Let me be water

I was sitting with a leader recently, working through one of those decisions that doesn't come with a clean answer. The kind where reputation is on the line. Where values are in tension with expectation. Where doing what's right and doing what's easy pull hard in opposite directions.

Somewhere in the middle of it, I remember this quote attributed to John Roedel: “When I’m caught between a rock and a hard place, let me be water.”

Water doesn't win by force. It flows around, seeps in, persists. Over time, it shapes even the hardest stone. Not through aggression, but through constancy and tenderness.

When we feel trapped in a binary, it’s easy to forget that we have a choice about how we show up,  not just what we decide. We can be persistent without being rigid. We can hold our values and still lead with compassion. We can soften what feels immovable, not by surrendering, but by staying fluid and with integrity. We can find the words to express our decision and the context behind the decision, even if they feel at odds.

Even the hardest surfaces are vulnerable. That's the work. Not harder edges. More water.

So if you’re navigating something that feels like rock, I invite you to consider that you might just be the water it needs.