A brutal game of catch with my dad became a lifelong lesson in perspective. What felt like torture to me was discipline to him. This story unpacks how leadership above the line asks us to move beyond our version of truth, seek the middle, and lead with understanding instead of judgment.

At 12 years old, my sister looked at the adults, the teachers, the church, and the “good families” around her and said, “If that’s what faith looks like, I don’t want it.” She wasn’t rejecting God. She was rejecting hypocrisy. She saw a boy who was struggling and a system that chose convenience over compassion. She felt the gap between what was preached and what was practiced—and she refused to shrink herself to fit it. That’s leadership.

When Temple Grandin noticed cattle pushing back in the chute, she saw what others missed: they weren’t being stubborn—they were scared. That insight reshaped the livestock industry and offers a profound lesson for leaders, parents, and humans everywhere: most “difficult behavior” is fear in disguise. In this piece, I unpack how her perspective helps us shift from judgment to understanding and lead above the line where calm, clarity, and compassion can actually change lives.

A playful backyard moment between Pepper and Motley revealed a powerful leadership truth: what we think we’re seeing is rarely the whole story. One reacted from play, the other from protection — two realities shaped by two motivations. When we learn to read the energy, question our assumptions, and notice whether behavior is coming from survival or connection, we lead with clarity instead of ego. The truth — and the path forward — always lives in the middle.