The politics that greet us in the week before Christmas
The week that shapes the year ahead
The week before Christmas isn’t just a calendar quirk. It’s the moment when politics, optics, and urgency collide. Sponsors want updates before they disappear and peers push for “just one more decision” or “just one more thing.” Your teams are tired but they are also watching closely
As a senior product and transformation leader, you will be defined by the politics that greet you in this coming week. The artificial deadlines, the last minute asks, and the narratives that will carry well into the new year. How you respond sets the tone for your credibility and momentum in 2026
The political dynamics of the week before Christmas
What’s almost guaranteed to show up?
Artificial urgency
“Before Christmas” becomes the default deadline, even for work that doesn’t truly need to be finished before then. Leaders who distinguish between genuine priorities and manufactured ones demonstrate sound judgment. Those who cave to every request that comes in risk looking reactive rather than strategic
Closing deals before the break
Everyone knows January is a quiet month and in February people are just dusting off the mental and motivational cobwebs for the first time in the new year. Decision makers are harder to reach and momentum is slow because productivity is only ramping up. Leaders who anticipate this dynamic and work hard to close deals, finalise critical decisions, and make their asks before the break are seen as pragmatic and forward thinking. Those who scramble at the last minute or leave things open over the break often lose ground until March
Stakeholder reassurance
Executives want confidence that initiatives are under control before they finally allow themselves to switch off for a few weeks. Silence or vague messaging leaves your stakeholders uneasy and weakens your sponsorship in the new year. Be proactive and offer crisp, clear, and confident final communications to set their minds at ease, knowing that they can trust the fact that “you’ve got it”
Team fatigue
By December, teams are tired and distracted. Especially this year where they’ve likely had to:
manage the constant stress and anxiety of continuous restructures,
operate with the leanest resourcing they’ve had to for a long time, if ever, to deliver much more with much less, and
balance productivity with personal commitments. 2025 has been a hard year in life and at work and everyone has felt it
Leaders who balance empathy with delivery protect both credibility and performance whilst building loyalty at a time when it’s increasingly rare
Boundary setting
Saying ‘no’ in December is politically harder because every request feels urgent. See the earlier point about artificial urgency. Leaders who master this balance protect both focus and relationships. It also builds their reputation and the respect that others have for them because there is a demonstration of humanity at a time when it is needed the most
Narrative framing
The way you close the year off in meetings, emails, or town halls becomes the story people carry forward into the new year. Leaders who frame the coming year as one to be hopeful and optimistic about set the scene to recover momentum quickly in January for those who are only taking a short break. Those who frame it as one of survival undermine confidence in themselves, their people, and the organisation as a whole. Starting from a point of despair and disengagement means you have a long way to recovery from in January and February when everyone returns
The lessons of the week before Christmas
This week isn’t downtime. It’s a compressed version of the invisible game. Boundaries, optics, and reciprocity are magified. Leaders who treat this week as a political opportunity, not just a logistical one, enter January with stronger alliances, locked in commitments, and clearer positioning
From articles to action
Reading about what to expect next week is different to actually putting it into action. Consider this your wake up call. Get yourself sorted so that you are:
Making your asks early. Don’t wait until the last day to push for approvals or deals
Framing trade offs strategically. Defer non-critical work with clear reasoning
Saying ‘no’ with context. Protect focus without eroding trust. All it takes is to share why, not just saying ‘no’
Being visible where it counts. Choose one or two critical moments to show your presence and authority
Shaping the narrative. Your final message sets the tone for how you’re judged in 2026
This is not the time to be reactive. Everyone else is, so you need to be different
A note of thanks
As 2025 draws to a close I want to pause and say thank you to my clients and my readers for your trust and engagement throughout the year. Your willingness to challenge assumptions, share insights, and lean into the invisible game that we all have to play (whether we like it or not) has shaped every conversation and every piece of work that I’ve had this year
Your partnership in 2025 has been invaluable, and it sets the stage for an even more impactful 2026
What’s next?
If you’re a Head of, Director, General Manager, or C-Level product and transformation leader, the week before the Christmas break is not downtime. It’s the proving ground for 2026. The leaders who sharpen their edge now enter January positioned to lead and not scramble
The invisible game doesn’t pause for the holiday season. It only accelerates when scrutiny is high, fatigue is real, and every move now sets the tone for the year ahead
In 2026 as we dive deeper into the world of AI, executive coaching can give you a competitive advantage by strengthening the humans skills within you that technology cannot replace:
Creating clarity. Cut through noise and set priorities fast when deadlines and demands collide
Influencing in a way that sticks. Build rapport, relationships, and respect with stakeholders in a way that you can depend on
Leading with resilience. Pace product development and transformations in a way that your teams stay engaged and high performers don’t burn out
Controlling your narrative. Frame your leadership style, your intent, and your legacy before the plethora of dashboards, analysts, or AI systems define it for you whilst you wait
Sharpen your human edge in the age of AI. Sharpen your judgment, empathy, and political acumen to complement technology, not compete with it
Practicing agility whilst experiencing volatility. Prepare paths to pivot to so that you can stay proactive when markets or geopolitics shift
Acting with purpose and building trust. Act with purpose and give meaning to the work that you and your people do. Be transparent with your decision making and be as inclusive as you can in that process. Meet the rising expectations of your workforce because they’re no longer satisfied with just turning up and taking orders
Being outcome focused. Define and communicate success in concrete, measurable terms so new products are developed successfully with customers in mind and transformations don’t stall under intense scrutiny
Coaching won’t hand you outcomes on a silver platter, but it will equip you with the skills to create them. It’s always been lonely at the top. You often can’t talk with the people around you about the issues you’re dealing with, but you always need to work through these problems with someone else to gain perspective and put together your action plan. That’s what coaching is here for. Thought partnership under a confidential setting.
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