I was surprised by excellent company at lunch today. Many of the people I used to eat lunch with on a daily basis are either no longer at the company or have decided not to take lunch breaks anymore. I still take breaks.

Mary Beth and Joni, among others, were visiting from Omaha this week. I’ve gotten in the habit of eating in the atrium when I can, because the sunlight that spills into the room is amazing. They both joined me today.

It wouldn’t be odd to have lunch with two female coworkers. What is significant about this lunch is that Joni has been our CEO for the past few years. This trip to Fargo was her last as CEO. Due to the company closing, she will officially transition into her new role at a separate company in the new year.  

She could have spent this last trip in Fargo meeting with absolutely anyone for lunch. She is a highly successful leader with many connections around the city. Instead, she chose to spend the time with Mary Beth and me.

She started the day by passing out coffee and doughnuts to each employee. Our leaders do this every so often- they push a loaded cart around our offices to serve us.

She knows everyone by name, remembers unique details about what we each hope to do after the company closes, and she even makes (made) time to meet with each team once a quarter to make sure we knew our voices were heard.

Her style of leadership should not be unique, but it is. 

I am writing this post as a note to my future self. If your future boss doesn’t understand you, invite her into the reality you experienced from 2016-2020. If your future coworkers are gossipy and mean, remember how good things are right now. If you don’t get treated like an adult by your next employer, stay above the line. Remember everything you learned here. Remember the sights and sounds. Remember the laughter and the silliness. Just remember.

Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@sharonmccutcheon