September has always felt like a bit of a reset to me.
The kids go back to school.
Summer holidays come to an end.
People get back into their routines.
The business world seems to wake up again after a slightly slower summer.
And I think there’s something quite useful about that feeling of starting afresh.
It got me thinking recently about something that’s incredibly important when you’re running a business:
Are your people actually excited about what’s coming next?
Not just getting through the week.
Not just turning up, doing their job and going home.
But genuinely looking forward to what’s ahead.
Because I think there’s a huge difference.
I’ve worked with some brilliant teams over the years, and one thing I’ve noticed is that the strongest teams aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest targets or the most ambitious plans.
They’re the ones where people feel like they’re part of something.
They know where the business is going.
They know where they fit into that journey.
And, importantly, they can see something ahead of them that they want to be part of.
1. Give People Something Bigger Than Their Job
It’s very easy for someone to look at their role as a list of responsibilities.
Make the calls.
Complete the work.
Hit the target.
Attend the meetings.
Repeat.
But people are motivated by more than tasks.
They want purpose.
They want to understand why their work matters.
That’s something I think leaders can underestimate.
If you tell someone they’re responsible for making 50 sales calls a week, that’s a target.
If you explain that those conversations are helping the business grow, creating opportunities for new employees and allowing the company to invest in its future, suddenly there’s a bigger picture.
The job hasn’t changed.
The meaning behind it has.
And I think that matters.
2. Give People Something to Work Towards
One of the most important things I can do as a leader is help people see what’s next.
That doesn’t necessarily mean everyone wants to become a director.
Some people want to lead.
Some want to specialise.
Some want to earn more.
Some want greater flexibility.
Some simply want to become really, really good at what they do.
There isn’t one definition of career success.
That’s why conversations about development are so important.
Ask people what they want.
Where do they see themselves going?
What skills do they want to develop?
What would they like to learn?
You might be surprised by the answers.
And once you know what someone wants, you can actually help them get there.
3. Celebrate How Far You’ve Come
September is also a good opportunity to look backwards before immediately looking forwards.
We’re often so focused on the next target that we forget to recognise what we’ve already achieved.
I’ve made that mistake myself.
You hit one goal and immediately move onto the next.
But teams need to celebrate.
Not constantly.
Not for the sake of it.
But genuinely.
If someone has developed massively over the last twelve months, tell them.
If a team has delivered something difficult, recognise it.
If someone has overcome a challenge, acknowledge it.
People need to know that their effort is noticed.
And celebrating progress creates momentum.
It reminds everyone that they’re not standing still.
They’re moving forward.
4. Be Honest About Where You’re Going
I think people can handle uncertainty surprisingly well.
What they struggle with is uncertainty combined with silence.
If the business is going through a difficult period, communicate.
If there are changes coming, explain them.
If you’re excited about the future, share that excitement.
Your team doesn’t need you to pretend everything is perfect.
They need honesty.
They need clarity.
And they need to know that leadership has a plan, even if that plan needs to change along the way.
I’ve learned that you don’t need to have every answer before you communicate.
Sometimes saying, “This is what we know, this is what we’re working through and this is what we’re going to do next” is enough.
5. Create Energy at the Top
This is probably the biggest one for me.
Energy is contagious.
If the leadership team is excited about the future, that energy filters down.
If leadership is constantly negative, stressed or disengaged, that filters down too.
That doesn’t mean pretending everything is brilliant all the time.
There will be difficult days.
There will be difficult months.
Business is business.
But leaders have a responsibility to set the tone.
If we’re asking our teams to be positive, resilient, ambitious and committed, we need to demonstrate those qualities ourselves.
People don’t just listen to what leaders say.
They watch what they do.
As we move into the final part of the year, I think September is a brilliant time for leaders to pause and ask a few simple questions.
Are my people happy?
Do they know where we’re going?
Do they understand how they contribute?
Are they developing?
Do they feel appreciated?
And perhaps the most important one:
Do they have something to look forward to?
Because ultimately, I don’t want people working in a business where they’re simply counting down to Friday.
I want them to feel like they’re building something.
Learning something.
Achieving something.
And becoming something.
That’s how you create a team that wants to stay.
That’s how you create a team that wants to grow.
And that’s how you build a business that can continue moving forward long after any individual person has left the room.
September gives us all a chance to reset.
For leaders, I think that means more than resetting the targets.
It means resetting the energy.
Resetting the communication.
Resetting the ambition.
And reminding our people that there’s plenty still to achieve.
The year isn’t over.
There are still goals to hit.
Challenges to overcome.
Opportunities to grab.
And, hopefully, a lot to get excited about.
So perhaps the question isn’t simply:
“What do we want to achieve before the end of the year?”
Perhaps it’s:
“How can we make sure our people are excited to achieve it with us?”
