I like to be seen as someone who is trustworthy and responsible. This leads me to be reluctant to show vulnerability. I fear that admitting I'm having trouble will mean I'm seen as useless.

In my case, and many others, this is not an irrational fear. 1/

Early in my career, when I had my first real leadership role, I was having a hard time because I had responsibility without authority. Certain coworkers could act as they pleased and prevent me from hitting key benchmarks.

I turned to a mentor for guidance. Big mistake. 2/

I told him that there was no path to success in my current position, that I was doomed to fail.

His response was not to counsel me, not to offer me the benefit of his experience, but to have me demoted and transferred to another office.

I vowed not to repeat that mistake. 3/

Years later, I led a department that was due to be merged with another. Who would lead the merged team was up in the air, and coincidentally I needed a surgery. I was supposed to take a month off, but I only took a week.

I was in agony, but I got the job. 4/

I learned that when I try to take care of myself, I am punished. When I neglect myself, I am rewarded.

This is what capitalist America expects of all of us.

Most of us have no choice but to be part of this system. So undermine it wherever you can. Encourage vulnerability. 5/

If your coworker is having a hard time, forget about what the company needs for a minute. Focus on the person. Not because getting them back to full productivity is good business. Fuck that.

Focus on the person because you're a human, too. Remember your shared humanity. 6/

If you let yourself be an avatar for the company, an instrument by which it exerts its will on the world, it will hollow you out and wear your face like a mask.

Companies are sociopathic, infinitely avaricious, dishonest and cancerous. People don't have to be those things. 7/

If you tell people it's OK when they struggle - if you support them when they can't do their job, for whatever reason - you are asserting your humanity. You are recognizing your coworker's humanity.

Fuck productivity. Let's all be humans together. 8/8