A bright young creative—let’s call him D—walked up to me one day and said he had resigned. When I asked why, his answer stunned me: his boss was tormenting him.
At first, D was sure he wanted to leave quietly. But when I suggested that his voice could spark change—not just for him, but for his entire team—he agreed to speak up. After all, what good is leadership if it tolerates silence in the face of abuse?
I set up a meeting with the Channel Head.
The Silence That Spoke Volumes
On the day of the meeting, I was hopeful. But what unfolded shocked me. D didn’t utter a single word about his boss.
Instead, he mumbled vague “personal reasons” for leaving. Later, he admitted why.
His boss had found out and telephoned him. Intimidated, D froze. Six feet tall, broad-shouldered, but without the courage to stand his ground.
That’s when it struck me—courage isn’t about physical strength. It’s about standing up when fear tightens its grip.
I felt left in a lurch.
Thankfully, the Channel head knew me enough to know that I didn’t lie to him. To anyone else, it may have looked like I had an axe to grind. D’s boss may have felt exactly that—perhaps I wanted D to report to me.
I had no such motive; all I wanted was to retain a talented professional who was the right fit for his role.
The Hard Lesson
That day, I learnt something I wish I had understood earlier:
You can open the door for someone, but you can’t walk through it for them. Courage is deeply personal. No one can lend it to you.
The cost of silence isn’t just yours—it’s carried by those who come after you.
We often believe that if we nudge people hard enough, they’ll do the right thing. But sometimes, fear outweighs reason.
Your Takeaway
So, should you stop helping altogether? No. But help with open eyes. Know when to step in—and when to step back. The bravest thing you can do for others is sometimes to let them find their own courage.
If you’ve ever burnt your fingers trying to help, don’t let it make you bitter. Some battles aren’t yours to fight. Your job isn’t to carry someone else’s voice—it’s to remind them they have one.
Whether they use it or not is their choice.
About Me
I am a thinker at all times. I see, I think. I hear, I think. I read, I think. Every weekend I write. I would love to know what you think.