Preparation, precision, & the relentless pursuit of excellence

The office is buzzing as everyone is preparing for a major client presentation. Kadija walks in, holding her coffee (unsweetened, of course — because who has time for unnecessary fluff?). She scans the room, instantly picking up on the tension.

Kadija:

“Alright, what’s the issue? Don’t make me start reading people like the New York Times — let’s get it out in the open now.”

Jamie (hesitant):

“Uh… the pitch deck isn’t… quite… where it needs to be yet.”

Kadija (deadpan):

“Jamie, I told you last week this pitch needed to be bulletproof. If it’s not ready, you’d better be wearing Kevlar, because I’m not showing up to this client meeting unarmed.”

Jamie (panicking):

“No, no, it’s ready! Almost ready! Zara and I were just going over the design one more time.”

Kadija (arching an eyebrow):

“Good. Because I wasn’t about to pull a last-minute miracle. Zara, what’s your take?”

Zara (shrugging):

“It’s solid, but the call-to-action slide could use more punch.”

Kadija (nodding):

“Then punch it. I’m not here to deliver a limp handshake of a presentation. I want the client to leave thinking they’d be crazy not to work with us. Jamie, Zara — 15 minutes. No excuses.”

As they scramble to make adjustments, Kadija sits at her desk, answering emails at lightning speed. Five minutes later, another employee, Rachel, timidly walks in.

Rachel:

“Uh, K? I think the printer jammed again.”

Kadija (without looking up):

“And what did I say about relying on the printer five minutes before a meeting?”

Rachel (blushing):

“…Don’t do it?”

Kadija:

“Exactly. Consider this a learning moment. But since I’m feeling generous, I’ll fix it — this time. Next time, we’re having a conversation about contingencies and planning ahead.”

She strides to the printer, fixes the jam in record time, and hands Rachel her papers with a slight smirk.

Scene Break: Fifteen minutes later, the team gathers in the conference room. The final pitch deck is displayed on the big screen, and Zara walks Kadija through the updates.

Zara:

“We reworked the call-to-action slide, and Jamie added more data to support the impact of our solution. What do you think?”

Kadija (studying the slides):

“Better. This is the kind of work that commands respect. Now, here’s the strategy: I’ll lead with the vision, Zara, you hit them with the operational specifics, and Jamie, you close with the financials. Rachel, you’re on tech — if the slides freeze, I don’t care if you have to channel MacGyver, you get them working. Questions?”

The room is silent.

Kadija:

“Good. Let’s go turn this pitch into a contract.”

Post-Meeting: The team returns to the office victorious. Jamie looks at Kadija, beaming.

Jamie:

“We got it! The client was thrilled!”

Kadija (grinning):

“Of course we did. We’re not amateurs here. Celebrate for exactly 30 minutes, then back to work. The next big win isn’t going to wait for us.”

The team laughs, but they know she’s right. Zara lingers as the others head to the break room.

Zara:

“You really don’t let up, do you?”

Kadija (sipping her coffee):

“Zara, the day I let up is the day I stop leading. And that’s not happening anytime soon.”