Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Adaptive Humans™ is the podcast for real talk and intentional growth. Hosted by Jami de Lou, each episode blends meaningful stories with practical tools you can use in your next meeting, tough conversation, or high-pressure moment—and just as easily in everyday life. Together, we’ll explore how to work with emotions instead of against them, bridge differences with respect, and steady ourselves when stress runs high. With signature segments like Beyond the Bio, Brave Enough Moment, and Just Be Reset, this podcast invites you to practice adaptability in the moments that matter most.
Episode 4 – Navigating the Q4 Storm: Finding Steady Ground in Work, Life, and Transition
Jami de Lou (00:09)
Welcome back to Adaptive Humans, the podcast for real talk and intentional growth. I’m your host, Jami de Lou.
If you’ve been with me from the start, you know this show isn’t about quick leadership tips or productivity hacks. It’s about showing up as our whole selves—in our work, in our families, and in the messy realities of life.
Today, we’re diving into the “Q4 storm.” That end-of-year hustle filled with deadlines, budget reviews, planning for the future, and demands on our time and energy. We’ll talk about how to find steady ground in work, life, and transition—no matter how rocky it feels.
For many, this season feels like a pressure cooker. Executives face investor pressure and economic uncertainty. Rising leaders are in performance reviews or giving high-stakes presentations. Teams risk burnout, silos hardening, and collaboration stalling. And not everyone listening is in a steady role—some are navigating layoffs, reorgs, or job transitions.
This invisible storm can feel especially heavy. The pressure to move forward is still there, but without the steady ground of a paycheck or a team.
And it’s not only about work deadlines. For many, this season also holds sacred meaning—faith, tradition, connection. As I record, we are in the midst of Rosh Hashanah. For those observing, it means stepping away from work to honor this holiday. In workplaces, it means balancing business demands with human needs for inclusivity and belonging.
If you’re feeling the storm—you are not alone. Today, we’ll explore how to recognize it, how to steady yourself, and how to help others navigate without burning out.
________________________________________
The Three Anchors
The anchors I bring to every episode are emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence, and nervous system regulation.
• Emotional intelligence: Noticing what feelings are in the room. If meetings feel tense, people snap, or someone shuts down, you can start with a 30-second check-in. Ask team members to share a word about their energy, mindset, or pace. Make it judgment-free—simply a way to understand how people are showing up.
• Cultural intelligence: Recognizing that not everyone thinks, works, or communicates the same way. One colleague may want quick decisions, another needs time to reflect. Energy may shift because of holidays, fasting, or caregiving demands. Checking in with your team about observances a quarter ahead helps you plan and build trust.
• Nervous system regulation: Paying attention to your own body. Maybe your heart races in a tough conversation or your jaw tightens in a review. Those are fight, flight, freeze, or fawn signals. Regulation means pausing, taking a breath, and responding with clarity instead of reactivity.
These anchors make us adaptive humans. And they matter most in seasons like Q4—when the storm is strongest.
________________________________________
Beyond the Bio
I’ve navigated many Q4 storms—starting new jobs, being laid off, expanding teams, covering for colleagues, managing budget cuts. And all while balancing caregiving, parenting schedules, and personal loss.
What I’ve learned is this: the storms aren’t just about deadlines and strategy. They’re about the exhaustion, fear, grief, and pressure underneath. The harder you grip, the worse it gets.
One of the hardest—and most freeing—lessons was realizing you can’t spreadsheet your way through the storm. What shifts things is naming what’s really happening:
“I’m tired. I’m afraid we won’t deliver. I feel unseen.”
This is the same principle I use with executives and teams. Naming the invisible storm makes space for reconnection. Clarity returns.
And for those in transition—job loss, identity shifts, financial stress—the emotions are different, but the anchors are the same. These aren’t just leadership tools. They’re life tools.
________________________________________
Brave Enough Moment
Being brave enough in Q4 isn’t always about big moves. Sometimes it’s the small, honest moments:
• Admitting you can’t hold it all together.
• Asking a colleague or family member for help.
• Accepting support when someone intervenes.
Brave enough moments can also look different for everyone:
• Balancing thriving at work while a partner faces a layoff.
• Showing up to class while your family faces financial stress.
• Simply holding out hope when life feels uncertain.
Brave enough isn’t just for executives. It’s for anyone facing a storm—at work, at home, or within yourself.
________________________________________
Storm Signals & Adaptive Responses
Here are storm signals to watch for in Q4—and adaptive ways to respond:
• Emotional reactivity → Pause. Name what’s happening emotionally before diving back in.
• Cultural clashes → Translate. Ask for perspectives instead of assuming intent.
• Nervous system overload → Reset. Take a breath, soften your shoulders, choose clarity.
• Budget stress → Flex. Plan ahead, share calendars, give flexibility.
• Holiday tension → Acknowledge. Note observances on calendars and avoid scheduling conflicts.
• Isolation → Reconnect. Reach out to a friend, mentor, or trusted colleague.
This is adaptive leadership: shifting from reactivity to resilience, from silence to connection.
________________________________________
Just Be Reset
Let’s do a simple reset together.
Sit with both feet flat on the ground. Drop your shoulders. Unclench your jaw. Inhale through your nose, exhale slowly. Even one intentional breath can change the energy.
If you’re in a meeting, this might look like shifting in your chair, sipping water, or taking five seconds to reset before speaking. Why it works: it interrupts reactivity, signals safety to your nervous system, and creates space for clarity.
________________________________________
Closing
Today, we named the invisible storm of Q4 and explored how emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence, and nervous system regulation can steady us and those around us.
You can’t outwork the storm with more spreadsheets or late nights. But you can calm the storm within yourself—and bring clarity back to your circles.
This week, notice one storm signal in your life. Instead of reacting, try an energy shift or take a small step to honor a colleague’s observance.
I’d love to hear from you: What storms are you navigating this Q4? What brings you joy or hope in the middle of it? Share in the comments—you never know who might feel less alone because of your story.
For more tools, check out my blog at deloustrategies.com. You’ll find resources on leading with understanding and respecting religious observances, along with a 2025 calendar of key holidays.
And if you’re in transition, remember: closing the year strong isn’t just about proving your worth on paper. It’s also about how you treat yourself along the way. Take good care.
Until next time, remember: I am brave. I am enough. I am brave enough. And so are you.
This is Adaptive Humans—real talk, intentional growth.