All that remained of my bout with the flu was a mild cough by the time I returned to work. My staff greeted me like a long-lost, beloved pet, and grumbled playfully that Liz was a slave driver and they were so happy I was back at the helm.
Liz winked before giving me a brief rundown of things. Same ol’ stuff, it seemed. I spent most of that Monday catching up, fielding “welcome back” visits, emails and phone calls, all of which surprised me.
When I mentioned this to Liz, she said, “People like and respect you. You just never noticed, caught up as you always are with the haters. And—” She paused, her voice taking on a mischievous tone. “—it doesn’t hurt that a certain facilities director has been singing your praises, either, talking about all the great ideas you’ve had and how they’re re
