Momentum, in Motion
September seems to slide everything back into motion again.
The slower pace of summer gives way to full calendars, new priorities, and the familiar feeling that suddenly everything is happening at once. It is a season of starting, restarting, and, just as importantly, delivering on the things that have been building behind the scenes.
That has certainly been true for me this month.
We have been moving several pieces of work forward at the same time: completing the first phase of a Director Professional Development Program, wrapping a 360 process that included 55 interviews, and launching work with a asset management new client.
Different clients. Different work. Different timelines.
And yet, there is a common thread running through all of it.
Momentum only matters when you can translate it into delivery.
It is easy to feel momentum when there is lots happening. The harder and more important work is keeping that momentum moving while staying focused on what needs to actually get done.
ELEVATE
One of the things that keeps coming up for me this month is that execution is not at the opposite end of strategy. It is often embedded inside, competing for attention and delivery deadlines.
The 360 process is a good example. 55 interviews meant 55 individual conversations, perspectives, observations, and experiences to hold. The work was not simply about collecting feedback. It was about creating a process that not only weaved together many perspectives in a meaningful way, it also had to create the space and room for each interviewee to open up honestly and thoughtfully.
One of the leaders I was working with found himself getting stuck on some of the feedback he received. His defensiveness came to the forefront and when the feedback came back, it was difficult to hear some of what others were saying about his leadership.
Part of our work was to slow that down and create some space between receiving the feedback and reacting to it. What if the feedback wasn't a judgment or a punishment? What if it was information that could help him see something he could not see on his own?
That shift in perspective changed the conversation. Instead of focusing on whether the feedback was right or wrong, we began exploring what he might learn from it and what he wanted to do with it.
This is what elevating looks like - rising above the initial frustration and distrust, creating enough space to see the situation differently, and then taking the elements of the feedback that can have a real impact on how you lead. It is not about agreeing with every piece of feedback. It is about being willing to look at it, learn from it, and decide what you want to do with it.
There is something about completing a project like this that makes you stop and appreciate the work behind the outcome. The planning, the conversations, the follow-through, and the ability to keep moving when there are many pieces in motion are all part of the leadership work.
We often talk about leadership in terms of vision, influence, presence, or strategy. All of those matter. But there is another piece that deserves attention: the ability to keep moving forward while remaining open to what the work is teaching you.
That is where momentum becomes tangible.
EMPOWER
The return to a busy calendar also brings an interesting leadership question: how do we keep everything moving without allowing everything to become urgent?
I see this with leaders all the time. When multiple priorities are competing for attention, it can be easy to hear yourself say, “Oh my gosh, I’m so busy. I feel so overwhelmed.”
While that feeling is real and we objectively do have a lot on our plates, what happens if, before immediately trying to fix the feeling of being busy, we pause for a moment and notice what is underneath it.
For me, this month, that pause has brought a different perspective. Yes, there is a lot happening. There are multiple projects moving forward, new conversations beginning, existing relationships deepening, and plenty of details to keep track of.
And there is also something I don't want to lose sight of: I am grateful to be full.
I am grateful to have work that matters to me. I am grateful for the clients who trust me with their people and their organizations. And I am especially grateful to look at the work happening today and remember that this business was built from the ground up, one relationship, one conversation, and one piece of work at a time.
Sometimes the very thing we describe as “too much” is also evidence of something we worked hard to create.
That doesn't mean we need to glorify overwhelm or keep pushing simply because there is more to do. It means we can hold both things at once: this is a lot and I am grateful that this is my lot.
That has been part of my own practice this month. Rather than immediately moving into, “How am I going to get everything done?” I have been trying to pause, take stock, and appreciate the momentum that is already here.
Because momentum does not require constant acceleration. Sometimes it requires knowing what needs your attention now, what can wait, and where you need to create space for the work to happen well.
This is what empowering ourselves can look like: recognizing that even when there is a lot happening around us, we still have choices about how we respond, where we put our energy, and what we allow to become urgent. We can acknowledge that the workload is real while also choosing not to let the feeling of being busy take over.
The invitation is not to do everything at once. It is to notice what is moving, appreciate what you have built, and make intentional choices about where to put your energy next.
RESULTS
And then there are the moments when you can see that the work is landing.
This month, we successfully closed out the first phase of a Director Professional Development Program. After the Town Hall earlier in the summer, where I had the opportunity to speak to the broader department about the program, it was meaningful to see that work move from introduction into delivery.
One of the leaders involved shared this with us:
“Your thoughtful presentation and facilitation helped guide a meaningful and engaging discussion, and your presence played an important role in making the session a success.”
That feedback means a great deal to me because it speaks to something I care deeply about: creating experiences that move people forward, not simply filling time on a calendar.
For me, this is what results look like. The program moved from an idea to a first phase completed. Leaders had the opportunity to engage with the work, reflect on their own leadership, and begin applying it. And the feedback tells us that the experience itself created value.
At the same time, we have been beginning a new client partnership, which brings its own energy and opportunity to learn, listen, and understand what the organization needs next.
This is what results look like: not simply having a lot in motion, but being able to look back and see what actually moved forward. A 360 process completed after 55 interviews. A first phase of leadership development delivered. A new partnership beginning. Existing relationships continuing to deepen.
Different pieces, all moving forward.
And that is what momentum looks like.
Not doing more for the sake of doing more, but continuing to move the right things forward while delivering on the commitments already in motion.