May 29 2024 27 mins
In this episode, Leah talks to Suzanne Knight MBA. Suzannes longest day was when a member of her team died suddenly, and she and her team grieved together. It was a time when they became more open to each other about what they were feeling; they connected in a way they had never done before. The sharing of mutual grief was an experience that could not be replicated. To this day, they are the closest colleagues and friends. It was the most difficult emotional journey she has gone through even at a time when there were ordinary life matters to deal with. She felt this especially in the smallest, most human things like packing up her colleagues desk and her personal items, then seeing her handwritten notes, a half-eaten box of chocolates.
Suzanne had always worked in spaces where problems and issues were not personal and so they didnt get to her. But her longest day had the weight of finality, one you couldnt return to. Suzanne learnt about perspective and about what matters, especially the role of family and friends. She has become more focused on checking on with people in her life, including herself by being explicit with the questions, like are you ok?, and what can I do to help?. Shes more intentional about making honest requests to be useful to others. For her work is work. It isnt life. Her number one activities are her priorities, her values, her integrity, and the way she engages with others.