Awakening, 2nd edition (52 page)

“It was fresh.”

“Okay, a day ago. Still, that wasn ’t too convincing. Had I heard it from someone I ’m not sure I would ’ve believed it.”

“Perhaps,” Robert said, studying the half-empty parking lot. “Only it wasn ’t everything.”

“There was more?” Stella wondered. “And you knew and didn ’t tell me?”

Robert grinned.

“I didn’t know anything else. Neither—I think—did Mike. But Alex knew more. And whatever it was he couldn ’t risk exposing the truth about it. So he kept waiting till the very last moment, kept prolonging the talk, kept hoping. But he just couldn ’t risk it and so he called it a day when he felt he was about to get cornered.”

Stella considered this explanation.

“It does look a lot like it, ” she said. “Well, in a way it ’s even better . . . So . . . see you . . . I don ’t know, in a week or two, or whenever they call a kick-off meeting?”

“Yes. Except there ’s one open issue left that I ’d like to resolve today, ” said Robert. “An important question with important cons equences.”

Stella livened up.

“What exactly does Clark know?”

“Pff ! Who cares about that. This is way more critical. Do you have any plans for this weekend?”

Ross entered the room and closed the door tightly behind him.

“Please,” Clark motioned to a chair, “have a seat. Thank you for your patience. Believe me, I know how anxious you are to get home after a week of hard training, but this conversation, while your memories are still fresh, is a critical part of our program. I have every intention of keep ing it brief.”

Ross smiled with full understanding. In fact, he was glowing with understandin g and willingness to help.

“Don’t mention it, ” he said. “I ’ll tell you everything you ’d lik e to know.”

“So,” said Clark , his face shining with a welcoming smile, “tell me about your experience at the workshop. I ’d like to know everything. Things you liked and things you didn ’t like. What wor ked, what didn ’t. Was it useful for you or was it a waste of time. Everything. And if you ’re not sure about sharing particular details, just go for it.”

Ross coughed timidly and went for it.

In a minute, he revealed that he ’d liked everything. Literal ly everything. From the first moment till the very last. The theory and the exercise. The style and the content. Everything—the approach, the professionalism of the staff, the selection of historical anecdotes, the self-explanatory nature of the exercise . . . Literally everything! Unbelievable usefulness, unparalleled applicability, fantastic experience!

And the people, the people! It’s been so long since he had a chance to spend a few days in the company of such bright and intriguing personalities. Everyone is such an experienced, mature, solid manager. Everyone must be a pleasure to work with. And with all that, with all the similarities, they are so different, so unique. Just think of Michael ’s confidence, Joan ’s eloquent speech, Alex ’s selflessness, Brandon ’s openness, Stella ’s uncompromising honesty, Paul ’s warm humor, Chris ’s can-do attitude . . . Ah, these people sure have made a lasting impact.

And this nice, warm atmosphere, which couldn’t have been spoiled even by the inevitable competitiveness built into the exercise. Everything was so honest, so open, with a certain degree of humor and yet, done with such great taste. Most definitely, these people are the pick of the crop, the future stars of the corporate world! Of course, he doesn ’t mean himself. Granted, he ’s been a manager for a while and has enough success stories under his belt, but in all honesty he ’s not at the same level as the rest of them. Not yet, anyway. Which , by the way was only highlighted by the voting. He needs to work harder, to work smarter! Getting to their level is not going to happen overnight. And the workshop has been such a great help.

As for its usefulness, it has definitely beaten every expectation he might ’ve had before arriving here. In just five days he, Ross, had consumed and internalized more knowledge about the role and qualities of a true leader than the previous few years of work had given him. Now so many, oh yes, so many things back at work look quite different. The workshop has shed a very illuminating light on some situations and conflicts, making them so obviously rooted in power struggles. He just can ’t wait to come back and put his newly found knowledge to some serious use.

And think about all the new opportunities! The opportunities! Now with all the knowledge and deep insight that he was lucky enough to acquire here, he ’s really got the edge. He ’s been in his company for a while and in some way it has become his second home, his second family. He knows everyone, the people and the leadership know him, and over the years he ’s contributed to so many projects. And with all this wealth of wisdom he ’s just become an even more valuable asset for his company. Now the sky is the limit! Even if someone were now to offer him a very attractive leadership position somewhere else , he would decline the offer in a heartbeat and with no hesitation. Even if the offer came with a very generous package.

Because money isn’t everything. There ’s loyalty to his employer, there ’s passion about doing things right in the place where you ’ve spent many years. He knows who his horses are tied to. His success is definitely tied to the success of his company, to the success of its people. Over the years he had invested so much effort, so much thought, so many sleepless nights into it. And now it would break his heart to leave without having a chance to apply all these miraculous recipes in practice. In fact, leaving now would be a big mistake, the sort one regrets for the rest of one’s life.

So, the first thing he’s going to tell his management upon return is that he plans to stay in the company for a lo-o-ong time. No, scratch that. The first thing would be, of course , his feedback—his overwhelmingly positive feedback—about his experience at the workshop. Followed by the statement about his eagerness to keep making a real difference at the company for years to come.

On this enthusiastic note, Ross quieted and gave Clark a heartfelt look. Clark had a pleasant though somewhat stupefied smile on his face.

“Thank you,” he muttered after a suspiciously long silence. “You ’ve covered all the questions I had in mind. Including those I haven ’t asked yet.”

Ross glowed with happiness. A desire to do another favor was showing clearly on his smiling plump face.

“Thank you,” Clark repeated. “Have a safe trip home.”

