Time shifts our tolerance levels.
What we accepted yesterday feels unacceptable today. What seemed normal a decade ago now looks barbaric. Progress, we call it.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: some behaviors persist across generations. Bad character finds a way to surface, regardless of era. The bully in the boardroom. The gossip in the hallway. The promise-breaker who always has an excuse.
You can’t control their choices.
You can control yours.
Every day, you decide what behavior to tolerate from others. Every interaction becomes a vote for the culture you want to build. Every compromise signals what you genuinely value.
The executive who consistently arrives late to meetings is teaching your team that commitment is optional. The colleague who takes credit for others’ work is showing everyone that integrity is negotiable. The boss who screams when stressed is demonstrating that respect is conditional.
Your tolerance becomes their permission.
The standards you enforce today shape the organization you lead tomorrow. The behavior you accept from others reveals the leader you’ve chosen to become.
Some things never change because we keep allowing them.
