Cutting edge industries like tech and telecom are always susceptible to the fragile nature of the economy. I’ve been through a couple downturns, and have been on both ends of layoffs - one spectacular, one surreal, one expected, one wanted.

I had the honor over the course of my career to work for two men who had to lay me off from great companies that had run out of money. Both of them exhibited a level of grace and class whereby, to this day, I call them great friends. They had the harder job - not me.

Recently, I had dinner with a friend who had the difficult job of telling several people they no longer had one.

For him it was really hard. For another exec in the company, it was really easy. That’s the difference between real leaders showing grace and class, and “supervisors” whose role in business and in life is little more than pushing a proverbial mop across the floor - but who think they’re conducting an orchestra.  Their existence enhanced only with larger salaries and better titles.

So it reminded me of I saying I once heard:

“After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box.”

For the king with no class, that box is a much lonelier place.