The Gist of It

Each Tuesday, I publish The Gist of It: one reflective essay for capable people that exposes what high functioning actually costs. And it shows you how to stay effective without hollowing yourself out in the process.

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Readers tell me the essays give them language for what they've been carrying, and clarity about what to do next.

About Marilyn Gist

My writing draws on more than 25 years of research and practice at the intersection of leadership, psychology, and human development. My book, The Extraordinary Power of Leader Humility (Berrett-Koehler, 2020), grew from the same conviction that runs through every essay: that how we relate to others — and to ourselves — is the most consequential thing we do.
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Leadership from the inside · The Hidden cost of high functioning · Staying intact under pressure · Belonging without losing yourself · Repair and relational courage · The self and being known

Who Reads This

Many readers are leaders — people who've spent decades developing others and are only now turning that same quality of attention toward themselves. But you don't have to lead an organization to recognize the drift. You just have to be paying attention and willing to look honestly at what you find.

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