Through sheer hard work and industry

She climbed the organizational ladder steadily

As she reached the top echelons she had a vision

Of a smoothly running ship, the picture of perfection

She had high standards to which she conformed

Difficult to achieve, they made people squirm

She could not withstand distress of other employees

She thought everyone she needed to please

So she bent backwards, trying to clean after

The less-than-perfect work presented to her

This led to a vicious circle where  work she accumulated

While the quality of work of her juniors deteriorated

Soon she was exhausted, irritable, stressed out

Pleasing everyone had taken a toll, no doubt

As her cheerful demeanor morphed into a frown

Her ability to keep her staff happy also went down

She felt like a victim, others she resented

There was no one to whom she could have vented

Her predicament, she could not give the impression

That she was incapable of handling her position

**

Then one day when everything spun out of control

She took a few moments to reflect, search her soul

And asked herself why she was ready to bend

To please everyone else to no definite end

She decided her strategy she needed to revise

There were certain boundaries she needed to devise

Not everyone was going to be happy, or easy to please

Realizing this put her mind somewhat at ease

She needed to gain confidence of those who appreciated

Her work ethic and her style, she had underestimated

 

The number of people who had nothing but admiration

For her work and her commitment, it was a revelation

She decided she would be empathetic but firm

With her sub-ordinates, soon they would learn

To match the high standards to which she aspired

To fulfil her promise for the position she had acquired

**

This is the tale of many women in positions 

Of power, they often complicate their situations

By aiming for perfection, trying to please everyone

That is just not how the job gets done!

So here’s a piece of my humble advice

Stick to your standards, and never compromise!