The Leaders Meeting

“What about Duska?, she appears to be a great fit for this and she really does love it here, and she appears to have a good understanding of how it all correlates. Have we invited her to apply?” He proposed as an option to fill the position.

“No. Please .. not her”, Gin said, with the calm settled pierced lips smile, she wore so well.

“Look it’s clear there’s more than meets the eye regarding your opinion of her .. but if you were to compartmentalize your personal feelings, put that to the side and look at the work she’s done here, her productivity and the evident KPI factors, she does seem capable. Her recent CV is quite impressive. It checks all the boxes. Have you considered your sources?”

Her leader paused, as the silence thickened the air like a pungent odour that was harder to ignore as the silence became louder. Gin was glaring at him unable to speak, as her thoughts overwhelmed her to the degree that she felt dizzy with hate, annoyance and somewhat embarrassed. She didn’t know what she could say that would stop him from considering it. She wanted to yell out to him stop this now! I’ll quit, that’s what I’ll do, if he picks her, I’ll just quit! She was thinking it, but knew it was childish to say .. so no words came. She didn’t have anything to drawl on that was relevant and anything she said in front of the others was going to reveal her deceptions. She just glared at him and said nothing. No words.

He broke the silence and continued, “I see an opportunity to link both Duska’s and your work and actions to obvious potentials. We can support you both and it might even challenge you both to take risks all while helping you realize your potential. It may have a wonderful impact on the overall greater good.” Gin turned her head slightly, looked round the room, right past, almost through the others in the room, as if she was thinking. Inhaling one half breath, she looked back at him with almost disbelief at what her leader was proposing .. Still .. No words.

He started again, man! he could talk, “When I compare Duska’s competencies, skills based on merit and experience, to our term period operational goals strategically, she’s a great fit.” Gin looked away from him, then pleadingly looked over to her confidante across from him, and then said it, “She scares me.”

Gin knew she couldn’t spill why, because the others in the room would see it. It would expose what she had done to Duska, and how many others she had fooled for so long. Looking down, afraid they could see the jealousy and rage, Gin took a deep breath and with very controlled calm expression said, “She just does.”

Dumbfounded he looked at her and said, “I’m going to put this aside temporarily and let it simmer. In the meantime, I will ask you to do the same.” He repeated, “Let it simmer .. and maybe later, you can enlighten me. But please consider this; If Duska made you uncomfortable, annoyed you, or as you say ‘Scared you’……. Why???”

He then spoke again, “OK .. Next order of business!” As he took a deep breath, smiled and jovially looked around to meet the excitement and anticipation of the colleagues in the room. “I want to forewarn you all, we have a huge job ahead of us and it’s going to require a lot of flexibility and commitment from everyone here. We’re going to have to change somethings and it might feel hard for some of you. But remember, nothing worth having is ever easy. So I ask that you please, be open to those changes going forward, because as you all know, everything changes, and nobody ever changed anything when they were comfortable and everything was going their way.” After sweeping the room to engage everyone .. He stopped at Gin and gave her a questioning gaze, to see if she’d heard it. She had. That pierced lip smile. She was not happy .. but still .. No words.

Peace, Love & Light xo

Dana Mary Colleen Campbell

January 14, 2026