Today I got a new boss. Some might say I’m just too much to try and handle, and no, my current boss didn’t get demoted, fired or quite. The President and COO chose to take a lesser role in the Company so that he can be a dad to his 14 year old daughter.After he made the announcement to the rest of the executive team this morning, he sent out a companywide email. Here is an excerpt from that email:
“As many of you know, I’ve been living in California this year while my family has stayed in Washington. The plan was for my family to wrap up our affairs in Washington by the end of this summer and then join me in California. After a considerable amount of soul searching we decided that a move to California is not in the best interest of either my wife or my daughter. This left me with the difficult proposition of continuing to spend most of my time in Costa Mesa and commuting back to Seattle on the weekends. This is no way to live; I can’t be an active part of my daughter’s life separated by 1,000 miles.”
Shortly after that he came into my office and we talked a little about the decision. He said it was very hard for him since it had been his career goal to be President and someday CEO and had agonized over it for weeks. He said that once he made the decision he was at peace and knew it was the right one.
Life is about choices and choices are not always easy. In the long run he will be more fulfilled by keeping his family in the right priority. In the short run it could make life interesting for me as we get used to working more closely together and adapt to our new roles.
Fowl Words
1 comment:
Wow! Kudos to a man willing to be a real dad!! Truly, it takes a great deal of commitment and humility to make a decision like that! Even the bible talks about people in leadership stepping down if their family is in a season of struggle.
Good luck to you and the adjustment!
Post a Comment