The Influence Addiction

Those who stand on tiptoe
are not steady.
Those who rush ahead
don't get very far.

Maybe thought leadership was just loneliness
with a newsletter and a podcast.
Maybe every conference talk was therapy
performed in front of an audience that couldn't leave.
Maybe building a personal brand
was easier than building personal relationships.

From the point of view of the Dao,
these things are like leftovers from a feast.
They are like tumors on the body.
They serve no useful purpose.
The follower of the Dao
avoids such things.