The First Monday After Independence Day

The fireworks are over. The flags have been folded away, and the long weekend has come to an end. Tomorrow morning, millions of people return to work, open their laptops, check their calendars, and pick up where they left off before the holiday.

I've always found that transition interesting.

For a few days, we celebrate the idea of independence—the courage to imagine a different future and the willingness to challenge the way things were. Then Monday arrives, and we settle back into familiar routines. There's nothing wrong with that. Work is important, and routines help us move forward. But the first Monday after Independence Day offers something else if we're willing to notice it: a chance to look at our work with fresh eyes.

One of the easiest things to lose in leadership is curiosity. Over time, the way we hire, develop people, define success, and evaluate performance begins to feel fixed. We inherit job descriptions, competency models, performance reviews, and leadership practices, and eventually we stop asking whether they still reflect what the work actually requires.

I've come to believe that many performance problems begin there—not with the person, but with the assumptions we've stopped questioning. We assume we know what a role demands. We assume experience predicts success. We assume that if someone isn't performing, the answer is more coaching, more accountability, or another training program. Sometimes those assumptions are right. Often, they're simply familiar.

The leaders who consistently build high-performing teams seem to do something different. Before they make decisions, they take the time to understand what success actually requires. They look beyond résumés and credentials. They pay attention to the conditions that enable people to do their best work. They understand that performance is influenced not only by the individual, but also by the role, the environment, and the expectations surrounding it.

As we settle back into our routines this week, perhaps that's the opportunity worth taking. Not to come back with more energy or a longer to-do list, but with one good question: What assumption about performance have I accepted simply because it's the way we've always done it?

Meaningful change rarely begins with a new initiative. More often, it begins with a leader who is willing to pause, observe, and see something that everyone else has overlooked. Sometimes that's all it takes to open the door to a better way forward.