To walk a fine line, or sometimes to walk a tightrope, means to act very carefully in a situation where a small mistake could cause problems. This idiom can be used to describe trying to balance between two opposing pressures.
The phrase comes from the image of walking along a very narrow line, where losing balance even slightly could lead to a fall. Over time it became a metaphor for handling a delicate or risky situation.
The phrase comes from the image of walking along a very narrow line, where losing balance even slightly could lead to a fall. Over time it became a metaphor for handling a delicate or risky situation.
As a manager, she has to walk a fine line between being friendly with the team and enforcing the rules.