What Research tells us about Leading through Busy Periods

Many of you found this useful last year, and it feels like the right time to revisit it as September approaches. As we get ready to head into the September to November sprint, that intense period when strategic initiatives collide with year-end pressures, this is the point in the year I often see teams start anticipating the strain, well before the workload itself picks up. And that tracks since the feeling of overwhelm can, and often does, arise before the actual work itself intensifies, which is both fascinating and a little concerning.

What we know from research: Research shows that the anticipation of increased workload makes current stress worse. When employees expect things to get busier, they experience more emotional strain from their existing workload. However, and this is crucial, when people can see an endpoint to intense periods, the relationship flips. Knowing when the pressure will ease helps them tolerate current stress better.

My POV: Most leaders focus on managing the workload itself during peak periods. That matters, but there’s another lever worth pulling: how clearly you frame what’s coming. The stress your team feels is real, not imagined. When people can’t see past the mountain of work, every current task feels heavier. But when you give them clarity about both the peak and the valley beyond it, you turn that same hard work into something sustainable.

As a Leader, what can you do?

• Map the peaks and valleys explicitly. Don’t just warn about busy periods, show your team the complete picture. “September through November will be intense as we close three major deals and finalise next year’s strategy. December 20th onwards, we’re protecting recharge time with no new initiatives until January 10th.” When people see the finish line, they feel better able to run as hard and fast as they can.
• Give teams more control over how work gets done. Instead of prescribing exactly how tasks should be completed, let teams self-organise around deliverables. Allow them to make quick decisions without multiple layers of approval. Build in brief weekly check-ins where teams can share what’s working and quickly adjust what isn’t. This autonomy transforms how overwhelming work feels.
• Create radical transparency about priorities. Make it crystal clear what’s truly urgent versus what can wait. Share openly about what projects are on hold and why. When teams can see the full picture, including what you’re deliberately not doing right now, they waste less mental energy worrying about hidden expectations or surprise demands.

What difference will it make? When teams can anticipate both the challenge and the recharge ahead, they engage with a busy season differently. They give it everything, the way runners push hardest when they know where the finish line is. Combined with giving teams more autonomy and fewer interruptions, you’ll see them sustaining strong performance through peak periods without the usual exhaustion that leads to turnover.

It’s our role as leaders to make peak periods genuine seasons of positive stretch, and to remember, through the busyness and pressure, to celebrate performance, learning and results.

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