"There is a story about [[Angela Merkel|Merkel]] as a young girl, at a swimming lesson. **She walked out on the diving board and stood there, thinking about whether she should jump. Minutes ticked by. More minutes. Finally, just as the bell marking the end of the lesson began to ring, she jumped.** Was she afraid or just cautious? Many years later, she would remind Europe’s leaders during a major crisis that “**Fear is a bad advisor**.” As a kid on that diving board, **she wanted to use every allotted second to make the right decision, not driven by recklessness or fear**. ([Location 1714](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B01AWUTMB0&location=1714)) --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[fear]], [[making-decisions]], [[discipline]], [[leadership]] **Source** -- [[202409161103 - B - Ego is the Enemy]]