Dang it. I summon all my willpower and inner strength. Also, I’m starting to panic a little. Good. I use that too. “Fff

Dang it. I summon all my willpower and inner strength. Also, I’m starting to panic a little. Good. I use that too. “Fffoouurr,” I finally say. “Correct.” Project Hail Mary · Chapter 1 · Andy Weir Source: Project Hail Mary · Chapter 1 · Andy Weir

A silhouetted figure stands at the edge of a calm ocean at dawn, facing an endless horizon with gentle waves rolling in steady rhythm.

Leading by Example Is Not the Gentle Option

A colleague once told me my practice was intimidating. He said it gently. He meant it as a warning — someone had complained, and he was trying to help me understand that showing up and doing the work was having an effect on people. Not a good effect. He was tactful about it. He called it “making others uncomfortable.” I thought about this for a long time. About what it meant that consistent behavior could register as aggression. Leading by example is usually framed as the humble alternative to authoritarian leadership. You’re not forcing anyone to do anything. You’re not using position or credential or threat. You’re simply doing the work and letting people take from it what they will. The soft path. The non-coercive…