CHAPTER 10
Embrace Differences
The biggest mistake is believing there is one right way to listen, to talk, and to have a conversation—or a relationship.
—DEBORAH TANNEN
Kate, a competitive rower in the United Kingdom, was much shorter than the other seven women in her boat, yet she was equally passionate about rowing. To gain her seat, she trained harder, longer, and more intensely than the others, who had an easier time because of their height. Everyone showed up differently prior to a race. Kate was focused and quiet, some chatted and giggled, others wandered off alone, and one energetically tried to rouse team spirit. Those differences stopped them from rowing as a team. The seven felt pressured by Kate; she felt they were blasé. After losing ...
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