Hi, First name,

September arrives in a few days, and maybe you’re already feeling the energy shift it carries: summer is slowly fading, routines are settling back in, and the days are about to get shorter.

 

You may not fully notice it, but there’s a sense of urgency in the air — and you’re likely rushing through what needs to get done, both at work and at home.

 

In the meantime, some of you are still carrying fatigue from Q3 demands, or even from vacation (we know summer doesn’t always mean rest).

 

And here you are, preparing for the final sprint that’s starting to take shape…

 

Soon, we’ll be celebrating the fall equinox — not just a seasonal shift, but a real turning point.

⭐️ We’ll talk about what it means to lead during this transitional season, how to work with (not against) your team’s natural energy cycles, and why now is the perfect moment for a strategic reset.

⭐️ We’ll also offer actionable ways to realign your system before Q4 demands take over, and share practical tools to help you do it with clarity and care.

 

In our previous issues, we talked about using summer to rest, reflect, and reconnect with your own leadership rhythm. We hope you had the chance to do that and also to check in with your team to notice what was thriving and what wasn’t.

 

But even if you did that inner work…
What happens when you return from rest only to find yourself back in the same misaligned or stagnant system?

If the system didn’t change, it will probably repeat  the same patterns, creating space for burnout and misalignment.

 

In nature, harvest marks the culmination of a season of growth: it’s when crops are gathered, preserved, and celebrated.

 

In many cultures, harvest season is both a celebration and a strategy — a time to acknowledge what’s grown, honor what didn’t, and prepare for winter.

 

 

Think of this as your team’s harvest time, after a whole year of cultivating the soil, planting seeds, and tending to the growth of your people and your goals. In a business context, the “harvest” refers not only to outcomes but also to the lessons learned, relationships strengthened, systems tested, and insights surfaced throughout the year.

 

In this context, ask yourself:

While October often signals full-speed execution, September still holds space for strategic recalibration.

 

This may be your last real window to shift the system beyond outdated goals or default execution plans.

 

 

At Fierce Up, we treat the team as a living system; one that has its own emotional tone, relational patterns, and default settings.
And like all systems, it seeks homeostasis — not through staying static, but by continuously adapting. This adaptation can happen by default or by design, and that’s where leadership comes in. An intentional reset helps steer that change in the direction you truly want to go.

 

So we ask:

 

Once you start paying attention to your team as a system, you begin to notice which patterns are helping you move forward — and which ones are quietly holding you back.

 

Just like in nature, not every seed we plant turns into a harvest. Some ideas, processes, or habits may have once served a purpose but are now out of season. The key is to recognize them without judgment and create space for something new to grow.

Not everything we plant yields the harvest we hoped for. In teams, just like in nature, some efforts flourish, while others stall, drain energy, or simply outlive their purpose.

 

Letting go isn’t failure. It’s a sign of adaptability, resilience, and maturity in leadership.

 

The challenge? We live in accomplishment-driven cultures, where changing your mind or acknowledging something didn’t work can feel like defeat. But in reality, innovation thrives on iteration: it’s in the composting of old ideas that new growth becomes possible.

 

Here are a few ways to release what no longer serves, without falling into self-blame:

🌿 Notice the energy, not just the results.
Where does energy feel stuck, forced, or heavy? That’s often your first clue that something needs to shift. Once you see it, name it and decide whether it needs redesigning, delegating, or letting go entirely.

🌿 Name it neutrally.
Instead of “we failed,” try: “This no longer fits where we’re going.” Language matters. Also, learn from it, especially when things don’t work out as you want. It’s a unique opportunity to grow.

🌿 Make compost part of the process.
During your next team check-in, ask: What can we release? What have we outgrown? What is no longer working for us?

By composting these outdated patterns, without shame, you free up energy for what truly matters in Q4.

✅ Run a summer debrief
Keep it simple and low-pressure. Invite your team into a reflective conversation:

This kind of pause creates shared presence — a key ingredient for moving forward intentionally. Depending on your team, it could be a 45-minute reflection coffee meeting, or you can simply weave parts of it into your regular team meetings. Keep it light. There’s no need for a deep or lengthy conversation!

 

✅ Revisit priorities
Not everything deserves equal attention. Use this window to sort signal from noise:

A grounded leader helps the team name what matters now and gives them permission to let the rest go.

 

✅ Redefine delegation
In a healthy system, delegation is an energy transfer that builds trust and growth.

Good delegation is an investment.  A strong leader knows that delegating well helps both team growth and the work to move faster and smarter.

→ If you want support on where to begin, the Leadership Reset Workbook (and the free chapter on Delegation) offers simple, effective ways to reframe delegation inside your team.

✅ Audit team rhythms
Which of your current processes are helping you, and which ones need adjustment?

 

👉🏼 Summer helped us reset from within. Now, September asks us to align the system so we can move forward with clarity. This is when you check the coordinates before takeoff, so you don’t accidentally land far off course by December.

 

You can’t harvest well if the team is depleted! Before the sprint comes the reset: rest, realign, and re-gather the energy that will fuel a focused Q4.

 

Warmly,