By October, leadership energy often drifts. Urgency rises. Important work risks being crowded out by the noise.
Add to this mix, the frictions in our teams become frustrations and fractures as people's patience wears thin. Maybe you're feeling this yourself?
It is tempting, especially now, to lean on bursts of effort - last-minute intensity, energy surges, or rapid campaigns of attention. Yet leadership that builds capacity, shapes culture, and strengthens momentum over time rests on something a little more boring.
Consistency.
It is not the big moments alone that define a culture. It is what we signal through steady, everyday actions. How we show up when no-one is cheering or watching. What our teams come to count on.
In cultures that work, trust is built not through intense pushes but through consistent, credible signals. Consistency builds safety, alignment, and readiness. Intensity without consistency burns people out.
Research shows us that people would rather work for a consistently bad leader than an inconsistent one - because predictability, even if poor, feels safer than uncertainty.
Take a moment to reflect:
-
Where have you been consistent this year?
-
Where have you relied on bursts of energy instead of steadily showing up?
- Where could you benefit from being a little more boring?
You might be familiar with my Leadershift program? Its a six month leadership development program focused on modernising how we lead. At the start of the program, leaders are most looking forward to the performance and alignment sessions. Yet, two of the most consistently popular masterclasses are Creating Capacity and Recharge. I'm not sure if its because people under-estimate the power of these practices, feel like they are already on top of these elements or if they don't realise that work doesn't have to feel this way. Let me know why you think this might be?
In recognition of our collective energy levels at this time of year, as part of my public Masterclass series this year, I'm hosting a Recharge: Rhythm, Rest & Recovery Masterclass on November 28. I've never offered it outside of Leadershift before.
Together, we will focus on resetting and restoring our energy, and setting up the summer to recharge on purpose - with the practical strategies you've come to expect from me. It's $149 for 90 minutes timeout focusing on you.
Sometimes focusing on the foundations feels boring.
Consistency isn't glamorous. It doesn't feel fast or remarkable.
Yet it is one of the most powerful leadership signals you can send, especially when the pace and pressure around you begin to peak.
It is how cultures are built.
It is how trust is earned.
It is how readiness is shaped.
It is why, sometimes, boring is better.
Thanks for exploring with me,
Meredith
PS In November, I'm opening up Mentoring places for 2026. I only work with 10 leaders at any one time and they fill fast. If you're considering mentoring with me, please let the team know so we can sercure your place or add you to the waiting list.
Culture can take you further than Strategy can imagine.
Responses