For thee, not me

We ask for authenticity like it’s free. Show up as yourself, we say. Be real. Bring your whole self to the table. Then someone does it. They disagree in the meeting. They admit the plan is broken. They say the thing everyone was thinking. Suddenly authenticity...

Arriving without a map

We used to study the map before we moved. We traced the route, noted the landmarks, built a picture of the territory before we ever left the driveway. Getting there meant understanding where “there” was, and the nuances of the route. Now we take...

The door left open

We hear it more than we notice it. Someone says we’re ready. That we have potential. That they believe in us. We say thank you. We move on. That’s the mistake. A compliment closes a loop. An invitation opens one, and we keep confusing the two. When a...

The rest we refuse

We treat vacation like a confession. Something to justify, something to earn. We tell ourselves the inbox won’t survive without us. It will. One widely cited study on rest and recovery found something worth repeating: a real break, taken properly, boosted...

Safety isn’t comfort

We tell ourselves the good team is the quiet one. No raised voices. No tense Tuesday meetings. Everyone nodding along, the agenda moving smoothly from item to item. We treat the hard conversation like a fire to be contained rather than information to be used. Amy...