When students asked for alternatives to the assignment, I swallowed, paused, and said, "Not gonna happen." They packed up and got the work done as I asked. I met a graduate student who was dragging her feet on her dissertation with, "Do you have what it takes? Then just do it." She looked dumbfounded but turned a chapter in shortly thereafter. In a faculty meeting, a colleague ventured complex curriculum revision that I would normally have spoken at length against based on my extensive experience as a former associate chair. Instead I let people cast about with questions and concerns and then said, trying not to laugh at its simplicity, "We're not gonna do it." The subject was dropped.

I came to meetings late, and left early. I made jokes. Crucially, I started to meet colleagues for beers more in my faculty association, where I was a member of the council. I was one of the only women, and my status was quickly elevated to one of the power brokers and I joined the executive committee.