Fly, Butterfly

by Annicken R. Day

  John was collecting energy for his closing remarks.

  “And with this we believe we have given you all the evidence you need to agree that Maya Williams is not competent in her role as TechnoGuard’s CEO. Instead, she is putting the company at risk by turning TechnoGuard into the joke of the town.”

  John sat down. Not once had he or any of the other executives looked me in the eyes.

  But I could see and feel their fear. These men were terrified. Maybe not of me personally, but of what I had come to symbolize: Change. Unpredictability. Feminine values. Female empowerment. Loss of traditional status and power.

  And their fear was expressed in the only way they knew to express it: with anger, blame, and finger-pointing. At me.

  These three men were fighting for their lives, or at least desperately clinging to the way their lives used to be. I felt a little sorry for them. They were fighting a fight they could never win. The fight against change is the fight we are all doomed to lose.

  A deep sense of calm overcame me. I had stayed silent the entire time they had been speaking. After the men had finished their presentation, Mr. Hatchett turned around and looked at me. “Now, Maya. I think it is only fair that you tell your side of the story. If you don’t mind?”

  He was serious, but I could see the warmth in his eyes. I felt he was on my side, and I knew Lucy was too, but I still had five other board members to convince.

  The fact that I saw them laughing at the pictures and the evidence the executive team shared didn’t necessarily mean they considered me fit as the CEO of the billion-dollar Nasdaq-listed company they oversaw. But whatever the outcome would be, I knew I could only continue being myself.

  I stood up and looked everyone steadily in the eyes, including the three men at the end of the table. They still failed to meet my gaze. In spite of this, I addressed them first.

  “First off, I have to say that I had no idea that you felt so strongly against everything we have been doing in the last year, including the changes we have made and the way I have behaved. And, while I do wish that you had come to me first—and sooner, so we could have tried to work things out—here we are.”

  I paused and turned to address the members of the board.

  “Yes, it is all true. Everything John Cooper has told you, every statement, every policy change, and every picture that has been shared with you here today. I’ve done and said all of those things.” I paused and smiled. “And I’m proud of it.”

  I could tell I had the board’s full attention. Even the executives looked up and acknowledged me now.

  I turned toward Mr. Hatchett and addressed him directly. “When you came and found me in Kaua’i one and a half years ago, you said you wanted me to bring the qualities and values that I had demonstrated at the conference in Kaua’i to my new position. You said TechnoGuard needed a CEO that demonstrated values like honesty, authenticity, courage, and integrity.”

  He nodded at me. Was it just wishful thinking, or did he actually look a bit proud?

  “Well, what you have been shown here today is what that looks like in practice.” I smiled and then turned to address the rest of the board.

  “So that you can have some perspective, allow me to remind you that this last year, transforming TechnoGuard into a company that people are happy and proud to work for has been one of my biggest priorities. I have chosen this as a strategy because it helps us attract and keep talent, inspires people to collaborate better, to innovate more, and to come up with greater solutions for our customers. And it leads to significantly higher performance and better results.”

  I looked around the table to make sure my points were being heard. The executives instinctively looked away, but the board members leaned in closer.

  “Extensive research shows that highly-engaged employees deliver up to 50 percent higher performance than those who are less engaged. And companies that have highly-engaged employees are on average 20 percent more profitable, and over time they deliver significantly higher shareholder return.”

  I was emphasizing the business outcomes, knowing that at the end of the day, the board would judge me on the results I delivered, not on the level of happiness of our employees. However, it was my goal to make them realize the overwhelming evidence that the two were mutually inclusive.

  “In spite of all the evidence that employees’ level of engagement directly correlates with company performance—the higher the engagement, the better the results—the majority of US workers state that they are not engaged in their jobs.” I looked intently at the members of the board, making sure they were all listening to what I had to say.

  “Therefore, the big question is this,” I continued. “How do we, as a company, go against this trend? How do we create a company culture where people feel happy and engaged and motivated—and deliver great performance as a consequence?” I stopped to pour myself a glass of water, primarily to give them time to reflect on my questions.

  After a brief pause, I continued, “Many organizations and leaders make the mistake of thinking of the disengaged employees as the problem, as if people choose to be disgruntled and not care. The truth is that lack of engagement is rarely a choice, but rather a symptom, a consequence, of something else.”

  I was pleased to see that I still had everyone’s undivided attention.

  “The real problem, according to a number of studies, is the lack of humane leadership and trust that exists in most workplaces. When people don’t feel safe, respected, and valued and are treated as ‘resources’ instead of human beings, they end up just showing up at work, doing the bare minimum, just waiting for the day to be over. Disengagement is to a large extent a survival mechanism, and it leads to bad outcomes for people, for companies—and ultimately for the shareholders.”

  A few were nodding to the last remark, and Travis was taking notes.

  I walked over to the whiteboard.

  “According to Gallup, the high level of disengaged employees cost US businesses alone more than 500 billion dollars per year.” I wrote the number on the whiteboard.

