chapter
19
Madeline was the first to arrive at the status meeting in the boardroom. Abigail and George, the head of finance, weren’t far behind. They took their seats.
“I wonder if Mr. CEO is going to be here,” Madeline said. Abigail shrugged her shoulders. “He’s missed so many meetings over the past three months. Between his media schedule and entourage of women, he’s a busy man, awfully busy.” The words were gone, too late to take back and spare Abigail the anguish. But the truth was the truth.
“Alleged entourage,” Abigail said.
“Humph, if you say so,” Madeline said, and left the conversation right there, with Abigail refusing to denounce a loser and Madeline wise enough to know better.
Joel’s administrative assistant entered and dialed the conference room phone situated in the middle of the table. A few key punches and Barry, the senior vice president in Chicago, was on the line representing the Midwest, Connie from the Southern division, and Brian from the West Coast. Madeline wanted to yell out the absurd aspects of Joel’s merger. If he had it his way, Brian and the West Coast were gone. The managers in the meeting were clueless about what was going on, except for Abigail, and that was preferred for now. Greetings ensued. “Where is Joel?” Madeline asked the assistant, expecting him to be the usual no-show.
“I’m right here,” Joel said, entering on the heels of Madeline’s question. He peered at his watch. “Right on time.” Madeline stewed. She was prepared for him to be absent, which would give her more justification for ousting him. “Let’s get started,” Joel said smugly. Madeline took satisfaction in believing that his days were numbered, for real this time.
Abigail read the agenda, nothing unusual, the standard updates from the division managers followed by some comments from Joel. Madeline wondered if he would bring up the merger, the subject generating the most curiosity. Before they got to that debacle, the executive team had to deal with the most pressing issue—which amounted to staying in business.
“Connie, you’re up first, followed by Barry,” Abigail said.
“My numbers aren’t as good as they normally are,” Connie said, creating a clumsy moment of silence. “Sales in the Southern division are down twenty percent.”
“Is that for the year?” Abigail asked.
“No, that’s just for one quarter.” Another awkward pause hovered. Madeline wanted to cut in but kept quiet, for now.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but we’ve run the numbers several times, checked and double-checked. The numbers are down twenty percent,” George said. He’d proven to be a strong chief financial officer. Madeline trusted his numbers. If he said the numbers were down, then the numbers were down.
Joel had to be as shocked as the rest of the executive team but he showed no visible reaction. As far as Madeline was concerned, he was in a dire situation either way. If the report was correct, he needed to get out of the head role. If it wasn’t, his lack of concern was grounds to force him out. Either way was suitable for Madeline. The sooner he got out, the better, leaving more time for the rest of the team to stop the company’s bleeding. DMI was on life support and if she could push Joel out in the next few days, resuscitation was theirs.
After the first report was read, more bad news about the Midwest was readily digested. Brian gave the West Coast update, which wasn’t as bad, only a small setback. Apparently the West Coast clients hadn’t gotten the wired news about DMI being held hostage by a narcissistic tyrant who’d sold a portion of the company and his soul to the first demigod willing to write the biggest check.
“What is that noise?” Connie asked over the speakerphone, shaking Madeline out of her trance. When she looked up, there was silence in the room and everyone was staring at her. The pen she held in her hand was tapping so frantically that it had put several nicks in her leather portfolio. Madeline tossed the pen down and brushed back her hair with her hand. Her fury burned, but scanning the room, she hated exposing her personal distaste publicly, especially when it came to Joel. The perception of one foolish, out-of-control Mitchell was plenty for the management team, possibly the world. She corralled her scattered thoughts and herded her mind back into the meeting. “What?” she said. “Go ahead.”
“It’s your turn, Madeline. We’re on the East Coast update.”
