As a 10-year-old, I loved reading Tolkien\u2019s works and the adventures in The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.\u00a0 \u00a0I was mesmerized by the stories of the mythological creatures in Middle Earth and amazed at how the heroes of the stories presented themselves in the small, unassuming figure of a Hobbit.<\/p>\n
In The Hero with a Thousand Faces<\/em>, Joseph Campbell outlines the standard path of the mythological adventure of the hero as a magnification of the formula represented in the rites of passage: separation \u2013 initiation \u2013 return.[1]<\/a>\u00a0 The hero dies but is reborn as an eternal man and returns in a transfigured state.[2]<\/a> I have participated in many journeys throughout my life. Some might be considered more remarkable than others, but all have provided essential meaning and personal character development to various degrees.\u00a0 However, one leg of my life journey carried me to an unexpected destination, transformed me, and I returned broken but wiser.<\/p>\n Entering Amazon<\/strong><\/p>\n Just over fifteen ago, I was called into an adventure and an opportunity for a new vocation.[3]<\/a> After five years of leading a mid-sized, privately owned business for a family, it was time to move on. A set of circumstances raised questions about the business’s future and my role within that framework. After receiving guidance and much prayer, I sought new opportunities. It wasn\u2019t until later that I received a response to a posting from an independent recruiter for Amazon.com.\u00a0 After five additional phone interviews, I flew to their headquarters for the next phase of face-to-face interviews with the senior leadership team.<\/p>\n I met separately with senior leaders and then transitioned to my interview with the VP of HR for North American Operations. This final interview was the critical gate. I felt extremely confident in the dialogues leading up to that moment. Midway through that day, he decided we should take a walk to the local market and have the interview over lunch. After learning a bit from each other backgrounds over a few sushi rolls, he cut to the chase.<\/p>\n \u201cMichael, we\u2019ve reviewed your background and all the recommendations from the phone and face-to-face interviews. They look quite positive, and we think you are an excellent candidate for the position.\u00a0 We have final steps to walk through, but all indications are great, and you should hear from us shortly.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 I was elated to hear the message.\u00a0 I could enter a leadership role with a new and rapidly growing company.\u00a0 \u201cBefore we wrap up here for the day, do you have any questions for me?\u201d<\/p>\n I paused for a second and responded, \u201cWhy aren\u2019t you able to promote from within?\u00a0 Typically, wouldn\u2019t you see this talent rise from within the organization in a large publicly traded company?\u00a0 What has your success rate been in making this shift?\u201d<\/p>\n I was weighing the alternatives but looking to understand a motivation to proceed further in this call.[4]<\/a> I was excited by his earlier statement and wasn\u2019t truly focused on his response.\u00a0 \u201cWell, Michael, we are batting ZERO with internal candidates so far. So, we decided to search outside.\u201d\u00a0 I was overconfident that I would not become another statistic. His comments should have raised a few flags and foreshadowed future events.<\/p>\n My initial entry went well, but it wasn\u2019t long before I noticed shifts. There were moments when I could have made decisions that aligned with the status quo, but I refused. Some decisions began to test my true character, making the overall work environment increasingly difficult to navigate. I struggled.<\/p>\n In one exchange with my leader, I was told, \u201cYou need to go in with a baseball bat and crack some skulls!\u201d<\/p>\n I sarcastically replied, \u201cI\u2019m not quite sure that\u2019s effective leadership. It sounds more like abuse.\u201d\u00a0 My response was not appreciated.<\/p>\n Return out of Amazon<\/strong><\/p>\n My journey was much shorter than anticipated, and I became another statistic despite setting numerous global operational records. My overall experience included positive and negative learning, which I carry with me today. However, the job was all-encompassing around the clock and deteriorated me, my spirit, and my family. As a leader, I felt incredibly misaligned with the culture despite others saying that they appreciated my leadership style. It was a period when my dreams died, and part of me died with them.<\/p>\n Nearing my final departure, I had an email exchange with an industrial engineer.\u00a0 I told him I appreciated his effort and focus on an operational project and how it impacted our entire site by simplifying work for most of our team.\u00a0 He responded by first thanking me and then sharing that he used to have time to send out emails thanking others, but there was not enough time to do that now.\u00a0 <\/em>As our primary process leader, he stated there was no time to invest in others, even through a short email.\u00a0 My comeback was simple.\u00a0 I told him that he ultimately decides how he uses his time, and he was missing out on limitless opportunities by not acknowledging others. That was one of my final memories prior to the exit door.<\/p>\n My recovery and healing time took months. I had been stripped raw and needed to regain my footing and remind myself who I was as an individual, husband, and father.<\/p>\n Heroes show up differently in people\u2019s lives and can leave everlasting marks.\u00a0 Years later, I still receive updates from those team members thanking me for my leadership and how it made a difference in their careers.\u00a0 As a leader, you can never underestimate your voice, actions, or the overall effect of being alongside others.\u00a0 That might be the one voice they need, which they consider heroic.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Joseph Campbell, The Hero With A Thousand Faces, (Novato, CA: New World Library, 2008) 23.<\/p>\n