“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” — Mahatma Gandhi
Hey there Reader,
This past week, I’ve been thinking about speed.
How fast everything seems to be moving.
Technology, work, expectations, information — all of it feels like it is accelerating at once. And many people are walking around trying to keep up while quietly wondering if they are falling behind.
This is especially true when it comes to AI and the future of work.
Everywhere we turn, there is another conversation about innovation, efficiency, productivity, automation, tools, platforms, and what is coming next.
And yes, those conversations matter. But here is what I keep thinking about...
What about the people?
What about the person who is expected to adapt without being trained?
What about the team that is told to embrace change but not given clarity?
What about the employee who is afraid to ask a question because they don’t want to look behind?
What about the leader who is trying to bring people forward while also figuring it out themselves?
We talk so much about transformation, but transformation without humanity becomes pressure.
And pressure without support becomes burnout. I’ve seen this happen in organizations for years.
A new strategy rolls out. A new system gets introduced. A new expectation is communicated. And somewhere in the middle of all that change, people are expected to just adjust.
But people are not machines.
They need context, clarity, space to learn, psychological safety, and an understanding of not only what is changing, but why it matters and how they will be supported through it.
That is leadership.
Not just moving fast.
Bringing people with you.
Because speed is not the same as progress if the people you are leading are confused, exhausted, or afraid to tell you what they need.
And this applies beyond the workplace too.
Sometimes we do this in our own lives.
We move so quickly through the next task, the next goal, the next responsibility, and the next thing that needs to be handled that we forget to check in with ourselves.
Am I okay?
Do I understand what I need?
Am I moving with intention or just momentum?
Am I leading myself with care, or am I pushing myself like a machine?
The world may keep moving fast, but we do not have to abandon ourselves or each other in the process.
Something to think about:
Where in your life or leadership are you moving quickly, but not pausing long enough to ask what people actually need?
Take action:
This week, choose one place where speed has taken over. It could be at work, at home, in your business, or in your own internal expectations. Pause and ask: What would support look like here?
Then hit reply and tell me, Where are you feeling the pressure to keep up right now?
All the love,
Maria