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Welcome to the great shift into a new season, new routines, and a brand-new quarter. The fourth quarter of the year is like the final quarter of a good game. It’s win or lose time, and this often comes down to two things: FOCUS and INTENSITY.

If you are behind on your personal or professional goals, this is your chance to win. If your team is behind on organizational goals, you still have time to come from behind and gain the victory.

FOCUS

Here are five ways you can lead yourself and your team to victory in this fourth quarter.

Fire up the Enthusiasm

You are like the coach in the locker room. What you say to your team before this last quarter can directly impact the outcome, for good or for bad. You, as the leader, must convey a winning attitude with enthusiasm. And to convey that attitude, you must develop it in yourself.

This is why you must find ways to be fired with enthusiasm, from within and from those who coach you. Tap into your sources of inspiration and motivation so you can then share that enthusiasm with others.

And remember the infamous words of Vince Lombardi:

“If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.”

Outline the Plan

You are responsible for outlining the plan for which your team will run the plays. It sounds simple, but in the real world, leaders abdicate planning all the time. They may pop up at intervals with random ideas without taking the time to think them through. There is no vetting, and no testing for viability, timing, and resources. This can interrupt the team’s progress and frustrate the players.

Here is a real-life example.

You want to launch a new program or market initiative right after the new year. You tell your team about it the first week of December, just before you take off for the holidays. This leaves your team to scramble during a time when they should be off for the holidays as well, so they can recharge and get ready for the new year.

What if, instead, you notified your team at the beginning of the fourth quarter what you needed to have in place for the first quarter? Does this give them time to accomplish the goal? Does this ensure you are available for questions as they progress?

The first approach will create intensity, and a dedicated team will do what it takes to win. But it does not allow time for focus. Focus plus intensity creates success.

Here’s the bottom line: Outline the plan with your team at the first of the quarter, not at the end. A Hail Mary pass is not a guaranteed win.

Communicate the Playbook

Planning is essential, but it also is not a standalone. It requires communication if the team is to succeed. You can hold the playbook all day, but the action begins when you communicate the plays to your team.

This is active leadership – communicating, guiding, training, and coaching. Have the plan, definitely. But communicate the plan so that each player knows their part.

Understand the Strengths of Your Team

Coaches know that a running back is built differently than a lineman, and that each has strengths unique to them. They know that switching their positions would not set them or their team up for success, but instead set them up for failure, or, worse, injury. They have too much invested in each player to make this mistake.

The same holds true in business. You hire and invest heavily in each member of your team. They have unique strengths. To have success, you must learn these strengths and position them well. When they win, you win, and the whole organization becomes stronger.

Set the Standards High

No coach in their right mind would give a, “Well, just go out there and play OK” speech before an important fourth quarter. But there are times when players don’t want to put it all on the line. They may feel tired, distracted, or mentally defeated.

It is your job as the leader to reset the standard. Remind them of their responsibility to the team and why their actions matter. Implore them to tap deeply into their strengths and bring their best forward. Help them to see the success that is possible, even when they can’t see it themselves, and to fight through to victory when they don’t think they can.

This is the “We are Marshall” moment, where your team realizes the moment is bigger than them and that they are the standard bearers.

Applied focus brings intensity, and intensity brings victory. Will your team be the winning team?

For valuable resources on Leadership Strengths and Tools, click here.

Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after executive coach, mentor, consultant, and speaker worldwide. Deb is well versed in business operations and in the importance of asking key questions most business leaders won’t ask themselves. She brings deep experience in leadership development, strategy, high performance team building and effective communication. She has a passion for leading people to discover and maximize their strengths as well as those of fellow team members, while offering advanced strategies to achieve high performance. Deb is the perfect fit if you’re ready to take your leadership and impact to the next level!