Chapter 16

Dear Diary: Calm Is a Competitive Advantage Way
 

01/21/26

Dear Diary,

Does work really need to feel urgent and loud? Gosh, in talking to so many fabulous business leaders across so many industries the consensus is the same: There is so much urgency in the way we work now.

Not because we don’t care, quite the opposite. It’s because we care deeply. About our clients. Our teams. Our businesses. About doing things the right way, even when our days feel full before they begin.
But over time, that urgency gets heavy. When everything feels important, everything feels loud. And eventually, the noise makes it hard for us to think clearly, lead steadily, or even notice how much weight we’re carrying.

I want to say something gently, but honestly: chaos is not a requirement for growth.

Calm is not laziness. And slowing the noise doesn’t mean we’re slowing the business. In many cases, it’s the opposite.

Calm is built when there is clarity. When expectations are clear. When people know what matters most and how their role fits into it. When values aren’t just words we believe in, but behaviors we can see and feel in everyday moments.

I’ve been so blessed over the years to to be able to watch teams change when clarity shows up. The questions get better. The second-guessing fades. People stop bracing themselves and start moving forward with confidence. Gosh, that’s the magic of what we do! 

It’s not about perfection or rigidity. Just steady leadership. Clear follow-through and doing what we say we’re going to do, again and again, even when things get busy. That’s consistency and consistency tells people they can trust the environment they’re working in. When trust exists, something shifts. The nervous energy settles. Communication improves. Work flows more easily. Clients feel it, member of our teams feel it, even our friends and family outside of work feel it too, often before anyone can name why.
Calm doesn’t come from fewer expectations; it comes from clearer ones.

It comes from structure that supports people instead of squeezing them. From systems that exist so humans don’t have to carry everything in their heads. From leadership that understands that steadiness is not a lack of urgency, but a sign of strength.

This is where confidence grows. Not the loud kind. Not the performative kind. The quiet confidence that comes from knowing where things stand. From believing the work will be done well. From trusting the people around us.

This is how legacy is built not in frantic moments or constant reaction, but in intentional ones. In the way work moves. In how people are supported. In the calm that allows everyone to do their best work without burning out.

And if our days feel louder than they should, that doesn’t mean we’re failing. It may simply mean it’s time for more clarity, more consistency, and a little more care.

Calm can be built. Let’s make this the year we intentionally bring the calm. 
 
Onward & Ever Becoming,
Erin