Issue 79: The solo act is getting old

ISSUE 79

25 MARCH 2026 | READ ONLINE

Hi there Reader,

The solo act is getting old.

And yet, we still love the story of the lone genius.

The visionary.

The person holding the whole thing together with grit, caffeine, and a slightly concerning level of control.

But most meaningful things are not built that way.

(I think you already know this).

They are built through trust. Through shared effort. Through relationships. And through people bringing different strengths to the table and making something better together than they could have built alone.

I have been thinking about that a lot the last few months.

Partly because today, a group of co-creators and I launched something we’ve been building together: Future Fit Safety Leaders.

Yes, it is a program. And yes, it sits in the safety leadership space.

But the bigger idea behind it reaches far beyond that.

To me, it reflects the kind of leadership we need more of everywhere: collaborative, strategic, generous, and grounded. Leadership that knows how to move work forward with people, not just around them.

You can take a look at our collaboration here: Future Fit Safety Leaders

One thing this launch has reminded me of is that future-ready leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room (although believe me, I do have opinions!).

But future-fit leadership is about building credibility. Creating trust. Bringing the right people together. Contributing real value. And making the work stronger because you were part of it.

That matters whether you work in business, consulting, leadership, coaching, operations, creative work, or anywhere else people are trying to build something that lasts.

Because collaboration is a real leadership capability. And reciprocity matters too.

Not in a transactional, scorekeeping kind of way.
Not in a “you owe me” kind of way.

I mean the deeper kind. Supporting good work. Making thoughtful introductions. Sharing ideas. Creating opportunities. Being someone other people actually want to build with.

A small prompt for this week

Think about something you are trying to build, grow, or change.

Then ask yourself:

  1. Where am I trying to do too much alone?
  2. Who could make this better through perspective, partnership, or shared effort?
  3. What kind of experience do I create for other people when we build something together?

Because the future will not belong only to the smartest person in the room.

  • It will belong to the people who know how to collaborate.
  • Who knows how to create trust.
  • Who knows how to make good work happen with others.

That is the kind of leadership I am interested in. And that is the kind of future I want to keep building toward.

If you want to see one example of that in motion, here is the link to Future Fit Safety Leaders. Please feel free to forward or share with others (I’d appreciate it enormously).

See you next week,

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I encourage you to find the courage to be bitched about.

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