In the Seat is a series about the responsibility that comes with occupying positions of authority — the weight, the judgment, and the tradeoffs that aren’t always visible from the outside.

In this opening episode, I wrestle with how we evaluate leaders inside a system that demands both excellence and sustainability. If I’ve structured my life around a particular model of command, is it fair to use that as the bar for others? And if I don’t, what replaces it?