I See You. Take Your Time.

We move too fast.

Not just in how we rush through our days, but in how we expect things from others - quick responses, immediate results, instant understanding. We measure progress in speed, efficiency, and output, forgetting that real growth, real connection, and real leadership don’t operate on deadlines. They happen in moments. They happen in pauses. They happen when we slow down enough to see someone for who they are, not just for what they produce.

"I see you. Take your time."

It’s a simple phrase, but it carries weight. It’s an acknowledgment of presence, an offering of patience, and an act of leadership that requires nothing more than paying attention. Leadership, after all, is not just about driving action - it’s about creating space. Space for people to be seen, to be heard, to evolve at their own pace.

Most people are moving through the world feeling unseen. They check in at work, they fulfill expectations, they play their roles, but they rarely feel truly recognized. Not for their effort, not for their struggles, not for the weight they carry beneath the surface. We assume that if someone isn’t speaking up, they’re fine. If they’re delivering results, they don’t need encouragement. If they’re quiet, they don’t need to be heard. But people need to be seen long before they need to be productive. The best leaders, the best mentors, the best people don’t wait for someone to prove their worth before acknowledging them.

They notice. They recognize. They remind.

Patience is a form of respect. When we rush others - when we expect them to figure things out faster, move at our speed, or meet an invisible standard of urgency - we are telling them that their process doesn’t matter, that their pace is a problem. But meaningful growth isn’t instant. Ideas take time to develop, confidence takes time to build, and people take time to become who they are meant to be. The greatest gift we can offer is patience - not just for results, but for the messy, uncertain, often slow process that leads to them.

The world teaches us to measure people by what they produce. But true leadership - true humanity - is measured by what we cultivate in others. By the space we create, the patience we extend, and the way we make people feel when they are around us. There is no award for making someone feel insignificant, but there is a lasting impact in making someone feel seen.

So next time you’re in a conversation, in a meeting, in a moment where someone is trying - really trying - pause before you rush them forward. Look them in the eye. Acknowledge their presence. Offer them the grace of time.

"I see you. Take your time."

It costs nothing, but it changes everything.