I recently watched an interview with someone I deeply admire—someone who, from the outside, has always seemed flawless. Smart. Composed. Inspiring. Unshakably successful.

But in this interview, she shared a story so familiar, so relatable, that it stopped me in my tracks. It was a vulnerable moment. A “I’ve been there too” kind of moment. And I found myself thinking: Wait… if she went through that, maybe her success isn’t some unattainable magic power. Maybe she’s just… human.

And that’s exactly the point.

Sometimes we forget. We start putting people on pedestals—our role models, our managers, our political leaders, even our teammates and friends. Especially the ones who are consistently amazing. They’re dependable, brilliant, supportive—and over time, their excellence becomes expected. Until they make a mistake. And it jolts us.

But then you remember: they’re human too.

Even in leadership, we’re not immune to this. We might hold ourselves to impossible standards or feel overwhelmed in a room of people who seem more powerful, more capable, more something. But it helps to pause and realise: every decision ever made—every news headline, every policy, every historic breakthrough or political fiasco—was the product of a human being. Or a group of them. With all the messiness and complexity that entails.

Even Einstein. Just a guy with great ideas, a big moustache, and probably bad days too. Royalty? Humans with privilege, sure—but still just people. Celebrities? Definitely human (and sometimes, the most chaotic kind).

So whether you’re feeling like “just one little person” in a big machine—or you’ve forgotten that the people around you have limits too—remind yourself:

• Don’t take yourself too seriously.
• Don’t put others on impossible pedestals.
• Give people a break when they mess up.
• And remember that, all things equal (which they never are, but that’s a topic for another day), you are just as capable of achieving great things.

Because at the end of the day, we’re all just humans.

Well… at least for now. Until AI integration is so seamless, you can’t even tell anymore. 😉