Madeline let her gold-rimmed reading glasses rest on the tip of her nose. She opened her portfolio and flipped to page two of her report, tapping her Mont Blanc pen lightly on the paper. “Does everyone have a copy?” Nods of affirmation and responses on the phone circled the room. “The East Coast is doing the same as the other divisions—poorly,” she said and closed the report. “Let’s quit playing this game.” Abigail wore a perplexed expression, probably not sure what Madeline was going to say but fully aware of what she was capable of saying. Joel’s expression didn’t change. Madeline clasped her hands on top of the portfolio. “In the forty years that I’ve been in this company, which is from day one”—she removed her reading glasses, calmly set them on top of her portfolio next to her pen, and drew in a breath of air, determined to be calm despite her brooding frustration bottled deep within—“I’ve never seen such a dramatic drop in sales or accounts, especially our large accounts.” Madeline knew she was right and didn’t need a support team to speak the truth. She directed her gaze at Joel and pointed her folded reading glasses at him. “The swirling rumors of instability and immorality are taking a toll. You’ve taken this company from one of integrity and an impeccable reputation to some struggling backwoods company that is two accounts short of scrambling for rent money. You need to do the right thing and step down. It’s the only reasonable reaction to these ridiculous sales reports,” she said, tapping her index finger on the portfolio containing her report.
“What are you talking about?” Joel finally managed to get out. “I’ve taken this company to new levels, and you know it.”
“And you’ll have us out of business in another six months, so what’s your point?”
Joel tossed his arms into the air. “I’m not about to get into this debate with you, Madeline. I am the CEO.”
“For two years, eleven months, seventeen days, and thirty-nine seconds to be exact, but don’t quote me. I might be off on the seconds,” Madeline said.
Abigail would usually step in as the referee, but she must have been really mad with Joel this time because she stayed on the sidelines of the argument. Madeline took that as a cue to keep applying pressure.
Joel leaned up to the table and spewed, “Get over it. I’m running this company. If you’re truly this opposed to my decisions, there’s always the door.” He leaned back in his seat.
If the pressure in her head raised one more notch, she was certain to blow the top off her head and probably the building, too. This little snot-nosed boy was playing with building blocks when her children were taking driving lessons. He had gall the size of the Grand Canyon and a degree of ignorance equally as big, which was the pitfall she was intent on exploiting.
“I’m not leaving,” she said, chuckling. The mere concept was comical.
“Maybe not voluntarily, but I’m the one in charge.” The rest of the meeting participants were nonexistent. This posturing was strictly between them—two pit bulls—and Madeline wasn’t receptive to caving in.
“I’m tired of your divisive antics. You can either quit or get fired, that’s your choice,” Joel said. “This meeting is over.”
Decorum between two top ranking executives had been checked at the door. The bloody fight to the death was assumed. Madeline did try to reserve a drop of professionalism and asked that the meeting be tabled. Those on the phone disconnected and the room cleared. Abigail reluctantly left at Madeline’s request, after Madeline assured her they weren’t going to literally draw blood.
“Listen here, Mr. CEO, I’m not going anywhere,” Madeline said, standing and leaning on the edge of the table as soon as Abigail left. “I have more rights to this company
than you will ever have. The terms of my divorce state that I can never be fired. That was a gift from Dave Mitchell.” Madeline smirked. “If you don’t believe me, go check the records, Mr. CEO.” She strolled toward the door. Joel remained seated with his back to her. “You see, I’m a definite when it comes to DMI, and you, sir, are a big maybe.” She finished and strode out of the room, having spoken the last word.
chapter
20
Sailing into her office on the tips of feathers, Madeline had hope. This time, she was close to actually fulfilling her dream of ousting Joel from a position he never should have inherited. No need to dwell on the past . . . the future was hers and Don’s. She dialed with the speakerphone on, barely able to stay grounded. The restraint broke once her son was on the call. She skipped greetings and cut right to business. “You have to get back to Detroit, quickly. Today, if you can.”
“Well, hello to you, too, Mother. What catastrophe is going on now? I’m sure that’s what you’ve called to tell me.”
