Leadership Is A Marathon

Chapter 1

Moment of Truth

Pay attention to the whispers, so you won’t have to listen to the screams.

Cherokee Proverb

The First Exit

The moment Mark Zito returned to the boardroom of Precision Tools and Instruments Industries (PTI Industries), he could tell something was wrong. Very wrong. He took his time getting back to his seat, as he quickly took the scene in.

The non-executive board chair, Madam Patricia Shilingi–Madam P as she was popularly known–was speaking animatedly on her cellphone. She quickly wrapped up her conversation. Jeff, a lawyer who ran his own law practice, sat pensively with his arms folded across his chest. Chris, the most vocal member of the board, was quiet, which was unusual. He always had something to say. Marilyn, the newest member on the board, seemed to be in a heated discussion with two other members, Eileen and Patrick. At the far end of the room stood Nancy and James in yet another private conversation. Leon was absent, having given apologies earlier as he was traveling.

As Mark took his seat, everyone settled down quickly and almost on cue, turned to look at him. He had been requested to leave the board members to caucus after an uneasy discussion on the company’s performance. Results for the previous year were dismal and he had been hard-pressed to explain why. Despite his attempts to justify the outcome, a majority of the board members had concluded that the performance was unacceptable.

Mark tried to occupy his mind by looking at the reports in front of him. He waited. Except for the humdrum noise of the air conditioner, the room was quiet. After a few moments of awkward silence, Madam P looked directly at Mark and said with a note of finality, “On behalf of the entire board, I want to let you know that we have made the difficult decision to let you go. It was as hard for us to arrive at this decision as we imagine it will likely be difficult for you to come to terms with. We have had a good working relationship with you and we had envisioned working together for a long time to come. However, there are several parameters we can’t ignore.”

She paused, as if waiting for her words to sink in. “Although the market for Precision Tools has grown steadily over the last five years, since you became chief executive officer three years ago, our market share has shrunk by at least 20 percent. In addition, profit margins have gone down, staff morale has plummeted, and turnover is at its highest.”

The news hit Mark like a punch in the belly. He felt dizzy as he fleetingly looked first at Madam P, then at each of the board members seated around the oval-shaped mahogany table. Its finely polished surface that had looked elegant only moments before, now appeared cold. He shuddered as a feeling of isolation swept over him. He wished he could step outside, if only for a moment, to escape the penetrating looks of those who were now openly staring at him. But leaving the room was not an option. It would be awkward, to say the least. In any case, he felt paralyzed and glued to his seat. Even if he attempted to leave, he wasn’t sure his legs could take him past the boardroom door without buckling under him. There was no use in trying. So he just sat there and steadied himself by gripping the armrests of his executive chair. On the surface he looked calm and only slightly fluttered. Underneath however, it was as if he was being tossed over and over by huge tsunami waves that he was absolutely powerless against.

She’s so casual, you’d think she was announcing that the price of bread had gone up marginally, thought Mark.

Being the quintessential diplomat, Madam P was the picture of composure. She looked around the room before continuing in a somewhat conciliatory tone. “Even though you have been doing your best, as you have continually assured us, your efforts are not bearing the sort of results we've been looking for.” She glanced away momentarily and then said, “In light of your dedicated service at PTI Industries over the last eight years, we are giving you the option to give notice. Your departure will therefore be announced as a resignation.

“We will allow a three-month transition period during which time we will recruit a new CEO. We expect you to work alongside the new hire before you leave.” She paused, as if waiting for the message to sink in in its entirety, and then asked, “Do you have any comments or questions?”

In just a few sentences, Madam P had delivered what sounded like a life sentence. Mark could never, in his worst nightmare, have imagined that his time at PTI Industries would come to an end in the manner unfolding before his eyes. While his time at the company had not been perfect, he had largely enjoyed himself. He had always imagined himself remaining an employee there for a while, possibly another ten years or so, and then retiring voluntarily.

That was not to be. He didn’t trust himself to speak without betraying the emotions he was battling with. He slowly took a sip of water and then a deep breath. He raked his mind for a politically correct statement. How do you respond to the news that your employer no longer needs your services? He wondered.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was really just a minute, he managed to say, as calmly as he possibly could, “I appreciate your giving me the news in person, instead of through the telephone or a press release.” The board members laughed lightly. He reasoned he’d lost everything, that there was nothing else to lose, so he might as well be candid. “Well, the news has taken me by surprise. I need time to let it sink in. I will therefore reserve my comments for now.” There were understanding nods all round.