excellence? So I replied, “What do you mean, Lois? You told me yourself months ago that I was managing my caffeine intake well, and because of this, it no longer affected me. Hey, I control myself because I know how to manage and handle my business. I don’t see why it is so hard for you to just give me the credit I deserved!” Lois smiled gently and replied, “Cleo, the reason why you handled your business and were able to manage your caffeine is that the coffee you have been drinking over the past three months and the cup you are bragging over now is also decaffeinated! Honey, I changed your coffee without you knowing it! I saw what caffeine was doing to you, and I wanted to help you, and I did. Yes, you are doing so much better, and I love the changes I see in the new you. But, I need to tell you it is because you are drinking decaf coffee. By the way, it agrees with you, and I love you enough that I saw you needed more help than what you asked for and I provided it to you unsolicited!” I thought, “What the heck!” The nerve of this woman tricking me into believing that I was the one making and calling the shots... as my six foot three inches frame (and oversized head) made the sound of a balloon deflating when the air slowly seeped out. Her reveal hurt a bit and reminded me of the story, “The Jungle Book.” However, in this story, I was no longer the hero man-child ”Mowgli, the “Man-Cub who possessed the “flower of fire” that neutralized the powerful and deadly antagonist Shere-Khan. I was stripped from the self-appointed title of “Man-Cub, and was whittled down to the name of just…“Cub!” How dare she do this to me and practice her Harry Potter “Dark Arts” magic and deception without my knowledge and consent. But I confess. The woman was right, and damn was she clever. A quote comes to mind that describes this moment and one that well-represented my face as my jaw dropped to the floor when I heard my wife tell me this hardcore truth. “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence!” It was my wife Lois who demonstrated authentic leadership, as she not only made me better with her presence, it lasted in her absence. 37
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