Joel’s luck had run out. He definitely didn’t have backing from the executive team. More important, Joel didn’t seem to have the favor he once had with God, the kind that made everything he touched golden. Madeline could duel, toe-to-toe, with any person in DMI, or outside for that matter, but God was different. He wasn’t somebody she chose to challenge. She felt justified in being upset with Him periodically, but that’s as far as she went. If Joel didn’t have God in his corner, he was no match for her.
“We had the executive team meeting today and the sales are awful. We’re down by twenty percent since last quarter.” Madeline strolled around her desk with arms folded. She expected a drop in sales, not a landslide. She’d worked too hard for too many years, sacrificed a marriage and her livelihood for DMI. Joel wasn’t going to ruin her life’s work. “Clients are leaving left and right, which is no surprise given that we’re founded on biblical principles. Eighty percent of our client base is churches and other religious entities.” She stopped pacing near the side of her desk where the phone was and leaned against the desk. “Of course we were going to lose them as soon as word got out about the merger and the sale of a key division.” She was in awe at Joel’s brandish actions. “This is Joel’s doing, completely.” His arrogance and ignorance had finally collided and washed out his common sense. “I guess he lost his renowned wisdom,” she said without an ounce of sincerity, “when he lost his spiritual edge. Good for me, makes him easier to take out. Now you see why I called. I can smell his downfall coming and you need to be here.”
“I’m not panicking, Mother. We have a plan. The board has postponed the deal for six months. Joel can’t make a move on the merger without our backing. We have time to let this play out.”
“Don’t you hear me? Sales dropped twenty percent. That has never happened. We can’t wait. Time for games is over,” she said, coming around the desk and taking a seat. “We need to act or there won’t be a company left to take over.”
“Like I said, I’m not panicking and acting hastily. It hasn’t worked for you. Let’s try another way,” he said.
Madeline couldn’t refute what he was saying, but sitting idle and waiting for progress wasn’t her way. Action was what she believed in, right or wrong.
“Look, if God has called me to run DMI, then I’m going to trust His plan. If you want me to run DMI, you need to trust the plan that I’m following. I won’t be pressured into something half baked, Mother. I love you dearly, but you have to step back and see the big picture. Take a breath and let me get back to work.” She knew he was right. “Remember, I have a company to run here, too.”
The idea clicked like a light switch. “Why don’t you offer your services to our customers that have left?” She was charged, thinking about the possibilities. Madeline was so proud of the idea that she could have patted herself on the back. “Why didn’t we think of this sooner? Never mind, it’s on the table now. Isn’t it a fantastic idea?” Most likely Don was going to say no. She knew he’d avoided churches and other religious entities when he’d started LTI, wanting to create distance from the religious-oriented DMI world and his new one.
“My client base is mostly corporate and educational institutions.”
“So what? You know this business. You were the first division head to realize double-digit growth when you ran the East Coast. You have what it takes. This is too perfect.” Madeline couldn’t contain her glee. “We have to regain our lost customers. If we want to expand internationally, what better connection than Leadership Training International, run by none other than the oldest legitimate son of Dave Mitchell?” She spun around in her desk chair. “I’m so excited that I’m silly.”
“You may be on to something this time, Mother. Let me give this some thought and lay out a few scenarios. I’ll have Naledi do some market research to determine how the two companies could work together, but this is a good idea.”
“You better believe it’s a good idea. I’m your mother, and it’s my job to get you home. If coming up with a good idea every now and then is what it takes, so be it.” Madeline ended the call, soaked with a gush of victory. Finally the time was coming to reclaim what rightfully belonged to her children: integrity, and the top spot on Dave Mitchell’s inheritance list.
chapter
21
Madeline meant well but was constantly driven by passion and retaliation. Don wanted to be methodical, definitive, and responsible. There was no rush. He mulled over the positives and negatives of expanding LTI into the religious sector, not quite sold. He’d call Abigail. She’d have solid insight. Since the recent visit to Detroit, the two of them stayed in frequent contact, three to four times a week. Their reconnection didn’t require formal greetings. “Abigail, I’d like to bounce an idea around with you. My mother suggested that I pitch LTI to the customers who have left. I’m actually giving the idea serious consideration. You’re on the front line and you know how much I value your professional opinion. What do you think?”
