Today, a dear friend came up against a wall: someone reasoning with the classic “After me, the flood!”, showing no willingness for constructive dialogue.
I suggested he resist the temptation of a public confrontation, which would have brought nothing but bitterness and no tangible results.
Better to wait, observe, and work behind the scenes to build a solution that truly works.
The Sicilian proverb “Càlati juncu ca passa la china” fits perfectly.
Like the reed that bends under the current survives the fury of the water, and then stands upright again, we too can choose not to meet the storm with rigidity.
In leadership and negotiation, bending is not weakness, but strategy.
It means knowing the difference between the moment to resist and the moment to let the current pass, conserving energy for when it is possible to rebuild with calm and clarity.
The reed that knows how to bend is the one that, in the end, remains standing.