How to Lead Through Summer Without Letting Urgency Run the Work

Summer can change the rhythm of work fast. PTO stacks up, vacations overlap, kids are out of school, approvals take longer, and suddenly every request starts to feel urgent.But every request does not deserve the same level of urgency.In this episode of We Are Women, Unapologetically, Jessica Cumming breaks down how to lead through the summer season without letting urgency run the work. This is a practical leadership reset for managers, project owners, senior individual contributors, caregivers, and high performers trying to keep work moving while real-life calendars keep shifting.You’ll learn how to sort work by what actually needs priority, progress, or a hold; how to build a coverage map before someone goes out on PTO; how to name what changes before saying yes to one more “Can we get this done before vacation?” request; and how to use a simple 10-minute summer reset to keep your team focused.Because urgency can get your attention, but it should not be what makes the plan.In this episode, we cover:How summer changes workplace rhythm, priorities, and decision-makingWhy every task should not receive the same level of urgencyHow to sort work into priority, progress, and holdHow to plan around PTO, vacation coverage, and unavailable decision-makersWhy leaders need to name tradeoffs before saying yes to urgent requestsHow to use the 10-minute summer reset with your teamWhat to do when the calendar starts driving the work instead of leadership guiding itIf you are leading a team, managing projects, navigating summer PTO, or trying to keep work moving without creating unnecessary pressure, this episode will help you slow the chaos, focus the work, and lead with more intention.Subscribe to We Are Women, Unapologetically, for bold conversations about leadership, career transitions, confidence, growth, and what it really means to lead without losing yourself.Connect with Jessica on LinkedInInquire about having Jessica speak at your event