This week I was out of town, away from my family, to attend business meetings for work.  Each meeting was more sad and depressing than the last.  We’re making no money, we’re laying people off, we’re broken and don’t know how to fix it.  So I sat in room full of 31 men and me for two days…eating, just to get by.  I wanted to feel motivated to come back and turn the ship around.  I wanted to be fired up that we were going to find a way through this.  I wanted my leader to tell me, we are going to power through this and find ourselves better for it on the back side.  That didn’t happen. 

Next month, I have a similar type meeting with my employees.  I will make a mental note now, that they will leave the meeting energized, fired up and ready to make something happen.  Middle management sucks, but that doesn’t mean I can’t light my own fire and hope that we can fan the flames enough to turn morale around. 

Because, I’m good enough.

I’m smart enough.

And doggone it, people like me.

Furiously fire starting,

Stewart Smalley (Angi)