From Donna’s Desk

Today I had one of those rare days at work.

The meetings ended on time. The budget numbers actually lined up. I answered the scary email instead of starring it for later (never). 

By 4:00, I was walking around the department like a woman in a productivity commercial. My slide deck didn’t crash, my coffee stayed in the mug and not on my blouse, and three different people said, “That’s a great idea, Donna.” I felt like a total boss.

Then, while investigating a poke and an itch, I discovered my bra had been inside out. All. Day.

Hooks, seams, tag; the whole chaotic situation was quietly existing under my Very Professional Outfit while I chaired meetings and approved purchase orders.

It felt weirdly on-brand.

Because here’s the thing no one puts in the leadership books: being “together” is almost always a partial illusion. The surface is tidy: Spreadsheets, schedules, project plans. Underneath, everyone’s got something inside out. A typo in the report. A kid home with a fever. A gas tank that is not going to reach the next station. A bra doing abstract origami under a blazer.

So if you, too, are out there running a department, a family, or just your own Thursday, and you discover some small ridiculousness that’s been riding along with you all day?

You’re not failing at being a grownup.

You’re just bossing with bonus texture.

Straighten what you can, laugh at what you can’t, and carry on. We’ve got work to do.

Donna

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