It is tempting to dust off our desktop after summer holidays, dive into July, and plan new marketing promotions. Let me suggest an alternative. Slow down to move fast by launching an After Action Review (AAR).

Teams and leaders are simply exhausted. They need more than a summer sojourn and a mint julep to recuperate. And so do I. The first step towards recovery? Identify root causes of fatigue.

The wisdom to pause, reflect, and remain calm has gotten me safely to the other side of big life transitions. I call that process my “Plan BE.”

Marketing wisdom evolves from the marriage of knowledge and experience—and helps us make choices in an ever-changing, unpredictable world.

Each year, we select a senior growth leader for our CLIC Beacon Award. We honor and recognize their commitment to promoting shared knowledge, inspiration, and experiences. The recipient  models the traits of a strategic leader: open, real, and respectful.

The Midlife Innovator cohort (our 9th) will harness corporate and personal wisdom to fuel reinvention and long-term growth.

What I recommend is contrary to Western work norms: stop plate-spinning. In my recent LinkedIn newsletter, I have outlined the case to embrace the power of the pause.

Why does this topic matter? Because I am witnessing how generative AI and efficiency pressures are plunging CEOs, CMOs and market leaders into a pile of misaligned teams, missed deadlines, and competing priorities.

AI has forever changed how we innovate and collaborate. Move your 2024 growth strategies forward faster at CLIC ’24, happening May 1-2 in New York.

“The most important thing for who you are is not what you say YES to, but what you say NO to.” If these wise words work for A-listers, they can work for you.