Hey there!
So last weekend I was on my psychotherapy training, and on the Saturday we spent the day exploring individualism, community and society. Big topics. Strong coffee required.
Our tutor opened with a story that’s stayed with me.
An old monastery had dwindled to five ageing monks. They asked a hermit how to save it. He said, “I don’t know how it can be saved. The only thing I can tell you is that one of you is an apostle of God.”
That was it.
Back home, the monks began wondering who it might be. On the off chance it was the person in front of them, they treated each other with more respect. On the even smaller chance it was themselves, they carried themselves differently too.
The atmosphere shifted. People felt it. The monastery slowly came back to life.
No strategy deck.
No restructure.
Just a shift in perception.
Here’s the bit that matters for us.
Culture is built in micro-moments.
A tone.
An email reply.
Whether you interrupt.
Whether you assume positive intent.
If you assume there is something valuable in the person in front of you, your behaviour changes by about 10%.
And 10% is enough.
So here’s something practical to try next week:
Before your next meeting, choose one person in the room and deliberately assume:
“There is real leadership here.”
Notice how that changes how you listen.
How you question.
How you challenge.
Or try this:
Pause for two seconds before responding in a tense moment.
Ask one curious question instead of making one sharp statement.
That’s it.
Not performative niceness.
Not lowering standards.
High standards + human regard.
Small shifts. Compounded daily. That’s how atmospheres change.
Cate x
Hey there!
So last weekend I was on my psychotherapy training, and on the Saturday we spent the day exploring individualism, community and society. Big topics. Strong coffee required.
Our tutor opened with a story that’s stayed with me.
An old monastery had dwindled to five ageing monks. They asked a hermit how to save it. He said, “I don’t know how it can be saved. The only thing I can tell you is that one of you is an apostle of God.”
That was it.
Back home, the monks began wondering who it might be. On the off chance it was the person in front of them, they treated each other with more respect. On the even smaller chance it was themselves, they carried themselves differently too.
The atmosphere shifted. People felt it. The monastery slowly came back to life.
No strategy deck.
No restructure.
Just a shift in perception.
Here’s the bit that matters for us.
Culture is built in micro-moments.
A tone.
An email reply.
Whether you interrupt.
Whether you assume positive intent.
If you assume there is something valuable in the person in front of you, your behaviour changes by about 10%.
And 10% is enough.
So here’s something practical to try next week:
Before your next meeting, choose one person in the room and deliberately assume:
“There is real leadership here.”
Notice how that changes how you listen.
How you question.
How you challenge.
Or try this:
Pause for two seconds before responding in a tense moment.
Ask one curious question instead of making one sharp statement.
That’s it.
Not performative niceness.
Not lowering standards.
High standards + human regard.
Small shifts. Compounded daily. That’s how atmospheres change.
Cate x
