The Velocity of Absence

The system fixed itself at 3am while you were sleeping. No escalation, no emergency call, no heroics. It’s exhilarating and a little unsettling. You discover this only when you check the logs: a critical process failed, triggered recovery protocols, documented the fix, and improved its own response threshold for next time.

That is when you know momentum has finally outrun you.

Most leaders will not admit this makes them uncomfortable. We have been trained to believe our value comes from being needed. When velocity depends on your presence, you do not have a system. You have supervision.