I heard something the other day that I found quite enlightening. It went a bit like this: Instead of apologizing, say thank you. i.e. If we’re late coming into a meeting with others and saying, “I’m sorry.” Instead we say, “Thank you for your patience.”
It’s a way of taking the focus off of ourselves and acknowledging the other people in the room. It’s just another way of asking, “How may we serve?” Rather than, “What’s in it for me.”
Subtle, but different for sure.