Leading Through Life’s Seasons

September always feels like a reset. The pace shifts. Summer fades, school buses return to the streets, and the air holds the promise of change.

For many of us, it’s a season of transition not just in the weather, but in life and leadership. Personally, I’ve been navigating my own changes this season. Balancing client travel, the ongoing recovery of my husband’s surgery, and even walking through the loss of a loved one has reminded me of a truth I think every healthcare leader can relate to: leadership isn’t about standing still; it’s about leading through the seasons.

And just like many of you, I’ve also been reminded that leadership doesn’t stop when the workday ends. Marriage, family, friendships, and personal loss all intersect with the responsibilities we carry as leaders. Learning how to tend to both has been its own lesson in grace, balance, and resilience.

Seasons of Leadership

In home health and hospice, the seasons look different.

There are seasons when census is high, survey windows loom, and staffing feels tight. Other times, the pace slows just enough to breathe and focus on building systems or coaching your team. And sometimes, it feels like both at once.

Through all of it, leaders carry the responsibility of creating stability when everything else feels like it’s shifting.

Three Anchors in Changing Seasons

Here are three reminders that have grounded me in this season and may encourage you as well:

1. Consistency beats intensity.
   We don’t need to do everything at once. But showing up consistently; whether that’s one chart review a day, one caregiver conversation, or one leadership huddle; builds far more strength than frantic bursts of effort.
   

2. Grace is not weakness.
   Just as patients and families need compassion, so do leaders and teams. Extending grace (to yourself and others) creates space for growth, not just correction.
   

3. Purpose is the constant.
   Seasons shift. Demands change. But purpose, the “why” behind what we do anchors us. In home health and hospice, that purpose is clear: patients and families depend on us at their most vulnerable moments.

Final Thought

Leadership, like life, has its seasons. Some hold joy, some hold heartache, and many carry a mix of both. I’ve been reminded that we don’t get to choose the seasons; we only get to choose how we move through them.

As leaders, that means anchoring ourselves in consistency, extending grace to ourselves and others, and staying rooted in the purpose that drives our work. Even in seasons marked by loss, transition, or change, we can still lead with clarity, courage, and compassion.

What season are you in right now and what anchor will carry you through it?