“It’s a great idea,” she said, talking fast. “You have the background and the market knowledge.”
“You don’t think it would be a conflict of interest?”
“No way, there’s no conflict. The customers are gone, thanks to Joel,” she said. “At least they wouldn’t be totally lost to the entire Mitchell family if you took care of them. It’s a great idea. Seriously, I’m not just saying that.”
“I need to run the numbers on market share and determine the logistics since I’m based out of South Africa. If I did this, I’d have to get Naledi involved.”
“I know she’s important to LTI, but why would she need to be involved with your reaching out to DMI clients?”
“I would need her to run the business here while I spend time there meeting with clients.”
“I thought you were going to be spending time here anyway?”
He detected her intensity. “I’m wrapping up some critical projects here before I come back to Detroit. I just told my mother earlier today that we have a six-month moratorium on the merger. Joel can’t push forward before then.” Don was returning to Michigan, but running back now at the expense of his own company’s stability was counterproductive. Don had to figure out how to be a willing member of the Mitchell family without compromising his dreams and self-worth. Thirty-four years of life had already been plenty.
“You’re not changing your mind about being CEO, are you?”
“No, not at all. I’m all in. When you or my mother tells me that Joel has resigned and the CEO role is ready, I’ll be on the first plane.”
Abigail was briefly amused. “We both know that won’t happen. Joel would rather die than resign. Being in charge is his life. It’s the only role he knows.”
“We’ll rely on the independent counsel and our legal team to find a way to remove Joel. Between the two teams, they have to uncover something useful.” Revenge tried rearing itself in the decision. Don quickly shook off the notion. He’d come to terms
with Joel and God before arriving in Detroit to assume the lead role. “I made it clear from the very beginning. I’m not sure how and when God is going to bring this plan to fruition. My job is to believe that He will and that I should be ready to step up when the time is right. In the meantime, I’m going to keep LTI profitable.”
“Running two companies is a lot. Let me know how I can help.”
“With you there and Naledi here, I’ll be okay.”
“That’s right, Naledi. She’s turned out to be quite a special partner. There was a time when the two of us were joined at the hip. Looks like I’ve been replaced,” she said. Don assumed she was joking. With Joel so deeply rooted in her affections, she had to be.
chapter
22
Don was the master at splitting his energy, a skill forced upon him during his childhood. He had to juggle time and loyalty between two parents after Dave left Madeline for Sherry and started his new family. He remembered giving Madeline a lot more of his time and loyalty since she was the saddest most of the time, at least the first couple of years, when he was four or five. Now he was making his own mark, thanks in part to Naledi. Not a day had passed since he hired her that she hadn’t managed to brighten his spirit. She was a godsend at a time when he needed to trust in someone, in something positive. Her presence had kept him sane during the early months. He owed her more than a paycheck.
“Did you get my note?” he asked, referring to a note he’d left in her office earlier.
Naledi entered the office and sat. They’d come so far as a team. Abigail was right. There was a time when Don and Abigail were a solid force, well suited, at least until she shifted her loyalty and love exclusively to Joel. The affection he had for Abigail wasn’t the kind to easily vanish. Don wiped away the notion. Those days and feelings were done and life continued. Thank goodness for Naledi. Don reflected on their initial meeting, not knowing whether it was more appropriate to shake her hand or bow or do nothing. The clumsiness had dissipated. The fact that Don and Naledi were born and raised continents apart, with different values and cultural perspectives, ultimately became secondary to the basic need of the human spirit to connect.
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