The antidote to insecurity-driven behavior isn’t retaliation. It’s standards.

Clear expectations.

Firm boundaries.

Consistent accountability.

Standards remove the need for personal conflict. They allow behavior to qualify—or disqualify—itself. Over time, this creates clarity for everyone involved.

Professionalism doesn’t require confrontation at every turn. It requires consistency. When standards are clear and enforced, insecurity has nowhere to hide.

Those who meet the standard rise quietly.

Those who don’t reveal themselves just as clearly.

In the end, professionalism isn’t about ego, tenure, or visibility. It’s about conduct.

And conduct always tells the truth.