Silly pre-holiday season has arrived!

When ‘Silly Season’ arrives

Every year it catches me by surprise.

The final few weeks before the summer holidays somehow become the busiest of the year. School sports days. Camps. Dress-down days that require finding an orange t-shirt at 10pm. School fairs. Proms. Transition days. End-of-year assemblies. Exams. Teacher gifts. Calendar invitations that seem to multiply overnight.

Alongside all of that, many of us are trying to squeeze a month's worth of work into three weeks before colleagues, customers and suppliers disappear for the summer.

I've been talking to a number of Female Founders and Leaders over the past couple of weeks and there has been a familiar theme.

"It's not just that there's more to do. It's that everything seems to need me at exactly the same time."

When you're growing a business, it's rarely just one role you're carrying. You're Founder. CEO. Mum. Partner. Friend. Daughter. Community organiser. Taxi driver. Emotional support human. Somewhere in there you're also trying to think strategically about the business you want to build. 

'Silly season' has a way of exposing where everything still depends on you.

Rather than simply surviving these next few weeks, here are three things I'm reminding myself to pay attention to.

Create enough, not perfection

"I've stopped trying to do July perfectly."

When life becomes this full, perfection becomes the enemy. This isn't the month to launch five new initiatives, redesign every process or believe you have to attend every school event while simultaneously delivering your best quarter ever.

Ask yourself:

What absolutely has to happen before the holidays?

What could wait until September?

What would 'good enough' look like for the next few weeks?

As purpose-driven founders and leaders we often hold ourselves to incredibly high standards because we care deeply. But caring doesn't require perfection.

Let your team carry more

"I realised I was creating half my own pressure."

This time of year can reveal how much still flows through you. If every decision waits for your approval, every customer issue lands on your desk, or your team can't move without checking with you, July quickly becomes overwhelming.

Instead of asking, "How do I get through this?"

Try asking, "What can I stop being involved in?"

Growing businesses need growing leadership. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for your team is trust them with more than feels comfortable. They'll learn. You'll create space. The business becomes stronger because of it.

Protect your thinking space

"When everything speeds up, my thinking slows down."

When the diary fills, the first thing many founders and leaders sacrifice is the very thing that helps them lead well: time to think.

Even thirty uninterrupted minutes each week to step back can change everything.

Ask yourself:

What does my business need from me over the next six weeks?

What am I reacting to that doesn't deserve my attention?

What will matter when September arrives?

The answers are rarely found while rushing between meetings or standing on the side of a sports field checking emails.

September starts now
One thing I've learnt over the years is that September isn't built in September. The foundations for a calmer, stronger autumn are laid now, in the small decisions we make about where we spend our time, what we let go of and who we invite to step up.

For purpose-driven businesses, growth isn't just about getting through busy periods. It's about building a business that can continue to thrive, even when life inevitably becomes wonderfully chaotic.

If you're finding yourself in the middle of 'silly season' wondering how long you can keep carrying quite so much, perhaps it's not your resilience that needs improving.

Perhaps it's time for your leadership, your team and your business to grow with you.

Over the summer I’ll be opening conversations with a small number of Female Founders and Leaders who want to build businesses that depend less on them and more on the strength of their leadership team. If that sounds like the season you’re moving into, simply reply with “September” and we’ll arrange a conversation. 

Happy silly season!

Sarah 

my email  my website  my Linked In

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I’m Sarah, Founder of Loafspark.

We help mission-driven businesses put down roots in leadership, strategy, and culture for stronger, more sustainable growth. Consultancy, facilitation, programs and coaching for Female Founders and CEO’s £1-£20m and all BCorp leaders £20m+.