Courage as a skill

"Just watch me"

Dear readers, thank you so much for being here. Today’s tale is about courage as a skill and the power of panache when it comes to facing tricky situations. I hope you like it and if you do, please forward it to your loved ones!

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• My podcast and book “The rules of the Game” about being a woman at work.

• My podcast about how to invest one’s savings “The Starter Pack” (Fra)

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I am reading Malcom X’s autobiography and it’s blowing my mind. I won’t get into his ideas here, I just want to talk about the man. This impossible, gigantic figure of a man.

Of course, there is the romanesque dimension of the character. The good looks, the wit, the power of words, the early death - assassinated at 40 - and the work of time that polished the persona to the point he now belongs to the very American pop culture he loathed and fought.

So, something happened with the last NL. Apparently, many of you share my obsession interest for Pride and Prejudice as well as my exasperation at Mr Darcy’s unbearable aloofness. One of you wrote back to me saying “Just say it, Mr Darcy!” was her favorite quote of 2025 (!), so I decided to put it on a t-shirt. I think it came out really nice, so if you too have been carrying this revolt in petto for too long and feel ready to put the world back into place, reach out and I’ll provide.

Beyond the facts, there is something ungraspable about him, a raw charisma that makes us both want to look away and stay close. What keeps us hooked is the fascination for the extremes. There were only extremes in this man, no in-between, no middle ground, and this is what maintains us on our guard to this day. We know him but we don’t, the wounded child and the strong man, the violence and the humanity, the words that heal and the words that hurt, the promise of a better world and the urge to burn it all down.

But what fascinates me beyond anything else is the panache of the man. His elegant f*** you attitude towards life. A black boy in 1920s Nebraska, the KKK burned down his house and lynched his father, the family fell into misery, but he still made first in school. He ended up on the streets of Harlem but there became a first class petty criminal and thrived for years, he went to prison before he turned 20 but there forged an academic education in the prison’s library, he converted to Islam but then became the most prominent figure of his mouvement before breaking up with his spiritual father and going his own way. I mean… Of course there is the brain and the charm, but there is also the bravery. The courage it takes to go out there and consistently defy the odds.

It’s courage as a muscle, courage as a way of life, the fear is there, everywhere, but he says: “You want to take me down? Nothing can take me down, I’ll thrive no matter what and live forever instead, just watch me”. He spent his life saying: “Just watch me”.

I really like this “just watch me” attitude. You can actually take it anywhere. As a way to reverse the odds, exercice your courage as a skill, not dissipating the fear but defying the fear or anything and anyone that doesn’t want you to be out there.

It’s a good attitude to take with you to work :

“You don’t think I can do it? Just watch me”.

“You don’t like me taking too much space? Just watch me”.

“You disapprove me speaking up? Just watch me”.

“You don’t want me asking for more money? Just watch me”.

It also works when talking to oneself: “I don’t think I’m capable of doing this? Just watch me!”

It takes a lot to be brave. Sometimes, a little dose of out-of-this-world panache is what one needs to go for it and exercise their courage, and if anything, that’s what I take away from Malcolm.

Now, on your saddle, and off you go!

Clara

Here we are in french-speaking zone, enjoy!