At this point, the lightest shadow of concern clouded Ross ’s forehead. He thanked Clark again, expressed once more his excitement about the workshop and its impact, but stayed firm in his chair.

“Can I help you with something else?” Clark asked, acknowledging the obvious lack of desire on Ross ’s part to leave the room.

And then Ross, bending his head and smiling with a certain degree of embarrassment , asked Clark for his opinion on his, Ross ’s, unshakable decision to continue working for his present employer. Wouldn ’t Clark—who is so experienced and knowledgeable—think that this could somehow affect some big plans? Wouldn ’t Clark—who is so influential and connected—be concerned that this decision, in all its rightfulness, might seem a little controversial to some?

Experienced and influential Clark was not concerned at all. Quite to the contrary, he thought that such a decision only honor ed Ross and demonstrate d his venerable qualities. This well articulated opinion momentarily blew away the cloud of frown from Ross ’s face. In an apparent attempt to strike while the iron was hot, he enquir ed whether Clark could , in the event of the emergence of unforeseen difficulties, considering his influence in certain circles . . . whether he could assist , so to speak , with overcoming these unforeseen difficulties. To ensure, so to speak, that in case such difficulties do emerge , this honest impulse does not lead to unpleasant discussions and frustration. After all, the stakes are high and when a dozen large companies get together to form a joint venture—At this point Ross’s speech came to an abrupt halt and Ross broke off , looking at Clark warily ; however , regardless of his reasons for being wary , they did not affect Clark. In fact, this verbose tirade had sent Clark into an utterly cheerful mood.

“
A joint venture . . .
” he repeated, “of course! So, you know about it?”

Ross knew. Well, he knew just by chance, thanks to a fortuity, the specifics of which he, being a truly trustworthy man, is not at liberty to disclose, but, yes, he did know about it . . . And now that Clarks knows that he (Ross) knows is it likely that his (Ross ’s) possession of this knowledge may become grounds for—”

“No, it is not, ” Clark promised firmly. “Don ’t worry about this. I assure you it won ’t affect anything in any way. So , tell me, what exactly do you know?”

He smiled.

“It’s just impossible to keep a real secret within these walls. Just impossible . . . “

So what will Randall say? Joan looked gloomily out of the window. Stupid lake . . . Stupid mountains . . . Stupid workshop . . . It had begun so well —and what had it come to now, five days later? To the role of the lone opposition? A very questionable success. “So you actually were the only one voting against him?” Randall would grin. “That is quite insightful and strategic.” And he wouldn ’t say a word beyond that. Not in that conversation, not in any other. There will be no other conversations.

But voting for him was simply not a option after that humiliation! Not objecting was already a stretch, not using the notorious veto was an internal struggle, but to vote for him? Not before that cold day in hell! Even after the few words he had said on the balcony after breakfast . . .

They were already entering the boardroom when he gently touched her elbow and said: “I ’m sorry.” And instead of keeping moving proudly she stopped and turned back—there was so much restrained dignity and respect in that voice.

And he repeated, looking her straight in the eyes: “I ’m sorry. It had to be this way. You ’ll understand later.”

She shook her head and stepped through the door, but something was already shaken inside her. The tall and mighty wall built of pride, calm and contempt had cracked. It was still very far from falling apart—the insult was too fresh and too aching, but the wall no longer stood solid and unshakable.

His motives for that odd apology were clear, at least initially. The voting was just around the corner and it was the last chance to put on sackcloth and ashes. But the problem lay in the fact that he wasn ’t donning sackcloth and ashes. He didn ’t offer a , “What a moron I was ” line, he didn ’t beg for forgiveness, he didn ’t even try throwing belated compliments. No —he actually had a nerve to think that it had to be that way. And as if that weren’t enough, for reasons no sane human would comprehend , he was confident that , in time , she would understand and perhaps even agree with his point of view. There he was completely losing touch with reality. To understand that? No, thank you. I ’d rather say unenlightened and thoroughly pissed.

But a trace of this extremely brief conversation remained. He had pronounced the words as if she were supposed to believe in him unquestioningly. As if it was assumed that in her—or anyone else ’s—eyes he could do no wrong. As if his , “I t had to be this way ” overrul ed everything—the insult, the pain, the anger. Not excusing but bluntly overruling. It had to be this way . . . You ’ll understand . . .

But whatever he wanted to accomplish, he wasn’t getting her vote. Although he actually asked everyone loud and clear not to vote for him —and if hadn ’t been for Alan, who knows how this whole thing would ’ve end ed . Which probably means that he wasn ’t trying to fix things in voting. In any case, this particular vote wasn ’t supposed be in his favor no matter what kind of weird transformations others would go through. And come to think of it, it ’s for the best. There ’s something for him to understand too. Especially because there will be a need to work fairly close together.

Funny, but after five—okay, four —days of scheming and intrigue, the prize went to just about the most straightforward and frank person. Brandon was probably the only one who played even cleaner. Well, Brandon played sterile. Everyone else was going for it. Righteous ad nauseam Kevin was obviously maneuvering somehow, Paul the Engineer was all about brainwashing and trying to get into bed—and his vote confirmed that. Alex ’s stone fingers were definitely in some interesting pie, otherwise why would he, being in his right mind, voluntarily and hastily give up an almost guaranteed victory? Alan surely got involved in some behind-the-scenes wrongdoings, but couldn ’t handle them and ended up with nothing but a headache. Ross —no doubt about this one, he ’d definitely been part of some weird power play nearly from day one.