Table of Contents

• La Befana, Epiphany, and why good leaders plan for …

  • A Few Tactical Ways to Build Buffers as You Plan

  • Closing Thought

• 1% Solutions

• Things I’m Reading

Hello!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a chance to rest and restore a bit. After a busy Christmas Eve and Day (we’re Italian- it’ a marathon), my sisters, brothers-in-law, niblings and partner spent a few days up in Saugerties. I’m not sure if you can say it was calm per se with two four year olds, but it was joyful, ridiculous and at a slower pace.

There are a few things brewing in the new year, and I’ll share more as the year unfolds. For now, look out for:

• All workshops for 2026 with dates in next week’s newsletter

• New offerings in February

• A new offering for resource-strapped orgs that still want to do right by their people in late March

I’ll be doing a bit more planning and listening this month and would love to her from you. What resources are you craving? What are the pain points in your team? Are there playbooks or templates that would help you lead ore effectively? Simply hit reply here or feel free to find time to chat.

And, as a side note, I’ll have openings for two clients starting in March. If you are navigating change or growth, have or are a new executive (or new to a role), or looking to strengthen your team’s leadership, let’s talk.

La Befana, Epiphany, and why good leaders plan for reality

Every year, the holidays sneak up on me.

Not in a “how is it already December?” way — but in a “wow, this escalated quickly” way. I have good intentions: holiday cards, thoughtful gifts, a slower and more meaningful close to the year. Sometimes I even start planning and buying in October. And then, I feel ahead so I stop. Then life happens. Work ramps up. Something unexpected pops up. You come down with the plague like 50% of NYC.

So no — not everything I want to do happens by Christmas- and I’ve stopped treating that as a failure.

Part of that is practical. Part of it is cultural (or at least, I tell myself so). The Christmas season doesn’t actually end on December 25th — it runs through Epiphany. And if my ancestors could celebrate La Befana — the old woman who delivers gifts after Christmas — then I think I’m allowed a little flexibility too.

One of the biggest lessons I think is why she was late.

La Befana didn’t miss the moment because she didn’t care. She missed it because she was busy — tending to her home, managing the day-to-day, doing what needed to be done. By the time she looked up, the moment had passed.

That’s the trap I’m trying not to fall into during the holidays. I don’t want a perfectly executed season. I want to enjoy it — the conversations, the meals, the quiet moments that don’t make it onto a list. When everything is scheduled down to the minute, stress crowds out presence. You’re technically on track, but you’re not really there.

That’s why I build in buffers.

For me, buffers aren’t about doing less or lowering standards. They’re about making space to be in the moment — to notice patterns, to listen more carefully, to actually talk to people instead of rushing toward the next deadline. They give me room to adjust without abandoning direction.

La Befana didn’t stop caring because she was late. She gathered what she could and kept going, leaving gifts as she went. The meaning wasn’t lost because the timing shifted.

Leadership works the same way.

When plans are packed too tightly, leaders miss what matters most — the signals people are sending, shifts in energy, the moments that call for judgment instead of speed. Buffers allow you to respond to reality while still moving forward. They create space for conversation, reflection, and better decisions — not just faster execution.

A Few Tactical Ways to Build Buffers as You Plan

If you want this to be more than a nice idea, here are a few ways to make it real:

1. Plan in ranges, not single dates- Instead of “this will be done by December 15,” try “ready between December 15–22.” You’re still accountable — you’ve just acknowledged reality. (For my ADHD brain I usually schedule a draft due date, review period, and final due date as well, but you do you).

2. Name what’s most likely to go sideways- Ask yourself or your team: What usually slows this down? Where do we consistently underestimate time or effort? Then plan around that, not in spite of it.

3. Separate direction from precision early on- Clarity of direction matters more than perfect timelines at the start. People do better when they know what matters most and what can move.

4. Build buffers into conversations, not just plans- In check-ins, don’t just ask “are we on track?” Also ask: What’s shifted? What needs adjusting? What support would help right now?

Buffers live in how you lead, not just how you schedule.

Closing Thought

Somethings didn’t happen perfectly or on time this holiday.

Leadership is the same.

Plans that allow for adjustment don’t weaken your authority — they strengthen your credibility. They signal that you understand reality and can navigate it with steadiness.

So as you plan the next season — whether it’s a quarter, a year, or just the next few weeks — leave yourself and your people a little room. Because even La Befana needed time to get there.

1% Solutions

• Run a “decision rights reset” before frustration builds- the new year provides an opportunity to look at 2025 problems with fresh eyes. When tension shows up, it’s often not about performance—it’s about unclear ownership. Take 15 minutes in a team meeting to clarify who recommends, decides, executes, and is consulted on one recurring decision. You’ll prevent weeks of second-guessing with a single conversation.

• Normalize growth conversations outside of review season- Don’t wait for performance reviews to talk about development. Ask at least once a quarter: What do you want more of, less of, or to learn next? People stay when they can see a future—even if it’s evolving.

• Debrief interviews with evidence, not vibes- After interviews, require interviewers to cite specific examples before making a recommendation. This slows bias, improves decision quality, and models what “fair evaluation” actually looks like in practice. This also requires you to prep interviewers to do this: through training, interview guides and scoring guides. (If you’re not sure where to start, hit reply and let’s talk).

Things I’m Reading

• Gen Z Isn’t Quiet Quitting, They’re Rejecting Outdated Leadership Models- If you’ve been around this newsletter, then you’ve heard me talk about this before. But Gen Z’s level of engagement and work is a direct result of the quality of leadership and clarity of communication. This Fast Company article offers a potential framework and examples of what it looks like in practice (I’m not a fan of casual 1:1s in place of performance reviews, but I do like it as an addition- minus the golf example mentioned).

• Most Resolutions Collapse by February- while this article focuses on resolutions (which may or may not be relevant for you) this does uncover some interesting science around goal setting. A 2025 multi-country study examining goal persistence found the strongest predictor of whether someone follows through n a resolution isn’t willpower, discipline or specificity (Sorry, SMART goals). It’s about intrinsic motivation & purpose. For me, this stresses the importance of folks understanding the why and purpose of their goals- and how they contribute to the bigger picture.