From Summer Energy to September Surge
For many, September feels like a crash landing. The vacation is over, school is back in session, and the easy rhythms of summer give way to full calendars and looming deadlines. That’s when the September Slump creeps in, energy drops, stress rises, and leaders brace themselves for the sprint to year-end.
But September doesn’t have to be the slump. It can be the surge. Gallup reports that nearly 70% of employees say their energy dips the most during seasonal transitions, but the leaders who name the shift and reframe it turn that energy dip into momentum. I’ve historically seen two very different approaches to September leadership historically.
In one, leaders will treat September as a “catch-up month” – longer hours, back-to-back meetings, and pressure to make up for “lost” time from below-maximum productivity during the summer. The result? Their team’s energy drained faster than a smartphone battery on 2%.
With the other approach, instead of leaders mourning the end of summer, they start off reenergized, having properly used the summer to reset their battery. I know one who asked his team, “What gave you energy this summer? Think about how you can transfer that energy into all you’re doing at work.”
The answers were small but powerful. The answers he received were examples like taking daily walks, getting outside, more family dinners, and less multitasking. The team then worked on weaving those activities into opportunities to keep their momentum going. The team implemented things like creating meeting-free times, taking walks outside for certain meetings, and encouraging people to intentionally block time out for friends and family. The shift was immediate. September became a launchpad, not a letdown.
Turning anxiety into energy is not easy. With clients, I help them do this through exercises involving reframing September anxiety from a warning sign to an untapped source of energy. Like a pressure valve, energy builds. Without properly and intentionally letting it out, it can be destructive. But leaders who channel it with intention positions themselves to surge forward.
If you’re in a similar position, where you’re asking how you will survive September (with your team or yourself), consider asking the following questions:
What energy from the summer do we want to keep alive?
What pressure points can we release before they drain us?
What story do we want September to write for us? Slump or surge?
As you head into the fall, don’t kill the summer energy. Repurpose it. Pick one thing that fueled you in June, July, or August, and weave it into your routines this month. Then, invite your team to do the same.
Small sparks compound. And before you know it, you’ve built a surge of energy that carries you through the year-end, while others are stuck in the slump.
Because September isn’t the end of something. It’s the inflection point. The choice is yours.
