August is almost here, First name. And with it, a powerful seasonal shift.

 

In some Eastern traditions, particularly Japanese philosophy and Traditional Chinese Medicine, there’s a transitional phase between seasons called the Dojo (Doyo). It lasts around 18 days and marks the time when the energy of the previous season begins to fade while the energy of the next slowly rises.

 

As we step into August, we’re entering this transitional zone — both energetically and professionally.

 

The summer spark is still glowing, but it’s beginning to dim, while fall’s intensity hasn’t quite arrived.

This in-between space is ideal for digesting what’s happened so far, integrating what we’ve learned, and clearing space for what’s coming next.

 

But here’s our question:
Are you and your team preparing for what lies ahead, or simply moving on autopilot?

 

This month, we’re exploring:

Your team is busy with visible activity, but what you see is just the surface. To prepare for the road ahead (yes, Q4 is coming!), you need to look deeper.

The Iceberg Metaphor captures this perfectly (sure, it’s summer—but this one still holds.) 

 

🧊Just below the surface is the Process layer: the emotional and relational dynamics that shape your team’s performance:

🧊And deeper still lies the invisible system that holds the real leadership leverage:

Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson’s Broaden-and-Build Theory explains how positive emotions help us grow, expand awareness, and build long-term resources—mental, emotional, social, and even physical.

 

Emotions like joy, interest, contentment, pride, and love help us:

Over time, these broadened moments accumulate, building resilience in tough times, strengthening social bonds, enhancing problem-solving, and promoting healthier minds and bodies.

 

✅ More flexible thinking
✅ Faster recovery from setbacks
✅ Stronger, more trusting relationships
✅ Cultural habits that protect performance under pressure

In short, positivity builds capacity.
(And in transitional times, capacity is everything.)

 

Drs. John and Julie Gottman call this the Emotional Bank Account. Originally for couples, it maps beautifully to teams.

Every interaction is a deposit or withdrawal. Deposits build emotional safety, trust, and collaboration, while withdrawals erode them.

 

For every negative interaction, you need at least five positive ones to maintain balance (the 5:1 ratio, also explained by Gottman).

 

One snappy email? You’ll need multiple moments of care to rebuild trust. One stressful delay? It takes shared reflection and recognition to reset.

 

🔴When the Emotional Bank Account is in the red:

The Leadership Reset Workbook is a strong starting point. It blends theory and practical tools you can apply immediately, especially in the chapters on Communication Breakdown and Delegation.

You’ll learn how to:

More than that, it gives you and your team the energy to create great work together. To meet your strategic goals not through hustle or burnout, but through clarity, connection, and shared purpose.

 

 

With your workbook, you’ll also get a 45-minute Clarity Session — a guided call to unpack where your team is stuck and sketch a simple, personalized plan forward. You can use it solo as a leader or invite your team to reflect together to:

August is a slow transitional period. Use it wisely to reset what’s no longer serving you and your team, and prepare for a strong finish to Q3 and the start of Q4, rooted in clarity, creative energy, and meaningful collaboration.

 

If you’re not sure where to start, begin with these simple steps:

✅Fill your team’s Emotional Bank Account with positive emotions. Don’t leave positivity to chance! Show them that their efforts are recognized, listen to their thoughts and concerns, celebrate every progress (especially the small ones), and be genuine in every interaction.

✅Embed deposits in your team’s culture—rituals, feedback loops, gratitude practices. Over time, they become part of your operational system.

✅ Use summer’s expansive energy to strengthen your team’s connections and to build and nourish collaborations. Ex: Practice informal outdoor walk-and-talk meetings, open team check-ins with a weekend highlight, or rotate leadership moments to help reinforce positivity (without requiring extra time or structure).

✅Use the Leadership Reset Workbook to guide you and your team along this process.

 

✨ Before summer ends, reset your team’s energy

Together with  Aliénor Salmon, a happiness expert who works with organizations to build practical happiness habits at work, we created a special summer workshop to boost happiness and elevate engagement, energy, and well-being in your team. Simply reply to this email to get more details.

 

 

We are here to assist you when you are ready.