I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Denise through the post office. My tenor at the post office was definitely a tumultuous one, but her kindness got me through.

Let me explain. In the post office you start out as a CCA carrier, in which your life is not your own anymore, it’s the post office’s. However, depending on your supervisor, there can be some peace of mind. They dictate your schedule, so it’s all in their hands. And truth be told, most supervisors and carriers don’t see eye to eye. 

Mrs. Denise is not one of those people, though. She’s compassionate and understands the struggle of the carrier. Mrs. Denise was always willing to listen to the issues that I was going through, to relate to me on a human level. She saw my value, and generally showed concern about me and my fellow carriers. I can’t say this for most of the supervisors and this is why she stood out to me. She was ok with being different, to help both sides of the coin, as a great leader does. It’s easy to play either side, but in order to truly succeed at being a manager you need to work with your foot soldiers. You need to be compassionate. You need to be there for your people. She was all of those things.

My saddest part about leaving the post office was not having her as a boss but fortunately, I get to see her from time to time now as a friend. Mrs. Denise, I just wanted to thank you. You showed me that a person in power can watch out for the little guy, and empathesize the struggle that we all endure each day. But most importantly, you showed me how to lead by understanding.