A high-powered CEO believed she was successfully upholding her father’s legacy by fiercely protecting the bottom line of her construction company. Her focus was on efficiency and performance, which led her to fire a long-time employee, Peter, for chronic tardiness without a second thought. It took a personal family crisis to reveal the profound flaw in her leadership style. Discovering her son was skipping school, she investigated and found him in the home of that very employee, helping to care for the man’s infant grandson.
The scene was a stark contrast to her boardroom. Her son, Liam, had shown more managerial acumen than she had by first identifying a human need and then mobilizing resources—his own time—to solve it. Peter’s tardiness wasn’t a performance issue; it was a cry for help as he struggled as a sudden, sole caregiver. The CEO had been so focused on metrics that she had failed to lead with empathy, missing the chance to support a loyal employee through a crisis and strengthen her company from within.
This experience became a pivotal leadership lesson. She immediately reinstated Peter with a flexible schedule and began plans for an on-site daycare, recognizing that supporting employees’ whole lives is integral to a company’s true health and sustainability. The incident taught her that the most valuable legacy isn’t just a profitable company, but a compassionate culture where people are seen, valued, and supported, both at home and at work.
