Hi First name / there,

 

As we start another quarter—one that invites more energy and creativity—let me ask you this:

👉🏽 How are you channeling summer’s energy at work? Are you doing less, with more focus and intention, or doing more simply because the season feels expansive?

 

This month, we want to talk to you about summer energy (the solstice was a week ago, so this comes at the right time), but from a productivity and workplace perspective. For you, your team, and your organization.

 

Here are some points we're going to cover:

Let’s begin with an idea we’ve been sitting with:

 

Most corporate cultures are built on a linear model, focused only on output: busyness equals linear productivity, consistency equals success, and extra energy equals the capacity to take on more.

Summer energy is expansive, creative, and collaborative. It’s a time to celebrate, connect, and innovate. But it’s not the time to increase workload—this is a common and costly unconscious bias.

Instead, people crave more flexibility and more space to enjoy life. Maybe they want to commute less and use that time to sit in the park or catch the evening sun. Maybe they want to work from their garden, balcony, or a favorite coffee shop.

Still, most leaders assume extra daylight equals extra capacity. They expect teams to do more, and once those expectations are set, they often carry through into the rest of the year. The result? Lower motivation, inconsistent quality, and diminishing returns.

 

By September, the burnout, already surfacing in subtle ways, sets in. 

 

 

This one holds the belief that progress must always look like a straight, upward line: if people are not visibly producing (outputs, revenue, engagement…), they are falling behind. 

 

So teams aren’t allowed to recalibrate, even when their energy is calling for it. Plateaus, pauses, or seasonal dips are seen as threats rather than natural rhythms.

 

Many leaders (and their teams) tie their worth to output, which means that if they’re not constantly “delivering,” they will be seen as dispensable or disengaged. 

 

In this case, pausing feels like a risk, not just to productivity, but to their identity: the busier they are, the more valuable they appear. It’s often a mask for disconnection.

 

Summer brings expansive, playful, and collaborative energy; people want to celebrate wins, explore fresh ideas, and deepen connections.

When leadership funnels that energy into rigid targets, transactional tasks, or low-impact busywork, the result is dissonance. The team puts in more effort but gets fewer meaningful results, busyness hides real progress, and momentum stalls instead of growing.

In truth, seasonal energy is a valuable resource: if you match the work to the mood—ideation sessions, lightweight pilots, and cultural rituals —you fuel innovation and strengthen bonds. If you ignore the mood, you drain the very spark you hope to harness.

 

4- A lack of strategy for channeling summer energy

 

 

If there is no strategy to channel the extra energy, it will get lost in unprioritized tasks or half-finished ideas. Teams are busy, yet they barely progress. 

 

By autumn, the team feels exhausted, the backlog has grown longer, and nothing significant has been delivered.

 

Even when a spark of innovation or initiative appears, it gets trapped in slow processes: approval chains, outdated workflows, and too many “checkpoints”.

 

These mechanisms of control (which we know are crucial to protect quality) end up killing the spontaneity that summer energy brings. 

You’ve seen what happens when seasonal energy is ignored: misalignment, low morale, and missed creative potential.

 

 

Here are three ways to begin:

 

Let go of the myth that growth must be constant. Instead, build in seasonal intention:

Let Q3 be a time of collaboration, creativity, and cultural nourishment — not just more of the same. Because when you plan in rhythm, you reduce burnout, deepen focus, and unlock more long-term clarity.

Treat summer not as a disruption but as a test of autonomy. Clarify expectations, then allow your team to choose how to meet them. Use this season to build and strengthen trust, rather than tighten the reins.

Trust isn’t a soft skill, but a structural strategy. When people feel ownership of their time and energy, their engagement rises.

 

Acknowledge what’s real: people are human, and seasons matter. So, make visible space for joy, rest, and life.

When leaders meet people where they are—not just where the calendar says they should be—cultures become more resilient, connected, and aligned.

 

We invite you to reflect on everything we’ve explored here. Whether you’ve noticed patterns like pushing for constant output, resisting seasonal shifts, or mismatching work to energy—remember, there’s always room to recalibrate.

 

Summer is the moment to pause, reset, and lead with intention.
 

The shift you make now won’t just shape Q3—it’ll set the tone for everything that follows.

 

If you're ready to align your team’s energy, culture, and strategy with the season—but aren’t sure where to begin—The Leadership Reset Workbook is a great place to start.

Inside, you’ll find tools designed to help you move forward without burning out.

💡 Until June 30: Get The Leadership Reset: Practical Tools to Move From Stagnation to Growth, plus a free 45-minute Leadership Clarity Session—for just 49€ (usually 149€).

Use promo code MAYNEWS100 to save 100€.