Oh deer! The holidays are already here. And this year, Secret CEOs of all types – from small startups to global giants – have to work harder than ever to keep the holidays humming and their workshops working. After managing an extremely seasonal business for the past eight years (over 75% of our annual sales were in Q4), I’ve found everyone from the jolliest big guy down to the smallest elves can agree on a few simple tricks to decrease the annual tension of the holiday season. Ready? Cue the Santa-plause!

Don’t Play Santa

It’s crucial to set boundaries with customers during the holiday rush. Here’s an email from last year that’s typical of many others:

“My son loves these lights! The website says they’ll be delivered on Christmas Eve, but we really need them this weekend. Can you help?”

What’s the answer? Surprisingly, a firm NO. Now I’m not a heartless grinch, but understand, everyone is already stressed this time of year. It can feel tempting and empowering to bend your rules, adjust your policies, and make “just one more” trip to the post office, all in a noble attempt to slide a last-minute gift under the tree. But remember, your employees have their own seasonal projects to finish, your supply chain is probably stretched thin, and your customer service elves are already working overtime.

Instead, set firm boundaries with your customers. Set your shipping deadlines well in advance, clearly communicate your holiday return policy, and define seasonal expectations with your key vendors. Then, empower your team to go the extra mile within those boundaries – and gently enforce the rules outside of them. This way, everyone knows what to expect long before a last-minute meltdown. Plus, you avoid the stress of feeling like a Christmas miracle depends on you. That’s Santa’s job, not yours.

Give a Precious Gift

During the holidays, the most valuable gift you can give your employees is more time. Remember, every minute they spend working is precious time not spent with their families. Becoming a Secret CEO™ is as much about what you don’t do as much as what you do. To stealthily support your team, make every attempt to decrease your demands on their time during the holiday season. These can include postponing non-critical projects, reducing reports, canceling weekly meetings, and temporarily pausing other non-critical activities.

One tip: If you’re going to have a company holiday party – especially a virtual one – do it during business hours. The truth is, no matter how fun your annual Christmas event might be, it’s still a significant imposition on everyone’s time during a season when every minute matters. Instead, pause on a Friday afternoon, provide lunch (or email gift cards to a local place!), play a few reindeer games, and then wrap it up early. It may not be the most festive or extravagant event, but your team will sincerely appreciate the time saved as the best gift ever.

Loosen the Reins

For seasonal businesses, everyone needs to be at their best. But instead of expecting perfection from others, deliver grace.

If a boss’s words are typically worth 100 lbs., during the holiday season, they’re worth at least 250 lbs. (or more!). When everyone is stressed, hurried, and overwhelmed, the impact of every interaction you have – both positive and negative – carries significantly more weight. With a well-meaning spirit, many managers urge everyone to “step it up” during the holiday rush. But this kind of misguided motivation only adds to the stress instead of lowering the tension.

Instead, couple your high standards with profound grace. That doesn’t mean lowering your expectations, but it does require offering more leeway than you usually would. To inspire others to step up, you need to step aside. As a leader, your calm response to a holiday crisis builds respect and rapport that can last throughout the rest of the year. Remember how Santa treated his reindeer: he didn’t point out Rudolph’s flaws, but called out the best in him at a pivotal moment. On a foggy Christmas Eve, Rudolph stepped up because Santa stepped aside. And as we all know, the rest would go down in history.

Read more in Greg’s upcoming book, The Entrepreneur in You →