It was a familiar look. It took me back to the first time we were together. She had an innocent quality about her that appealed to me.
“You’re welcome. How’d you do it?”
She shrugged as she took a bite of the lasagna. “I talked to them. And cheered them on. I rolled up my sleeves, I guess you could say. I got in there with them. I didn’t criticize or lecture anyone.”
“Are you saying that’s what I did?”
“Yes. I tried to tell you before your people skills left a little something to be desired. They are good people. You just need to encourage them instead of tearing them down.”
I nodded. “I think that is one management style.”
“It is a good management style.”
“But is it always effective?” I countered. “If you’re a friend, you’ll get walked all over. If you are always clapping and cheering them on, when are you correcting them? No one is perfect. If you let them run roughshod over you, it’s going to lead to disaster. It might be great right now, but it’s bound to lead to disaster.”
“You can provide constructive criticism without tearing into them,” she said. “There are bound to be some bad apples, but I firmly believe that good hiring practices can help weed those out.”
“Are you saying the people that are here are bad apples?”
“Not at all. I know change brings some discomfort. I expected there to be some waves, but you came in here and caused a tsunami. Can’t you admit you were a little heavy-handed?”
“I am very heavy-handed,” I said. “It’s effective. I don’t buy companies with the hopes of buying friends. I don’t need friends. I need good employees who will live up to my standards.”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I think you can be friendly and respectful without being friends.”
“True.”
“Have you ever heard the phrase you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar?” she asked.
“Of course.”
“That’s my style,” she said. “You said you wanted to know how I pulled off the miracle. That’s how. I have always found people are willing to work harder for people they like and respect than those they don’t like and don’t respect.”
“You don’t think they respect me?” I asked with a laugh. “Whatever gave you that idea?”
“Gee, I just don’t know,” she teased.
“Whatever it is you use, honey or syrup or flypaper, I don’t care. You do what you need to do. I’m glad you came back.” I said that with complete seriousness.
“Thank you,” she said with a soft smile.
“The people here respect you,” I said. “I can feel the change in the atmosphere.”
“That’s what a good leader should do,” she said. “You set the tone. You decide the mood. When someone isn’t feeling it, you step it up and pull them along. We all have bad days. You can’t be the bad day.”
“I feel like I should be offended,” I said with a small laugh.
“I’m not trying to be insulting. I am just being honest and maybe a little blunt. That seems to be what gets through to you.”
I nodded. “I tend to prefer people to be straight. I don’t like bullshit.”
“I remember that about you,” she said with a smile.
“You do?”
“I remember a lot of details about working with you. That’s the only thing that keeps me here.”
I raised an eyebrow. “The past?”
“Not that,” she said. “I remember your passion.” Her cheeks turned bright red. “I mean, your desire.” I had to bite my tongue. If I didn’t know any better, I would think she was flustered. “I meant, you wanted to be the best in the field. You craved success and you’ve worked hard to get it.”
“And?”
“And what?” she asked.
“That’s why you’re here? You want to be a part of my success.”
She shook her head. “Nope. I’ll find my own success. We all have our own idea what successful is. I have no desire to be wealthy or own twenty companies. I just want my little piece of the pie.”
I nodded. “I get that.”
She rubbed her neck and rolled her head back and forth. She’d been putting in long hours and looked exhausted. I rose from my chair and walked around her desk. She turned to look up at me. “What are you doing?”
“Shh, relax, you’re very tense.” I put my hands on her shoulders and began to rub.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said and shrugged away from me.
“I want to,” I told her and turned her chair. “Let me do this for you.”