Thread by @rklau

I worked at a restaurant in Northern Virginia summer of '95, the manager was @MaryMcDonnell10's brother. She came to the restaurant one night... And I was so star-struck I didn't even get to tell her how much I adored Sneakers.

https://twitter.com/MrsSteveMOBrien/status/1323285590662631427

Correction: '94, not '95. Anyway, great lesson that I have never forgotten:

Mary's brother had me working as host. The restaurant was brand new, a family style Italian restaurant called That's Amore. In a strip mall, northern Virginia.

A couple had a reservation, showed up on time, and their table wasn't ready.

Ten, twenty, thirty minutes... None of the two-tops would pay their bill and free up a table.

They were not thrilled.

I chased Mary's brother down, asked him what I should do. (I was 22, in my first year of law school.)

"Rick. We hired you because you're smart. We trust you. Do what you think you need to do to make it right. Tell me about it later."

I'd never worked for anyone who told me that it was up to me to solve the problem. That "they" (the owners /managers) trusted me to use my head and figure shit out.

That afterwards, we'd debrief and decide if next time there was a better answer.

So, thank you, brother of @MaryMcDonnell10. Your sister was amazing in Sneakers, and will forever be my President from BSG.

But you will always be on my short list of great managers. 👊

Since several asked, this was my solution. I have no idea what the couple did... It's been 26 years. But I still remember my manager empowering me, and have tried to model that for everyone I've managed since. 🙏

https://twitter.com/rklau/status/1323473512577683456?s=19