The week between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day is an interesting week. It begins with joy and excitement on Christmas morning. It has times of great peace and contentment as we enjoy the presence of loved ones in our lives. There are times of great frustration when our kids tell us they are “bored” two days after Christmas!

There are times of reflection as we approach January 1st and the start of a new year. What will it look like? What opportunities or challenges will it bring? We also take some time this week to look back at the year that is about to close.

What Does a Family Leader Do This Week?

A leader in the family is fully present. This means that they take every opportunity this week to be fully present for every moment that you can. Many have to go back to work for the days between these two holidays. I certainly had to for many years earlier in my career. But we need to be fully present when we are at home. There are gadgets to assemble, new games to play and time to spend with those that just want a slice of our time during this time of year.

A leader in the family is thankful. This thankful attitude is contagious and reminds us all that we are truly blessed. We live in a time of great opportunity and relative prosperity to may other parts of the world. And this spirit of thankfulness for all of the gifts that we receive helps to leave a legacy of thankful hearts and a spirit of gratitude and not a spirit of entitlement

A leader in the family is reflective. This reflection is not just to mark the historical events of the year that is about to close. Instead, it is an evaluation of the current status of the family. Are we where we need to be physically, spiritually, emotionally, financially? If so, how do we maintain that trajectory in a turbulent time? If we are not where we need to be, what are we going to do to rectify the situation?

What Does an Organizational Leader Do This Week?

The short answer is that they do the same exact things. But, perhaps with a slight difference.

An organizational leader is fully present for their team. They are not distracted by all of the countless things that can suck up our time. Social media, idle gossip about the organization, and selfish ambitions all take away from our ability or willingness to be fully present for our team.

An organizational leader is thankful for their team. This thankful attitude is expressed when we demonstrate to our team how much we value and appreciate them and their contribution. Likewise, it is shown when we speak in positive terms about the opportunities that we have through the organization. The opportunity to provide for our family, the opportunity to make a real contribution, and the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than just ourselves.

An organizational leader is reflective about their team. This reflection looks at the overall health and well-being of the team. How did the team perform in 2016? Did we meet our objectives? Did we pull our weight? If we missed any goals or objectives, why did we miss them and what are we going to do about it in the coming year? What new things do we want to try and accomplish in the coming year?

How about you?

Each of these actions — being fully present, being thankful, and being reflective are worthy of their own time and space in a post dedicated to that topic. But, it is early morning as I write this and I want to be fully present for my family this day. So, I will close for now.

There are some exciting days ahead from a leadership and leadership resource perspective. Stay connected here and watch for some exciting announcements in the next few weeks.