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Hi Reader, Welcome to Your Dose of Mana — a quick, weekly note with: If your biggest business challenges are actually people challenges, you’re in the right place. 1 Real Story There were only about 40 people on the plane. “Pick their own row,” the flight attendant said over the PA. “Spread out. Stretch. Get comfortable.” No elbows. Just space. You could feel it in the cabin. People relaxed almost instantly. Smiling. Settling in. Exhaling. Later, my friend Kathy said, “That’s what we’re missing. Space.” And she was right. 1 Leadership Insight We live packed. Packed schedules. Time scarcity has become a badge of honor. But when you unexpectedly experience margin — real margin — something shifts. You think differently. You breathe differently. You start asking better questions. How do I really want to spend my time? We’re told “bored is for boring.” I’m not sure that’s true. Boredom can be fertile. It forces reflection. When there’s no noise, you can finally hear yourself. In leadership, space is often mistaken for laziness. In life, it’s mistaken for lack of ambition. But space isn’t the absence of drive. It’s the presence of intention. 1 Practical Takeaway This week, leave one block of time open. Don’t fill it. See what shows up. – Leave white space in your calendar. Notice what surfaces when you’re not rushing. Joy? Space can be uncomfortable. It can also give you clarity. As we get older, the question sharpens: Is this how I want to spend my time? I love my work. But I also love the idea of choice. And choice requires space (and yes, maybe money). Because when you have your own row — when you’re not crammed between expectations — you remember something important: You don’t have to fill every seat. Sometimes the most valuable thing in your life… is the space you didn’t fill. 1 Dose of Art A little whimsy. A little joy. A little doodle.
Doodle by Gary Schechner, 3/16/26 Even though this is a “mass email” I mean it when I say—let me know what you are up to. Reply, book a Zoom, pick up the phone. I’d love to catch up. If friction is slowing down your business, let’s fix that. Thanks for letting me show up in your inbox. More joy. Less friction. Always. |