No Excuses, Only Solutions: Leading the Standard with Tough Love
It’s Monday morning, and the team has gathered for the weekly meeting. Kadija walks in five minutes early, holding a notepad and her signature coffee. The energy in the room is a mix of anticipation and nervous excitement.
Kadija:
“Alright, let’s keep it short and sharp today. No monologues, no tangents. We’ve got work to do, so hit me with the highlights. Zara, start us off.”
Zara (flipping through her notes):
“Okay, so we finalized the new client onboarding process. The team tested it out, and we managed to cut the setup time by 30%.”
Kadija (nodding):
“Good. Efficiency is currency. Rachel, how’s the campaign timeline looking?”
Rachel (hesitating slightly):
“Well, we’re mostly on track, but there was a delay with the graphics team. The lead designer called out sick—”
Kadija (cutting in):
“Rachel, did the graphics team know about the deadline two weeks ago?”
Rachel (fidgeting):
“Yes, but—”
Kadija:
“Then we’re not blaming this on sick days. What’s your backup plan?”
Rachel (scrambling):
“I… I could repurpose some of the existing graphics and tweak them to fit—”
Kadija (leaning forward):
“Good. That’s a start. Get it done by the end of the day, and next time, have a contingency plan before we’re in a pitch. We don’t do excuses here, only solutions. Understood?”
Rachel (nodding quickly):
“Understood.”
Kadija:
“Great. Jamie, what about the sales funnel updates?”
Jamie (grinning):
“Already live. We’ve seen a 15% increase in conversions over the weekend.”
Kadija (smiling slightly):
“Now that’s what I like to hear. Nice work. Zara, make sure the team gets the breakdown on what’s working so we can replicate it.”
Zara (jotting it down):
“Got it.”
Scene Break: The meeting wraps up, and everyone disperses. Kadija heads to her office, but Jamie catches up to her in the hallway.
Jamie:
“K, I gotta ask—how do you stay so on top of everything? Do you even sleep?”
Kadija (laughing softly):
“Jamie, sleep is a luxury I indulge in when I need it or when the job is done. But the real trick? I hire people who are smarter than me in their areas of expertise, so I don’t have to micromanage. Speaking of which, don’t let that compliment go to your head. There’s still room for improvement.”
Jamie (grinning):
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Later: Zara swings by Kadija’s office with two cups of tea.
Zara:
“Thought you could use this. You’ve been on fire all morning.”
Kadija (accepting the tea):
“Thanks, Zara. You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re buttering me up for a favor.”
Zara (grinning):
“Maybe. But seriously, how do you keep everyone in check without losing it? Rachel looked like she was about to faint earlier.”
Kadija:
“Zara, the truth is, I hold everyone to the same standard I hold myself. It’s tough love, but it’s fair. And they’ll thank me later when they’re running their own teams one day.”
Zara (raising an eyebrow):
“So you’re basically creating a generation of mini-Kadijas?”
Kadija (smirking):
“Call it my legacy. Now get back to work before I add another task to your list.”
