The Gist of It

Each Tuesday, I publish one reflective essay. It's grounded in a real moment, moving toward something you can use, not mere frameworks or formulas. The Gist of It provides language and insights that help you recognize yourself and find your way back to your own center.

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Readers tell me the essays give words to things they'd been carrying for years without quite being able to name. Many say they recognize themselves here, sometimes uncomfortably.

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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Presence and attention · Boundaries and self-respect · Repair and reconciliation · Belonging without losing yourself · Discernment and self-trust · · Staying genuinely yourself under pressure

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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