How are you preparing yourself and your team to carry momentum into the new year?

This article is paired with my latest podcast episode, How High Performers Approach Q4 Differently, releasing tomorrow. If you want to dive deeper into these ideas, you can follow here so you never miss an episode: Elite Achievement Podcast.

For many leaders, Q4 feels like a marathon. Some are energized because they are on track to exceed their goals. Others are discouraged and tempted to check out. Many are somewhere in the middle, close enough to see their goals within reach, but not quite there yet.

No matter where you stand, Q4 is pivotal. How you finish shapes how you start the next year.

• If you coast, you carry complacency forward.
• If you scramble, you carry stress forward.
• If you finish with clarity and focus, you carry momentum forward.

And momentum compounds.

High performers know this. That is why they approach Q4 differently, not with frantic hustle but with clarity, accountability, and confidence. 

Marathons teach us what Q4 demands: stamina, clarity, and the belief that you can finish strong. Here are three practices to help you do the same.

1. Define What “Finishing Strong” Means

High performers do not leave finishing strong to chance. They define it.

This means stepping back from the Q4 busyness and asking: What absolutely needs to be accomplished to both close the year well and set up a strong start in January?

Defining finishing strong helps you:

• Separate the urgent from the truly important
• Direct your team’s focus where it matters most
• Replace uncertainty with clarity and confidence

Clarity is contagious. When you are focused, your team knows exactly where to put their energy.

2. Build Accountability into Q4

Most people do not fail because they do not know what to do. They fail because they do not consistently do what they already know works.

That is why accountability is a cornerstone of high performance. Athletes have coaches and teammates who ensure they show up, whether they feel motivated or not. In business, the same principle applies.

Ask yourself: What accountability do I need in Q4?

That might look like:

• Weekly check-ins with a peer
• Sharing priorities with your team and reporting progress
• Working with a coach who ensures you stay focused

Accountability transforms good intentions into consistent execution.

3. Strengthen Your Mindset

Q4 tests your mental game.

• If you are behind, doubt creeps in.
• If you are on track, you risk second-guessing yourself.
• If you are ahead, the temptation to coast is strong.

High performers design confidence. They choose the books, mentors, and environments that reinforce possibility, not limitation. They rely on practices such as reflection, gratitude, exercise, and time with family that keep them grounded and focused under pressure.

A strong mindset ensures you do not just finish Q4, you enter the new year with energy and momentum.

The Leadership Opportunity

As a leader, you set the tone. Your clarity becomes your team’s clarity. Your accountability structures become their consistency. Your mindset shapes the environment they operate in.

That is why I partner with leadership teams to facilitate Study Groups designed to build accountability, sharpen focus, and strengthen the mindset of entire teams. If you are thinking about how to invest in your people for the year ahead, this can be a powerful way to do it.

A Challenge for You

Q4 is not the time to coast or scramble. It is the time to finish with intention.

So ask yourself:

• What does finishing strong mean for me and my team?
• What accountability will keep us consistent?
• How will we strengthen our mindset under pressure?

Run your whole race. Finish with clarity, focus, and confidence. And step into the new year with momentum.