PART I
THE PARABLE
âIf a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.â
âFrancis Bacon
Five days ago.
CHAPTER 1
THE GIFT
Son,
If you are reading this letter, it is because you have accepted the boardâs challenge to prove that you are the man to write the next chapter for BeyondYou . . . and what I feared most has happenedâthat you and I didnât have time to repair the bridge of communication that crumbled between us. This is my deepest regret. I donât blame you. Please donât blame yourself.
As you know, I, too, lost my father early in life. More than once I wished he had left me with one last piece of advice to help me navigate an uncertain future. Sensing that my time may be cut short, I want to do that for you, Daniel.
A mentor once told me that it is almost as presumptuous to think you can do nothing as to think you can do everything. The advice has served me well.
Not money. Not power. Not the greatest product. Not shrewd business savvy. Not even talent, timing, or intelligence fueled my success. People who were willing to join and follow my leadership have always been the fuel.
I was blessed to have people who invested their hearts and souls in the BeyondYou vision. This same gift can be yours, too, if you remember how to build bridges to peopleâs minds and hearts.
I was also blessed to have a mentor to show me how. The Bridge Builder, the friend and mentor I met when I was just a fledgling entrepreneur with nothing but a dream and fear of failure, can help you too.
How I wish I could see you rediscover the man you were born to be. How I wish I had more time to share all I want to say, Son. But I leave you with the next best thingâa special gift that will deliver what I am not able to share with you. I have asked Paul to arrange all the details in my absence. I hope you will accept it.
With all my love,
Dad
Daniel folded the letter and slid it into the inner pocket of his suit jacket. He closed his eyes and pondered the words yet another time, as if he were trying to solve a riddle. No matter how hard heâd drilled Paul, the vice chair of BeyondYouâs board, hoping to get answers, his fatherâs loyal friend had remained unmoved. Neither Danielâs perplexity about what his father meant about building bridges nor his incensed demand that Paul tell him why he had to meet a mysterious stranger first thing Monday morning to receive the âspecial giftâ had yielded the answers he wanted.
Paul had left Danielâs office with only a firm pat on the back and words that would haunt Daniel for the next few days: âConsider this gift your fatherâs last official decision as CEO. When you return and take your seat at the helm of BeyondYou, youâll have time enough to live with the decisions you make. Go home to pack; your plane leaves in three hours.â
It has been said that art imitates life, and so is the case with Danielâs story. His fatherâs letter is the inciting incidentâa catalyst occurrenceâthat sets a series of life-changing events in motion, forcing him to take action.
- What inciting incidents are taking place in your personal or professional life right now?
- Are you willing to join Danielâs journey and discover whatâs in it for you?
Present Day.
CHAPTER 2
THE CRITICS
Daniel searched his pants pockets, but found only two wrinkled pieces of paper heâd been carrying all weekâthe letter that had set the last five days in motion and the article heâd read more times than he cared to admit. Behind him, he heard Chrisâs cell phone ring. Daniel stuck the folded letter back into his pocket and unfolded the worn newspaper article as his fatherâs mentor answered her call.
âOkay, weâll be down in five minutes.â
âWell, it looks like weâre really finally about to find out,â he muttered to himself as he rubbed the creases.
âWhatâs that?â She clicked off her phone and slid it into the purse sheâd placed on the corner of her desk.
He handed her the article. âLast weekâs article from the Times.â
BeyondYou, Inc. May Be Sailing without a Rudder
Daniel Reed, Jr., will stand as interim CEO of BeyondYou, Inc.âdespite heavy criticism from the tech worldâfollowing the untimely death of his father and BeyondYouâs founder, CEO, and chairman of the board. Mr. Reed died of complications from heart surgery Tuesday morning. He was 57.
Mr. Reed, Sr., led the way for BeyondYou to become one of the most innovative and prolific telecommunication companies based in Silicon Valley. Under his leadership, BeyondYou has dominated the industry for almost two decades. Friends and peers say he was âthe heart and soulâ of the company.
