitation. They have debated budgets line by line. They know exactly how the company plans to grow financially. But far fewer can clearly articulate how they plan to grow their people mentally, skillfully, and as leaders.
We rarely put learning on the same pedestal as the budget. Yet learning is what determines whether those financial plans actually work. Who on your team knows what they will be learning next year? What leaders will be developed? What skills will be sharpened? What blind spots will be addressed? Or are we quietly allowing stagnation to creep in?
Because stagnation does not usually announce itself. It shows up subtly. Leaders rely on instincts that once worked but no longer fit. Teams repeat patterns because no one has been given the tools to try something different. Curiosity fades. Fear replaces experimentation.
And then there is AI.
Not around the corner. Not coming soon. It is here. Right now. In our workflows, our meetings, our inboxes.
The conversation I hear most often is fear. Roles becoming obsolete. Entry-level positions losing relevance. Leaders unsure how to guide teams through a shift they do not fully understand themselves.
That fear does not get solved by ignoring it. It gets solved through learning.
How many courses are you investing in for your leaders? How much time are you dedicating to helping them understand AI, not just from a technical standpoint, but from a leadership one? How to make decisions alongside it. How to manage change with empathy. How to prepare your company for what comes next instead of quietly watching skills erode.
At our company, we decided that learning could not wait until the second quarter or until things slow down. We built an AI plan. We built a learning plan. We are hosting an AI Accelerator on January 12 and 13 for our partners and peers because starting the year with learning is intentional.
The way you begin the year sets the tone for everything that follows.
It signals what you value.
Yes, numbers matter. EBITDA matters. Accountability matters. None of that disappears because we talk about growth mindset or leadership development. But those outcomes are shaped by how equipped your people are to think, adapt, and lead in a world that is not slowing down for anyone.
Growth does not just happen on a spreadsheet. It happens in conversations. In classrooms. In moments where leaders are challenged instead of comforted. In environments where curiosity is funded, not just encouraged.
So as we move through this season of giving, I will leave you with one question. What are you really gifting your team?
Maybe it is extra PTO. Maybe it is flexibility. Maybe it is rest, and that matters more than we admit. But maybe it is something that lasts longer than the holidays.
Clarity. Confidence. New skills. A learning path that says we are investing in you because we plan to grow together.
January is coming whether we are ready or not. The question is whether your people will walk back into the office carrying momentum, or just another year of expectations without the tools to meet them.
What will your gift say?