  “In addition, you have the cost of burn-outs, stress-related health problems, and personal misery because of brutally long work days, minimal time for rest—and family time—and, in many places, a total absence of joy in the workplace.”

  I looked at the highly accomplished business people around the table.

  “In short, and to be brutally honest with you,” I said, “the corporate world has a huge leadership challenge. The old models are outdated and ineffective. Command and control doesn’t work anymore. But trusting and engaging people do.” I paused for a deep breath. “It’s time for leaders, companies, and their boards to embrace a more humane leadership style and do what their shareholders are asking them to do: create financially healthy, sustainable, and thriving companies. And to do that, they need to start with caring about—and investing in—their people and their culture.”

  By now, I figured I had nothing to lose. I was determined to take it all the way, regardless of what the outcome might end up being for me personally.

  I took a sip of water before I continued.

  “Now, what does all this have to do with me not acting like a CEO should, as these gentlemen insinuate?” I nodded toward the three men. Lucy chuckled quietly.

  “Leadership is not about what you say but about what you do. And trust is not something that can be demanded, it needs to be earned. Wanting to earn our employees’ trust and to create an environment where people feel safe to be themselves, I needed to go first. And, that is precisely what I did.”

  I studied the executives at the end of the table. They avoided my gaze.

  “What my colleagues have shown you today was evidence of me being Maya, who happens to have the role of CEO. Not a CEO who is played by a person called Maya. There is a huge difference and people can feel it.”

  Lucy nodded, and I gave her a little smile.

  “The feedback I have gotten from our employees i
s that for the first time they feel valued, safe, and trusted at work. They give their best, dare to take risks, and constantly try to improve things, because they care—and they know they won’t get fired when they ask a critical question or make a mistake. On the contrary, we let them know that we much prefer people try and fail than that they don’t try at all.”

  Travis was still taking notes, and Mr. Brown looked like he was about to fall asleep.

  “In this new environment of trust, employees and teams collaborate better, innovate more, and are more effective in solving problems and meeting customers’ demands than they have ever been before. And they are having fun while doing it. Now isn’t that something?” I smiled.

  The majority of the board members smiled back at me now.

  “Also, I’d like to mention that after we implemented the new flexible work and vacation policies and a more generous parental leave, people have become more productive with less time in the office, and report back that they feel a lot happier—with both their work and their lives. Not one single person has left the company in the past six months, and some of the people who left one and a half years ago are now asking to come back.”

  I walked across the room, picked up a marker, and drew two arrows pointing upward on the whiteboard.

  “So, what have been the business outcomes of these changes thus far?” I pointed at the arrows. “For one, the level of employee engagement has spiked and so has our customer satisfaction score.” I added a big “30 percent” to the whiteboard with a thick green marker. “And this is the increase in revenue since the same time last year.”

  I set the marker down and walked back to my place at the conference table.

  “And as I am sure you all are aware of, the share price is gradually climbing back up to where it belongs.” I took a deep breath and smiled. “So yes, I am proud.”

  Then I paused and looked over to John, Gary, and Brad.

  “But there is one thing I am not so proud of.”

  The three men looked away. I could tell they were highly uncomfortable with the way things were unfolding.

  “And that is that I have not done a good enough job working with and involving the executive team in all the changes we’ve made. I think I have done a decent job with the majority of the employees. But I clearly still have a lot to learn about how to lead, collaborate with, and win the trust of my own team. And that is something I would like to do something about. That is, if you decide that I have your continuous support.” I looked around the table, meeting the eyes of every member of the board, before I sat back down in my chair.

  I noticed that the air in the room felt lighter.

  “Thank you, Maya. Thank you, gentlemen,” Mr. Hatchett said as he nodded toward the end of the table. The executives gathered up their things and awaited their cue to leave.

  Mr. Hatchett stood up as he gestured to the door. “Thank you, you are free to go now.”

  I nodded and stood up as the other executives filed out of the room.

  “Maya, can I please ask you to wait outside for a few minutes?”

  I felt a little nervous in the waiting area, but when Mr. Hatchett came out, I could tell he had good news. “The board members were impressed with you, Maya. They think you are a breath of fresh air and are demonstrating the values we want TechnoGuard to stand for. And of course, the results speak for themselves.” He paused and smiled. “You have the board’s continuous support.”

  I let out a sigh of relief.

  Mr. Hatchett sat down on the sofa beside me. “However, the support does come with one condition. It sounds to us that you have been running a one-woman-band since you came back, and big kudos to you for having done so with great success. But real leadership is about building strong teams and an organization that can live on without you. And to do that, you need to have a strong leadership team that shares your vision, supports you, and is willing to go through fire with you.”

  Mr. Hatchett smiled warmly before continuing.

  “And it sounded like you came to the exact same conclusion in there,” he said as he looked toward the meeting room.

  I nodded. “Yes, I did. And I definitely intend to take that responsibility seriously.”

  “Good,” Mr. Hatchett said as he stood up. “Maya, I want you to know that I respect you tremendously for standing up for your own beliefs. There are not a lot of people of your caliber in the corporate world.”

