Chapter 4 — The Real Test of Leadership
Chapter 4 — The Real Test of Leadership
Two days later, Clara received an unexpected phone call.
"We'd like you to come back."
She assumed it was for another interview.
Instead, Ethan invited her into his office overlooking the Chicago skyline.
He poured two cups of coffee himself.
"You know," he began, "people assume I built this company by making perfect financial decisions."
Clara listened carefully.
"They're wrong."
"The best decisions I ever made had nothing to do with money."
He opened a folder.
Inside wasn't an employment contract.
It was a report.
Employee complaints.
Burnout statistics.
High turnover.
Managers rewarded only for profits.
Customer satisfaction declining despite record earnings.
"We've forgotten who we're supposed to be."
He looked directly at Clara.
"The day you found Lily, you reminded me."
She blinked.
"I'm not sure I understand."
"I'm offering you the analyst position."
Her eyes widened.
"But that's not all."
He slid another document across the desk.
"I also want you to work directly with our executive leadership team."
She looked stunned.
"I have almost no corporate experience."
"You have something rarer."
"Compassion that doesn't disappear when it's inconvenient."
Ethan leaned back.
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"Skills can be taught."
"Character cannot."
