Hi Leader,
By now, you’re probably realizing that January does not start clean. It starts in motion.
Meetings are already booked.
Decisions are waiting.
And whatever you paused at the end of last year did not magically disappear just because the date changed.
That creates a real tension for people in roles like yours.
You are expected to plan for a new year while still delivering in the current one.
To think strategically while meetings are stacking.
To prepare for what is coming next without pausing what is already demanding your attention.
That is not a personal failure.
That is simply the reality of responsibility at this level.
Preparation does not happen in a quiet room with a blank calendar anymore.
It happens in motion.
While decisions are being made.
While pressure is already present.
That is why preparedness cannot mean “when things slow down.”
It has to mean how you think while things are moving.
How you decide without perfect information.
How you carry responsibility before anyone explains what is coming next.
That is the kind of preparation that actually holds.
And that is why the story I shared about Logan Airport matters.
At the time, I did not have margin. I had responsibility. A fast-moving environment. Expectations. And no guarantee that opportunity was anywhere nearby. No title. No safety net. Just the role in front of me.
But my brain was already being trained.
Not for the job I had in that moment.
For the responsibility that would eventually find me.
You do not get to choose when demand shows up.
You only get to choose whether you have built the capacity to carry it.
What Pressure Is Actually Revealing
Here is what neuroscience makes clear.
Under pressure, the brain does not rise to intention. It falls back to what has been practiced and reinforced. Not because you are unprepared, but because pressure exposes defaults.
That is why moments of demand matter.
They show you how you decide when information is incomplete.
How you regulate yourself when expectations collide.
And how much capacity you have actually built for the role you are in.
January is not testing your ambition.
It is surfacing your patterns.
And patterns are not a verdict.
They are information.
Information you can use.
The Effort Trap High Performers Fall Into
When demand increases, most high performers do the same thing.
They work harder…
More hours.
More intensity.
More pushing.
That response is understandable. It is how you earned trust earlier in your career.
But at this level, effort stops being the constraint.
You can work incredibly hard and still feel behind when your internal setup has not caught up to the role you are carrying. That gap shows up as pressure, second-guessing, and fatigue that no amount of productivity fixes.
Not because you are incapable.
But because the job has changed.
Effort keeps you moving.
Capacity determines whether you can hold the pace.
What Actually Needs to Recalibrate Now
This is where identity becomes practical.
Not who you want to be.
Who you are under pressure.
Capacity shows up in three places:
How you make decisions when information is incomplete
How you regulate yourself when expectations collide
How consistently you show up when there is no extra time or margin
That is your operating system.
And this year will demand more from it.
More judgment.
More emotional regulation.
More responsibility without more space.
Not later.
Now.
So the question that actually prepares you is not, “What should I do this year?”
It is this:
What is my role already asking of me that I have not fully built capacity for yet?
January is not about adding more to your plate.
It is about strengthening how you carry what is already there.
Next Steps While You Wait for the Next Edition
These January conversations are meant to build on each other. If this one landed, here are a few intentional ways to stay engaged.
Stay connected.
Make sure you are subscribed so you do not miss what is coming next. And if you want guaranteed access to future paid editions when they return, this is a good time to upgrade your subscription.
If you lead people, ask yourself this:
Are you equipped for the level of judgment and responsibility your role now requires?
If that question lands, take the Leadership Assessment to see where your strengths are working for you and where capacity may need to grow.
If influencing or selling is part of your role, ask yourself this:
Are your conversations creating clarity, or unintentionally adding pressure?
If that feels relevant, take the Sales Assessment to understand how your approach is landing today.
Watch my free sales training.
If influence feels harder than it used to, this training breaks down what has changed and how to adjust without relying on outdated tactics.
→ Register for my free sales training
Bring Me Into the Room
From founder teams to Fortune 500s, I work with organizations ready to replace fear with trust and turn culture into a competitive edge.
This work is not about doing more.
It is about carrying your role with clarity and intention.
I will see you in the next edition.
Stephanie
