When I started writing the Corner Office in 2022, my objective was to provide meaningful insights for HR leaders. Because I believe that leaders owe it to their employees to lead with authenticity and be inspirational to those in their teams. Since then, I have always made a point to intentionally address diversity and inclusion in the holiday season. This year is no different.
During the holiday season in particular the need for authentic leadership is heightened because this season is one of the most emotionally complex periods in the organizational calendar. While it brings celebration and connection for many, it also amplifies stress, financial pressures, personal grief, cultural differences, and competing demands. This is precisely why leadership becomes more important during this time of year.
For me personally, because I have always worked in multicultural environments, I know that this season is a test of authenticity, cultural intelligence and the ability to inspire teams when emotions and expectations run high. So, just like every year, in this week Corner Office I am going to be exploring how this season offers a strategic opportunity to reinforce belonging, demonstrate empathy and strengthen the cultural fabric of our organizations.
Although for many years now leaders have been sharpening their swords to build more inclusive and psychologically safe workspaces, this year, the conversation feels different from years past. Especially now that we have more Millennials and Gen Z in our workforce, our employees have been expecting more clarity, empathy, and authenticity from leaders, coupled with an environment where no one feels compelled to minimize any part of themselves in order to belong. Simply put, employees expect leadership that feels both human and reliable.
So when it comes to the holidays now, this season magnifies this need because it brings the personal and professional worlds into closer proximity than at any other point in the year. It is the period when cultural and religious traditions are most visible, when family responsibilities are most demanding, when financial pressures intensify and when feelings of isolation can unexpectedly surface. Against this backdrop, the way leaders show up has a profound influence on morale, inclusion and trust.
This is also the time of year when cultural diversity becomes especially visible. Teams that work seamlessly throughout the year suddenly find themselves navigating different expectations and observances. Some employees may be celebrating Christmas, others Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, while others may not celebrate anything at all. Inclusive leadership requires a thoughtful awareness of different traditions and an ability to communicate in ways that honor difference without centering any single practice.
And we add to this the growing popularity of geographical dispersion and hybrid work. Hybrid work in fact can intensify feelings of disconnection especially if remote colleagues are unintentionally left out of end-of-year interactions. When leaders make efforts to honor the ways in which all employees celebrate, or not, the holidays, they transform what could easily become a stressful period into a meaningful moment of connection.
Overall, the influence of leadership in December has lasting effects. Employees remember whether their leaders created space for them to manage the season demands without guilt or fear. These impressions shape how people return to work in January. In this sense, the holiday season becomes a pivot point in the cycle of engagement.
The way leaders communicate now reflects the clarity they will be expected to maintain during moments of challenge. The way they model empathy now becomes the standard they will be held to during times of uncertainty. The way they recognize diversity now shapes expectations for how they will manage difference in all other aspects of organizational life.
As HR leaders, we have a responsibility to guide managers through this landscape with intention and foresight. Our role is to help them cultivate cultural intelligence, communicate with openness and lead with authenticity at a time when it matters most.
Are you an HR leader? Here are 3 things you can do to help the managers in your organizations navigate the holidays:
1. Instead of another training session, HR can provide leaders with a concise brief that prompts genuine self-reflection. The self-reflection brief might include reflective questions such as Which team member might find the season difficult and why? How do I intend to support them?
2. HR leaders can help managers prepare for short connection conversations with their teams. Managers could ask their teams questions like What one thing should we protect so we finish strong without burning out?
3. HR can directly support organizational leaders with messages that feel less composed, orchestrated and, to be honest, fake. This could be for example an internal video message or end-of-year message in which leaders communicate honestly, admit uncertainty, or express gratitude in ways that are real rather than scripted.
So dear readers, this week I invite you to see the holiday season not as a collection of celebrations but as a strategic leadership moment. It is a reminder that inclusion is not temporary, empathy is not a seasonal greeting, and authenticity is not an optional competency. When leaders embrace them now, they not only support their teams through the most emotionally charged season of the year, they set a powerful tone for the kind of culture they intend to build in 2026.