1. The Classic Three-Fold Method 
2. The Spa Roll 
3. The Hotel Fold

Dan Watson does none of these. In fact, he likes to shake it up every time he folds a towel, much to his wife's dismay. What a rebel. 

I'm a Three-Fold girl. It makes for a nice, neat rectangle that fits logically on any shelf, saving space and creating a clean look. It's easy, practical, and makes perfect sense. This means any towel I come across that my husband touched first will be getting re-folded...the right way. 

But here’s the thing I’ve been learning—slowly, stubbornly, and with many refolded towels along the way:

Just because it’s not done my way, doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

Sure, his towel folds make my eye twitch a little. Sure, I may “fix” them when no one’s looking. But if the goal is a clean towel on a shelf, folded with care by someone who shares the load without being asked…does it really matter that it’s not done in the Erin Watson Standardized Method™?

It turns out this tiny domestic disagreement is a pretty decent mirror for how we lead - both ourselves and others.

When we lead ourselves, it’s easy to cling to routines and systems because they feel safe and familiar. They work. They make sense. But personal growth and honoring others' rhythm often comes from loosening our grip and allowing space for experimentation, discomfort, and someone else’s idea of “right.”

Find Your Flex Notice where your preferences have turned into rigid rules—and intentionally practice flexibility.

When we lead others, the temptation to micromanage—yes, even towel-folding—can sneak in disguised as “standards” or “efficiency.” But leadership isn’t about creating an army of clones who do everything our way. It’s about empowering people to contribute in ways that reflect their strengths, their creativity, and their ownership. Sometimes that means stepping back and letting the fold be…however it is.

Honor the Try Shift from control to clarity: define the goal, then let people reach it in their own way.

And when we encourage others to try, stretch, or innovate, we have to remember that innovation almost never looks polished on the first attempt. It’s uneven. It’s unconventional. It’s a towel folded in a shape you didn’t even know was possible (the day I get a towel elephant in my home, I will be delighted). But if we shut it down because it’s not our version of perfect, we send the message that trying isn’t worth it.

Embrace Variety Reward effort and experimentation—not just outcomes that match your personal style.

So yes, I may still straighten a towel here and there. But I’m learning—gratefully and with a good dose of humility—that partnership, growth, and leadership look a lot more like embracing variety than enforcing uniformity.

In the end, a home (and a team) filled with people who are willing to help, willing to try, and willing to show up—even imperfectly—is far better than one where every towel is flawlessly folded.

Because just because it’s not done my way…

doesn’t mean it’s wrong.