Also today's unexpected perspective on me
It was just another workday when I found out that a colleague had been let go. It was so sudden—one day, I simply couldn’t reach him anymore. No warning, no goodbyes. Just gone. I was surprised, but I didn’t reach out. Maybe I should have, but at that moment, I was just processing the fact that he was no longer there.
We had worked closely together. He assigned me projects, kind of like a supervisor. Sometimes, he came across as a bit bossy, maybe even a little full of himself. I remember moments where I felt a little uneasy, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. It was just the way things were.
Then, during a feedback session today, I heard something unexpected: he had been afraid of me.
Afraid? That word felt odd. I never saw myself as intimidating. Direct, sure. Focused, definitely. But scary? That didn’t sit right with me. It made me pause—was it something about the way I worked, the way I carried myself? Or was it something else entirely?
I was also told that I have skills that will help the company grow and change. That stuck with me. Was it change that made him uncomfortable? Was it the idea that things were shifting in a way he wasn’t ready for? Or was it really something about me?
I don’t feel the need to change who I am, but this has made me more aware of how people perceive me. It’s interesting how different perception can be from intention. How often do people see us in ways we don’t see ourselves? And how much of that is about us, and how much is about them?