  “Yet,” I said.

  “Excuse me?”

  “There are not a lot of people like me in the corporate world yet. Times are changing, Mr. Hatchett. They will come.”

  “Yes, I hear you say that. But may I, as one of the old dinosaurs who believes in what you are trying to do, give you a bit of advice?”

  “Of course. I would very much appreciate that.”

  His voice was serious, but his eyes were still smiling. “Sometimes, it is good to meet people where they are. You may have understood something that most of us haven’t yet, but when you are stretching the band too far, people will get scared and resist, instead of supporting it. I think that is what might have happened with your executive team. Challenging people to step a bit outside their comfort zone is good, but asking them to travel to a different planet with you, when they haven’t even heard about that planet before, might be a bit too much.”

  I laughed out loud. “Thank you. I will remember that.”

  After shaking hands with Mr. Hatchett, I got back into the elevator and headed down to the lobby. As I walked out of the building, I looked for a nearby café. There was a phone call I needed to make, and I wasn’t looking forward to it.

  After ordering my coffee, I sat down at a table by the window, fished my phone out of my bag, and made the call.

  “Hi, Ruth. Maya here.”

  “Hello, Maya,” Ruth replied as she always did, but her voice sounded tenser than normal.

  “I just came from a meeting with the board. Apparently, there had been some complaints, so I had to explain myself a bit, but don’t worry, all is well. I still have a job.”

  I could sense her simultaneous tension and relief.

  “Thank goodness,” she sighed.

  “I have a question, though. How did John get his hands on the video you filmed of me at the karaoke bar that night? Didn’t we agree that you wouldn’t share it with anyone?”

  Ruth’s voice tightened. “I never wanted them to hurt you, Maya. I promise. I just wanted things to go back to normal.”

  “What?” For a moment I froze. I had been hurt by the executives’ betrayal, but this one felt much worse. “Did you give it to them with the knowledge they would use it against me?”

  “John never said he would show it to the board.” Ruth sounded like she was about to cry. “He just said he needed it to give you a wake-up call, to get things back to normal. There have been too many changes, Maya. I just wanted things to be more like they used to be.”

  “Why didn’t you come to me, Ruth? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  I had never heard Ruth cry before. “I don’t know,” she sobbed. “You’re just so different. I sometimes miss the old Maya. But I never meant to hurt you.”

  “I know you didn’t, Ruth,” I replied. “But I can’t go back to who I was. And I don’t want to.”

  “But why not?”

  I realized it wasn’t only the executive team I hadn’t paid enough attention to lately.

  I sighed silently before I spoke. “Sorry it’s taken so long Ruth. Let’s have that dinner and bottle of wine we talked about. I will try to explain everything then.”

  Ruth said she would like that and we agreed to go somewhere after work the next day.

  After we hung up, I collected my coffee from the counter and plopped back down in the chair, stared out the window, and exhaled.

  I clearly still had a lot to learn.

  YEAR THREE

  Midway into my third year as the CEO, TechnoGuard was thriving. Revenue was up 50 percent from the
year before, making us one of the fastest-growing companies in our industry. We had even made it to the list of the ten most attractive places to work in the country, and my relationship with the executive team had hugely improved. Suffice it to say, I was feeling pretty good about things.

  A few weeks after the infamous board meeting, I suggested that the executive team go away together on a two-day offsite retreat. To my surprise, everyone agreed. A few weeks later, we all arrived in the Hamptons to stay in Mr. Hatchett’s ten-bedroom mansion.

  The house was gorgeous and practically on the beach, and all the furniture and decorations were navy blue and white, which immediately made me think of George. Ruth had stocked up the fridge with food, beer, and wine. She even prepared a bonfire for us on the beach. I invited her to stay, but she declined.

  “I know too much about them,” she whispered to me with a wink, and left.

  I was glad I had decided—and managed—to push aside what I also knew and start with a clean slate. Lucy had once shared one of her mottos with me, “Begin again,” which was about letting go of the past and seeing every moment as an opportunity for a new beginning. I had taken that advice to heart and it had helped me tremendously in my relationship with the executives.

  When we first arrived, we explored the mansion, chose our bedrooms, and got familiar with the property. The atmosphere was a bit nervous and awkward to begin with; we were all clearly out of our comfort zones. But then Adriana put some Latin rhythms on the stereo and Gary popped open a bottle of champagne, and things started to loosen up.

  Later, we sat on the large blue and white sofas on the oceanfront deck, had drinks, chatted, and ate the divine mushroom risotto John had cooked for us. I had no idea he’d been a chef in his younger days.

  With the sound of waves hitting the shore in the background, the atmosphere was much more light-hearted and friendly than I had dared to dream it would be, and I finally started to relax.

  After dinner, we took our glasses and blankets down to the beach, lit the bonfire, and listened to the waves while looking into the flames. After a while Oliver, our newly promoted chief marketing officer, picked up his guitar and started singing “Bridge over Troubled Water.” As people started to sing along, I allowed myself to drift away for a moment.