speechless

I got the news this weekend that the COO of my former company has left the company. He'd been there 20 years, and every single person I know was positive he was the next CEO. He's wicked-smart, down-to-earth, and just an all-around nice person. Now that I think about it, maybe that's why he left the company. Maybe they don't take people like that at the CEO club. Or maybe, like me, JR, Lee, Jerod, Bo, Luke, etc., he saw the writing on the wall and decided this was no longer a company he wanted to be a part of. I don't know how the air was up where he was, but at our level, it was toxic.

I think all of us stuck around as long as we did in the hope that he was going to be able to change that. I think that's part of why some good people are still there. Who knows. There were times when I wasn't sure if he was fighting to make it better or if he was part of the problem. I think his leaving shows he's one of the good guys, and I'm sad for those left behind*. But I'm happy as hell for him. Best of luck!

*Plus, every time a good person leaves, I think an angel gets their wings. Or something like that. It's one more crack in the hull of a ship that may or may not be seaworthy, if you get my drift. But that's just my opinion.