Plus, one simple shift to carry into the rest of 2025.
Hi friends.
As we head into Thanksgiving week, I've been thinking about all the leaders I've advised and supported this year.
And honestly?
I'm grateful.
Deeply grateful.
Because thereâs a different kind of leadership rising right now, steadier, calmer, more aligned.
This year, the pace and pressure have outgrown old leadership playbooks and leaders are shifting because of it.
So today, I want to share five things I'm especially thankful modern leaders are doing differently, because these are the shifts that change everything.
1. Choosing Presence Over Panic
Instead of spiraling, scanning, or sprinting, modern leaders pause.
They ground.
They breathe.
Then they move.
It's a quieter strength but a powerful one.
2. Treating Energy Like a Leadership Tool (Because It Is)
We're done pretending exhaustion earn us gold stars.
Modern leaders are finally seeing that the way they feel shapes the way they think, decide, communicate, and influence.
Energy isn't a "nice to have."
It's leadership fuel.
3. Building Teams Instead of Carrying Them
This year, I watched leaders stop dragging their teams up the mountain and start inviting them to climb.
More ownership.
More accountability.
More growth.
Your back, and your team, thank you.
4. Making Decisions Without the 47-Tab Mental Spiral
No more overthinking for three days.
No more "Do I sound smart enough?" hesitation.
Clear inputs.
Aligned choices.
Done.
Modern leaders are moving with more decisiveness and far less doubt and it shows.
5. Being One Whole Human Everywhere
No more "work version" and "home version."
Just you...consistent, grounded, and aligned wherever you go.
Itâs not performative confidence; itâs grounded confidence.
â¨Why This Matters
Because these five shifts are exactly what todayâs pace, pressure, and people require. When leaders make them, everything gets better:
They start solving the big problems in advance instead of cleaning up the fallout later.
They stop leaking energy.
They stop carrying more than their share.
Their teams move with them.
Their confidence rises.
And their families get the best version of them not what's left over at the end of the day.
This is modern leadership.
And I'm so grateful to be building it with you.
đ Your Takeaway for Thanksgiving Week
Before you step into the holiday, take 30 seconds and ask yourself:
"Which one of these five shifts do I want to practice for the rest of the year?"
Circle it.
Write it on a sticky note.
Put it somewhere you'll see it.
One small shift creates big momentum and this is the easiest place to start.
đHappy Thanksgiving
Whether you're hosting, traveling, cooking, hiding in the pantry for a quiet moment, or just soaking in the season, I'm grateful for you.
If you want a place to stay grounded, clear, and supported in 2026, our next Collective session is December 17 at 3 PM ET. We'd love to have you with us.
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With warmth and gratitude,
Amy
The Two Types of Rest Leaders Rarely Get (But Need This Season)
By November, most leaders are running on a strange mix of adrenaline, obligation, and "just get me to the finish line." But here's the truth we don't talk about enough:
You can sleep eight hours and still feel exhausted.
Because the type of rest you're missing isn't physical - it's emotional and executive-function rest.
Both matter. Both get ignored. And both are especially needed this time of the year.
1. Emotional Rest: Letting Your Shoulders Drop
Emotional rest is the space where you don't have to hold everything together, anticipate everyone's needs, or be "on."
Leaders often go months without it because their identity becomes tied to being the stable one.
This week, try creating one pocket of emotional rest:
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A conversation where you're honest instead of perfectly polished.
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A walk without processing or planning.
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A moment where you let someone else handle the next step.
Emotional rest isn't weakness - it's unclenching.
2. Executive-Function Rest: Giving Your Brain a Loophole
This is the mental break from decision-making, planning, forecasting, and remembering all the tiny details people rely on you for.
Signs you're missing it:
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You forget simple things
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Decision fatigue hits before noon
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Everything feels "loud"
Give yourself a loophole:
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A day (or half day) with no decisions
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Letting someone else choose the restaurant, route, or schedule
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Setting a "nothing gets added to my brain today" boundary.
Your mind needs room to exhale just as much as your body does.
A Small Thanksgiving Reminder
You deserve a holiday that feels restorative, not depleting. If you can give yourself a sliver of emotional rest and a pocket of executive-function rest, your nervous system will feel it and your leadership will, too.
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