Early in my career, I was Chief of Staff to the head of IT infrastructure. At a staff meeting, he handed each of us an umbrella with the company logo and our names engraved. When he gave me mine, it had one word on it: Deputy. The room went quiet, waiting for my reaction.
I smiled and said, “It’s perfect.” I was already getting a reputation for being direct and willing to have the hard conversations others avoided. I took my role seriously. My job wasn’t just to support my boss, it was to help the organization run at the top of its game, removing friction, accelerating decisions, and keeping execution on track.
If something was off or uncomfortable, you would probably find me standing in the doorway of your office. Not because I was looking for conflict, but because I could sense it early. I learned how to step in before it spread, before it slowed things down or created bigger problems. That ability mattered. We moved faster, avoided escalation cycles, and kept critical initiatives from stalling because issues were addressed in real time, not buried in politeness. There’s an art to that. Being able to confront in a way that disarms, while still guiding the conversation to the right outcome. Respect stays intact, but the issue actually gets addressed.
Over the years, I grew fond of the term Deputy. It became a badge of honor. Because organizations don’t move forward on politeness alone. They move forward when someone is willing to say the thing, at the right moment, in the right way. That kind of leadership isn’t about being aggressive, it’s about being clear, grounded, and intentional.
Own your badass with tact.
