As we move deeper into December, this week invited a different kind of momentum—not the loud, urgent kind, but the steady, grounding kind that comes from reflection.

This isn’t about racing to the finish line. It’s about recognizing how far you’ve already traveled.

The habits that helped you recover instead of burn out. The people who checked in when things felt heavy. The boundaries you learned to set so progress could last.

Growth doesn’t always feel dramatic. Often, it looks like choosing community over isolation, rest over depletion, and clarity over chaos. This week at Emerging Voices Unite, those quieter forms of progress took center stage—reminding us that sustainable momentum is built long before the breakthrough moments appear.

Which Habits Actually Help our Emerging Voices Stay Resilient and Avoid Burnout?

We opened the week with a grounding question:

“Which habit helps you stay resilient and avoid burnout?”

What emerged from our community:

• Community check-ins
• Task batching paired with intentional rest cycles

These habits echo what research continues to confirm: resilience isn’t about pushing harder—it’s about recovering smarter.

A study from the World Psychiatry highlights that social connection reduces burnout risk, while structured work-rest cycles improve long-term performance and focus.

This poll set the tone for the week: momentum is sustained by habits that honor our humanity.

👉 Votes are still open

How Emerging Voices Turn Everyday Habits into Sustainable Momentum

Ed McAndrew - 3 Questions That Help Leaders Regain Momentum When Things Start to Wobble

Ed McAndrew delivered a message that felt like a halftime huddle many of us needed.

Rather than pushing forward blindly, Ed encouraged a pause for awareness:

• What’s working?
• What’s wobbling?
• What’s worth doubling down on?

This simple framework reminds us that progress isn’t linear—it’s responsive. Especially during the holiday season, when energy fluctuates, Ed’s reminder lands clearly: momentum comes from awareness, not autopilot.

Sometimes leadership looks like cheering from the sidelines. Sometimes it looks like knowing exactly when to press the pedal down.

• Connect with Ed McAndrew to explore leadership grounded in reflection and consistency.
• Read Ed’s full post to reset your focus and recommit to what truly matters this week.

Christopher G. Johnson - How to Stay in Control of Meetings as AI Tools Multiply

As AI tools increasingly enter our meetings, Christopher G. Johnson reminded us that leadership still sets the rules of engagement.

AI can enhance productivity—but without clear boundaries, it can quietly erode trust, presence, and accountability. Christopher’s insight reinforces a key principle: technology doesn’t replace leadership—it amplifies it.

Clear permission, intentional use, and human presence are not optional. They are foundational to trust in digital spaces.

Zoom Meeting Security & Controls: https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0061263

• Connect with Christopher G. Johnson to learn how intentional leadership protects culture in digital-first environments.
• Read Christopher’s full post to explore how clarity sustains momentum as AI accelerates.

Nikki Estes - How to Build Resilience That Prevents Burnout Before It Starts

Nikki Estes reframed burnout with honesty and optimism.

Rather than treating resilience as a personality trait, she positioned it as a learned, practiced discipline—one that belongs to entire teams, not just executives.

Research supports her perspective:

• Resilient leaders recover faster after disruption
• Teams with high resilience report lower burnout
• Mindset determines whether challenges refine or deplete us

Harvard Business Review on Resilience

As the year winds down, her message resonates deeply: resilience isn’t stumbled upon—it’s built through habits, reflection, and community.

• Connect with Nikki Estes to explore resilience as a leadership practice.
• Read Nikki’s full post to see how mindset and community sustain long-term momentum.

How Founders Turn Imagination into Execution—Faster Than Ever

Michael Noffsinger - How to Prototype at the Speed of Thought Using AI

Michael Noffsinger’s demo offered a glimpse into the future of creative technology—where ideas move from imagination to interaction in minutes, not months.

Through AI-assisted tools and real-time motion tracking, Michael showed how rapid prototyping is redefining what’s possible for founders and creators.

The takeaway was clear: speed isn’t about shortcuts—it’s about removing friction between idea and execution.

• Connect with @Michael Noffsinger to explore AI-driven creativity and rapid prototyping.
• View Michael’s original post to see how imagination becomes interaction—fast.

EVU Live: How Leaders Turn Past Challenges into a Blueprint for 2026

As we approach the close of the year, Emerging Voices Unite is hosting a powerful finale conversation this December 16 at 10 AM ET. This is designed to help leaders pause, reflect, and move forward with intention.

This episode brings together experienced leaders from across engineering, finance, regulation, creativity, AI, and operations to explore one defining question:

How do you turn everything you lived through this year into a strategic advantage for the next?

Hosted by Nikki Estes, this live session features a diverse panel of Emerging Voices leaders who have navigated complexity, pressure, and change—and emerged with clarity about what truly matters heading into 2026:

• Devinder Sodhi — Engineering leadership & regulated innovation
• Prof. PK Prasanna Kumar — Finance, growth, and the mathematics of business
• Jonathon Chambless — Regulatory-compliant AEC innovation
• Michael Noffsinger — AI-powered proposal intelligence & government systems
• Ed McAndrew — 34 years of operational leadership
• Justin Oberman — Creative director behind a 7-figure organic agency
• Kenneth Lang — LinkedIn job-search mentor & networking strategist
• Christopher G. Johnson — Founder of Calm Clear Media, elevating mission-driven events

An article shows that leaders who consistently reflect on past decisions improve judgment, emotional regulation, and decision quality—especially under pressure.

This final EVU Live: Ideas that Scale session is designed to help leaders transform lived experience into forward-looking clarity.

Rather than focusing on tactics alone, this conversation explores:

• How past challenges reshape leadership perspective
• Why clarity—not speed—drives better decisions
• What leaders intentionally leave behind when preparing for a new year
• How reflection strengthens resilience in uncertainty

This isn’t about predicting 2026. It’s about entering it grounded.

This isn’t a look-back for nostalgia’s sake. It’s a working session for leaders who want to carry forward the right lessons, release what no longer serves them, and define the leadership pillars they’ll stand on in 2026.

As momentum slows for the holidays, this conversation creates space to reflect deeply—so the year ahead begins with clarity, not carryover.

How to Recognize the Progress You’ve Made—Even If It Didn’t Feel Big at the Time

Before momentum becomes movement, something quieter happens.

Habits form. Support systems strengthen. Perspective shifts.

This week reminded us that progress isn’t always visible in metrics or milestones—it often lives in the small decisions that protect our energy, focus, and sense of belonging.

As the year comes to a close, take time to acknowledge:

• The habits that kept you steady
• The people who supported your growth
• The lessons that shaped who you are now

Growth compounds—root by root, reflection by reflection.

You’ve come farther than you think.

STAY CONNECTED

How to Keep the Momentum Going Beyond This Week

• How to Stay Inspired Weekly: Subscribe to Voices in Action

https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7359866253315895296

• How to Grow with Purpose: Connect and be part of Emerging Voices Unite

• How to Prepare for 2026 with Clarity: Attend EVU Live: Ideas that Scale on December 16

Your voice doesn’t just matter.

It moves things forward.