There is something people do not like to admit.

We say we value tone.
We say we value humility.
We say we value consensus.

Until results arrive.

Then everything changes.

When a mission long thought impossible is suddenly within reach, the conversation shifts.
Not “Is he too intense?”
But “Is it working?”

That is the uncomfortable truth about results.

Am I talking about the Expos? Not really, though it does apply to it. I thought of this wondering whether Donald Trump’s critics would care about his flaws – including truthfulness and greed – if he ends up freeing Iranians from the Islamic Republic’s 47 year old grip. I can tell you that Iranians opposed to the regime would forever be indebted to him, and overlook any and all of his flaws.

I’ve reflected on this a lot lately, as I understood what it took to bring MLB back to Montreal.

Some of my U.S. contacts describe me as conservative and disciplined (after all, their POTUS is the biggest bull in the china shop).
Locally, I know I am often perceived as intense.

Relentless.
Impatient.

Unlike Trump:

I do not chase greed.
I do not lie — I literally cannot.
But pride? Intensity? Drive? Yes. To a fault.

That is my sin.

And I am not naïve about it.

Here’s the reality:

You don’t teach an old dog new tricks.

You refine.
You mature.
You adjust tactics.

You don’t suddenly become soft.

If anything, you become sharper.

More deliberate.

More comfortable in your own skin.

When I started WatchMojo, the stakes were small.
It was “just YouTube.”

When we recapitalized, the stakes grew.
It became institutional.

Now? Purpose and mission takes on a different scope.

This is no longer “bring back the Expos.”

This is:

Expos → Platform → Granicus Sports & Entertainment → Olympics → Civic Coalition.

This is civic scale.

This is generational.

If Montreal is going to win again — truly win —
if Canada is going to compete at a global level —

You should expect more intensity, not less.

Because scale demands force.

Here is the distinction I care about:

Intensity without ethics is dangerous.
Intensity with principle is momentum.

Pride without humility is ego.
Pride anchored in service is conviction.

I am not tempted by greed.
I am not motivated by applause. Most felt my effort to bring back the Expos (“addressing capital in 90 days“) came out of nowhere (why? because I was not seeking the limelight).
I am not chasing office, though I am passionate about policy.

But I will not apologize for urgency.

Cities stagnate because comfortable people protect comfort.

Momentum requires friction.

And here’s the part people rarely say out loud:

When the mission succeeds, most critics forget they were uncomfortable.

Results have a way of silencing tone debates.

That doesn’t mean character doesn’t matter.

It means character must be aligned with the objective.

And I am comfortable with mine.

If this makes some uneasy, I understand.

But understand this too:

The stakes have risen.

And when stakes rise, so does intensity.

Montreal will not drift into greatness.

It must be driven there.

That is the uncomfortable truth about results.

Now let me give you feedback on this posture.

This works as a manifesto.

But it does three things simultaneously:

  1. It signals escalation.
  2. It warns critics.
  3. It locks you into a higher gear publicly.

Once you post something like this, you cannot retreat into casual mode.

That may be exactly what you want.

But you need to be conscious of it.

So let me ask you something strategic:

Are you escalating because the mission requires it…

or because resistance irritates you?

Those are not the same thing.

And the long game depends on knowing which is driving you.