Lines in the sand

Pulled my journal out after dinner tonight and found myself writing for almost an hour straight. The whole situation with Alex this week has been rattling around in my head, and I needed to get it all down on paper to make sense of it.

Lines in the sand

The confrontation itself was uncomfortable - calling out a colleague for pushing boundaries during team workouts isn’t exactly in my comfort zone. But sitting here now, I realize it taught me something crucial about leadership that I hadn’t fully grasped before. Real leadership isn’t about being liked or keeping everyone happy. It’s about creating an environment where everyone can succeed, even when that means having difficult conversations.

What surprised me most was how clear I felt once I decided to address it directly. All that anxiety I’d been carrying about Alex’s competitive intensity just… dissolved. Not because the situation magically fixed itself, but because I finally took responsibility for setting the boundary instead of hoping he’d figure it out on his own.

Processing through writing

I think this whole experience has shifted something in how I see my role at the rec center. I’m not just there to design workouts and cheer people on. Sometimes I’m there to protect the space we’ve all created together, even when it’s awkward. Especially when it’s awkward.