Let Them Be Annoying!

"You can't control how other people show up. You can only control how you show up." - Mel Robbins

As Proteus marks its 32^nd Anniversary, I’ve found myself reflecting not just on how far we’ve come as a leadership organisation, but also on how easy it is - even after decades in the game - to get thrown off course. Despite years of teaching mindset and proudly championing our Proteus Mantra, "Respond, Don't React", the six weeks leading up to Easter reminded me just how different it is to know something… and to live it.

Six weeks of travelling, meeting key clients, visiting our interstate Proteus team offices, regional road trips, facilitating workshops, plus adding in a couple of keynotes (just like the old Proteus days!), I must admit that I found myself being triggered – constantly!

Flights delayed. Long Ubers/Taxi lines at airports. Noisy hotel rooms. Venue tech playing games. And, a parade of what I can only call ‘challenging personalities’ crossing my path.

By the end, I wasn’t so much responding as reacting... and not always gracefully!

There’s something else that I also realised:

I have an internal voice that firmly believes some people were placed on this planet purely to annoy me ... and lately it feels like they’re exceeding expectations!

Midway through all this, I picked up Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory book at the airport. Honestly, her core message hit me right between the eyes… if people want to act out, be rude, leave you out, or not meet your expectations - let them. But keep moving forward!

One of her simplest but most powerful ideas stopped me in my tracks:

"If people want to be difficult, let them. If circumstances aren't ideal, let them. Focus on what you can control — your energy, your attitude, your response."

Stop wasting your time trying to fix, chase, or control other people. The only thing you’re responsible for is you - your energy, your boundaries, and how you show up.

Reading this, I had to laugh (well, cringe actually). I realised that I was wasting precious energy fighting battles I didn’t need to fight — trying to fix, control, or be frustrated by things that were never mine to fix in the first place.

The truth is… leading your life well doesn’t mean perfect poise at every moment. It means catching yourself sooner when you slip. It means laughing at your own humanity. It means choosing to let them - and then move forward anyway.

So next time you find yourself being riled up by someone’s behaviour, or feeling like the universe is throwing an array of annoying characters at you to disrupt your plans, remember: Let Them!

Then get back to what really matters.

And to everyone I annoyed with my impatience, pushiness, and unrealistic expectations for perfect service – my sincere apologies for being such a cranky pants!

Wishing you a wonderful week of knowing that many events, situations and people will annoy you. So Let Them!

Richard Dore
Co-CEO - Director of Partnerships
Proteus Leadership