Quote of the Day: Faye Wattleton on Leadership

There is a particular kind of relief that arrives when the noise stops, not because the storm ends, but because someone finally takes the wheel. You feel it in a tense meeting when a calm voice names the next step, or in a family crisis when one person steadies the room with clear priorities. In that moment, fear loosens its grip and motion returns. That’s the power behind: “The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.”

Storms are inevitable, market shifts, health scares, public pressure, personal setbacks. We tend to reach first for tools: a plan, a budget, a policy, a spreadsheet. Those matter, but storms expose how quickly “resources” can become fragile. What people are really looking for is not a perfect map, but a trustworthy navigator, someone who can interpret changing conditions and keep the group moving with purpose.

Leadership, in this sense, isn’t a title; it’s a behavior. It’s the willingness to absorb uncertainty without spreading it. It’s saying, “Here’s what we know, here’s what we don’t, and here’s what we’re doing next,” then backing it with action and empathy. Practice leadership by becoming the clearest person in the room: clarify the goal, name the immediate constraint, and choose the next smallest responsible step. Practice resilience by adjusting quickly, without drama, when new information arrives.

Faye Wattleton earned her authority the hard way: as a nurse and as a former president of Planned Parenthood, she led through intense controversy while advancing public health and women’s autonomy with disciplined courage.

Today, pick one “storm” you’re in, at work, at home, in your own head, and write a three-line captain’s brief: the mission, the next action, and who needs reassurance. Then deliver it plainly, and follow through. May you be the steady ship that helps others find calmer water.