Known for his extraordinary communication skills, Reed, Sr., is credited for working side by side with strategic partners, investors, and employees, changing the face of Silicon Valleyâs corporate culture and privately-owned business practices. He leaves very big shoes to fill.
Critics and tech bloggers havenât minced their words in voicing their criticism over BeyondYouâs decision to bring his son, an outsider, to lead the exemplary culture thatâuntil nowâhas been guarded zealously by its late founder. âThe apprehension is not unfounded. By all measures, Daniel Reed, Jr., seems to share only one thing in common with his father: his name,â an anonymous source said. âReedâs recent press conference fiasco [when he walked off stage after his teleprompter malfunctioned] might be a red and very large warning flag.â
Whether Mr. Daniel Reed, Jr., lacks the Reed communication rudder needed to steady BeyondYouâs ship is yet to be seen, probably much sooner than later.
âYou want it back?â Chris smiled as she offered the article.
âToss it.â Daniel adjusted his tie. âIâve memorized it.â He smiled.
âLooks like the board members are waiting for you. Are you ready?â
âDo I look like Iâm ready?â Daniel forced himself to stop pacing the corner of her office like a boxer in the corner of the ring, ready to face his opponent.
Breathe. Donât pass out! You are Daniel Reed. You can do this. âIs the air conditioning back on yet?â He loosened his tie. âIâm dying here.â
âYou may want to put this on.â She handed him the navy blue jacket heâd draped over the leather chair near the office door. Seconds later they were in the hallway headed toward the elevator.
Daniel tugged at his neck. âIâm dying of heat, and Iâm about to tear off this tie.â
âYeah, I think everyoneâs going to know that.â Chris pointed to the enormous sweat stains under his arms as she pressed the button for the lobby. âSorry. Iâm going to run and get an extra floor fan. Who knows when the air conditioning may come back on and how hot that conference room is already.â
âJust great.â Daniel followed her into the elevator and forced himself to put on the jacket. âThatâs just what I needâcranky and sweaty executives. Fifteen minutes will probably be all they need to vote me out and run for the pool.â
Ten seconds later the elevator door slid open and Chris dashed out. âThink cool thoughts, Daniel. Iâll meet you in five minutes tops. Start without me if you have to. You know what you need to say.â
The door closed behind her, and Daniel chided himself for not running after her and offering to help carry the fan. Then suddenly, he felt a jolt in the gut.
For a second, he saw himself abandoned at the curb on his first day of school as his mother drove off. Then the truth hit. The elevator had stopped working. Darkness, followed by floodlights, confirmed the reality that faced him.
âYouâve got to be kidding!â he spoke into the darkness.
âHello, this is Larry, head of security.â A voice from the elevator loudspeaker startled him. âIs anyone stuck in there?â
âYes, yes.â Daniel tried to look around, but all he could see was inky darkness. The stifling black and still, damp air was disorienting. âThis is Daniel Reed.â As he spoke his name, a sense of calm quietly spread over him.
âOk. Donât worry, Mr. Reed. Weâre working on restoring the power and should get you out of there very soon.â
Daniel slid to the floor and rested his head against the wall. âIâm not going anywhere,â he whispered to no one. He loosened his tie and wiped away the sweat running down his face. His shirt was soaked. He thought of taking it off but couldnât muster the energy.
The irony of the moment struck, and he began laughing, at first a quiet chuckle, then the emotion rising until his shoulders shook. A few days ago, heâd walked out of the same elevator, kicking and screaming, dreading his meeting with the mysterious Bridge Builder. Now, here he was alone in the dark with only himself.
Helpless. At the end of himself. Alone.
Wondering whether all heâd learned would be enough to face the men and women of BeyondYouâs boardâthe people who would perhaps be his executioners.
And realizing for the first time that helpless and alone may be the best place to be when the time has come to stop fighting and begin building.
Critics are all around us. They live to predict our success or failure based on our past performance. Sometimes, the greatest critic youâll face is yourself.
- What critics are you facing right now?
- Have they succeeded finding residence in your daily thoughts?
- How are they sabotaging your resolve to move forward?
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