December 4, 2025

The holidays are upon us, and they’re happening fast. I am sure many a leader has had this kind of a discussion: “What do we get as a present to those in our organizations? Does it seem like things are moving fast? Christmas is just 21 days away. Most, if not all, of your days are probably filled with professional and personal commitments. Many leaders are nodding and shaking their heads, asking what gifts they can give this year. I am indeed a fan of giving and receiving presents and having celebrations. It is a great way to say thank you, yet I see it as only a part of what followers really want, and something leaders can choose to practice, especially in this season, that will make a big difference. The gift is themselves, their leadership presence.

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Leaders can choose to double-dip on their impact by thanking and showing appreciation to those they lead at this time of year. Many leaders choose to deliver presents and host celebrations at this time of year. These are undoubtedly excellent practices for recognizing those you lead. The double dip is arguably what those leads really want year-round. Beyond presents and parties, followers crave your leadership presence. This gift will be long cherished after the gift turkey is eaten, the bonus disappears, the Cross pen runs out of ink, or the Starbucks cards are used or lost.

Followers appreciate holiday gift cards, but do not need them nearly as much as they need leaders who show up, slow down, and truly see them. In the holiday season, leadership presence is the gift of being fully with your people in a time that is busy, fun, cheerful, emotional, and often stressful and unhappy for different members of your organization. A leader’s presence at this time is critical and will be very impactful.

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This Thursday’s Leadership Insight is the first of a four-part series on what followers really want from their Leaders, especially at the holidays and year-round: leadership presence.Leadership presence will be defined and described in the holidays. Presence and presents will be compared and contrasted. We will explain how intentional communication enhances presence and provide a guide from John Maxwell to guide any leader seeking to improve their leadership presence in the holiday season and beyond

What leadership presence means

Leadership presence is often defined as the leader’s choice and ability to connect authentically, build confidence in others, and inspire people to action. It is less about title or charisma and more about how your demeanor, body language, and energy communicate “you can relax, I’m here, I see you, and I’ve got this.”

In practice, leaders with presence appear calm, warm, and approachable while also clear and confident about where the team is going. Presence is practiced by speaking with a predominance of listening and pausing to clarify understanding so their communication feels both persuasive and genuinely responsive and respectful to others. In his book, FOR Jeff Henderson notes that simply asking, “How are you doing?” and pausing to listen, then asking, “What are you doing?” increases connection.

An excellent way to demonstrate you care is to ask how you are doing and wait for a response before asking what you are doing.

Jeff Henderson

Presence is critical at the holidays.

The holiday season heightens stress, financial pressure, grief, and fatigue, even as organizations push to meet year-end goals. Steven Goldstein, writing an INC. article To Be a Great Leader During the Holidays, Focus on These 7 Things writes,” Amongst all the festivities, leaders have a new type of responsibility to uphold. They must keep in mind their employees, as valued members of their business, deserve reciprocity and acknowledgment, all the while doing a great job to satisfy your customers.” One key to leadership presence is being around as much as possible. Whether in person or virtual (with the screens on), those you lead want to see you. When leaders are absent, distracted, or only focused on metrics, followers feel unseen and expendable at the very moment they most need support.

By contrast, leaders who lead with compassion, flexible scheduling, honest conversations about workload, and attention to well-being build trust and motivation that carry into the new year. Simple, consistent presence during this season often does more for engagement than elaborate parties or bonuses alone, and can also serve as a model beyond the holiday season. This is in no way to insinuate that a leader must be a psychologist; yet they must be observant, and if big swings appear, consider outside support if needed.

Presents vs. presence

Holiday “presents” are typically transactional: bonuses, swag, parties, or gift cards. These can be meaningful, but without presence, they risk feeling like compensation for overachievement, creating burnout rather than appreciation for contribution. Presence, on the other hand, is relational: time, attention, empathy, and clarity.

For example, an overworked school principal who quietly approves small stipends but never visits classrooms during December sends a different message than another Principal who shows up in hallways, checks in personally, and protects teacher planning time while still honoring year-end requirements. The same budget expense can land very differently depending on whether people experience their leader as near and attentive or distant and transactional.

Communication is an intentional practice of connection based on awareness of clues, style, and skills.

Charles Duhigg Supercommunicators

How communication enhances presence

Leadership presence is mainly experienced through communication, especially nonverbal cues, tone, and listening. Research on leadership presence highlights powerful body language (standing or sitting tall, an open posture) combined with warm empathy cues (genuine eye contact, a relaxed facial expression, open-handed gestures) as signals that a leader is confident and cares.

During the holidays, presence shows up in concrete communication Practices :

Short, frequent check-ins that ask “How are you, really?” and “What do you need from me this week?” instead of only discussing tasks.
Clear expectations about availability, deadlines, and time off, so people can plan family and rest without fear or confusion.
Public appreciation that names specific contributions, combined with private conversations that create space for personal challenges.

A Guide for leaders seeking to expand their presence in the holiday season is provided by the world’s expert in leadership, John Maxwell.

John Maxwell teaches that every follower is asking three simple yet profound questions of their leader :

Do you care for me?

Can you help me?

Can I trust you?

Presence during the holiday season is one of the most powerful ways to answer all three questions.

1. Do you know and care for me?

Followers read “Do you care for me?” by whether their leader knows them as a person, understands their family realities, respects their faith traditions, recognizes their grief, acknowledges their financial pressure, or celebrates their cultural holidays, not just as a role. Presence here looks like remembering key details, adjusting expectations where possible, and showing up in ways that reflect that knowledge.

Holiday presence in action

A superintendent who knows a staff member recently lost a parent and quietly checks in, reduces their year-end committee load, and ensures they are not scheduled for every evening event.
A business leader who recognizes that not everyone celebrates the same holidays and creates inclusive celebrations and flexible floating days rather than assuming one calendar fits all.

Both actions say, “I see you; you are not invisible,” which answers Maxwell’s first question with a lived “yes.”

2. Can you help me?

“Can you help me?” is fundamentally a competence and support question: can this leader remove obstacles, provide resources, and prioritize wisely so followers can succeed without sacrificing their health or family? Presence is the leader being close enough to understand what help is actually needed and to provide resources or support.

Holiday examples:

A principal who anticipates staffing shortages and proactively restructures schedules, consolidates events, and communicates coverage plans so teachers aren’t scrambling at the last minute.
A nonprofit director who turns down one more December initiative, explaining to the board that protecting staff capacity now will produce stronger outcomes in the new year.

These choices communicate, “I will not overload you just because it is year-end,” demonstrating practical help rather than sentimental words.

3. Can I trust you?

“Can I trust you?” is the core integrity question and the foundation of influence in any organization. Trust grows when leaders make and keep authentic commitments and align words with actions, especially when schedules are tight and emotions are high.

Holiday examples:

A leader who promises “No emails after 6 p.m. during break” and then honors that boundary, even when tempted to clear their inbox or push out last-minute tasks.
A church or school leader who communicates that family and rest are priorities, then models this by taking their own time off and not glorifying overwork in sermons, staff meetings, or year-end reports.

When followers see a leader consistently choose integrity over urgency, they answer Maxwell’s third question with a confident “yes,” and their willingness to follow deepens.

Holiday presence in action

In the end, what followers want most from their leaders in the holiday season is not more presents or parties but authentic presence. Leaders who truly know them, actively help them, and consistently earn their trust demonstrate their presence and build connections, engagement, and trust that will be experienced beyond the holiday season

The Leadership questions for you then are :

What next steps do you need to take?

Are you demonstrating presence in your leadership practice?

How do those you lead answer John Maxwell’s three questions about your leadership?