The Magic Cup

CHAPTER 1

Ready to Lead

The sun came out from behind the clouds as Vince Steadfast stepped onto the street from the underground parking garage. He didn't want to allow himself to get too excited about where he was going. After all, it would be unseemly for someone in his position to appear too enthusiastic. But the simple fact was, his heart was soaring. He'd always taken great pride in the way his career had continued its gradual progression. His wife called him "a glacier," referring to his slow but steady approach, and she meant it as a compliment. But he was about to make a giant leap.

The city of Harken was gleaming, as though nature had bequeathed an extra sheen for this first day of Steadfast's greatest adventure. Harken had been one of the world's most dynamic cities for more than half a century thanks to its combination of culture, innovation, opportunity, and physical beauty. Over the past decade Harken had become something of an inspiration for cities everywhere as it continued to prosper, even in the face of global economic worries. Steadfast was proud of his city and glad to play even the tiniest part in its growing prominence.

The most distinctive landmark on the Harken skyline was the soaring Verity Tower, a block to the left of where Steadfast was currently standing. The sun glinted off the signature dome causing the crystal cupola to sparkle like a diamond that could be seen from every corner of the city. Its reputation around the world was on par with such iconic peers as the Empire State Building in New York, the Lloyd's building in London and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, but in Steadfast's opinion, it was far more beautiful than any of them, architectural majesty in its grandest form.

There's magic there, Steadfast thought, surprising himself. Magic had always seemed like something fanciful to him, the stuff of children's stories and street illusionists. It had no place in his life, especially his business life. If "magic" ever happened in business, it was the result of hard work and dedication. Steadfast believed if you did your job well enough and if you were committed enough to your task, good things would happen.

And good things had indeed happened for Steadfast. Today was his first day as CEO of Verity Glassworks, one of the finest old companies in the city, one that predated most of the city proper but continued to define it. Verity had been founded more than a century earlier as a manufacturer of artisan pieces, gorgeously intricate glass creations. The artisan part of the business had died away a few decades ago due to market forces and a shaky international economy. However, Verity kept its bottom line strong by transitioning to become one of the most significant bottle manufacturers in the country. Verity products sat in refrigerators and pantries these days rather than on living room mantels; some people mourned this fact, even going so far as to say that Verity was just another corporation now. But Steadfast understood. Art was a luxury; commerce was a necessity.

For the past five years, Steadfast had been vice president of operations at Noblecorp, a holding company for a diverse range of consumer goods enterprises. He was happy there, and well compensated, but his access to the upper echelons was blocked by a long-established group of effective executives, headed by CEO Nora Northstar. Steadfast knew that at some point he was going to have to make a move if he wanted to be anything more than "the glacier." This thought had come to mind when he heard that Verity's latest CEO had abruptly resigned. He was still contemplating whether he should go after the job when Nora called him into her office.

"I assume you've heard that Kacen is gone from Verity."

"I've heard. What is that, three in four years?"

Nora shook her head slowly. "It's sad, really, especially when you think about how people used to study Verity's leaders in business schools. Now…"

She trailed off, and Steadfast wasn't sure if he was supposed to react to her comment or not. One of the things he always loved about his relationship with Nora was that they usually seemed to be on the same page and he always seemed to know what she was thinking. But he couldn't read her this morning. Is she just making small talk before we get to the real agenda or is there something more to the mention of Verity's recent volatility? It can't be that Noblecorp is planning to buy Verity, he thought to himself.

Nora's tone suddenly sharpened. "I think you should go after it."

Steadfast still wasn't following her. "Go after what?"

"The Verity job. I can make a call for you."

Steadfast couldn't have been more surprised by the turn in conversation. "You want me to leave Noblecorp?" he said, wondering if she'd been unhappy somehow with his performance.

Nora smiled. "If I could hold on to you forever, I would. But we both know that you're made for something bigger. Make a move on this job. You're ready for it—and they could use you."

Nora's a genuine leader, Steadfast thought, once her advice had started to sink in. She understands that developing the best staff and providing them with the best opportunities sometimes means preparing them so well that they have no choice but to leave. If I'm ever in her position—and maybe I will be soon—I'll need to keep that in mind.

Over the weeks of interviews that followed, Nora had remained unwavering in her support, counseling Steadfast on strategies, helping him gain insight into key players at Verity, and debriefing with him after every stage. When the offer finally came through, Steadfast called his wife to pass along the great news, and a minute later he was in his mentor's office to share his excitement. Steadfast had quit jobs for bigger opportunities before, but he'd never experienced the enthusiasm that ensued when he told Nora. It was almost as though she'd gotten the job rather than he.

On Vince Steadfast's last day at Noblecorp, Nora had to leave his going-away party early because of an emergency at one of their subsidiaries. In that moment of celebration, Steadfast felt himself deflate. He was disappointed that they'd miss the chance to share a private good-bye. Though he knew he'd stay in close touch with Nora, he still wanted the chance to see her one last time before he headed off. When he returned to his office, though, he found a note from Nora along with the most beautiful crystal coffee cup he'd ever seen. The cup looked so delicate he was almost afraid to touch it, but when he picked it up, it felt solid in his hands, the sign of superior craftsmanship.

He turned the cup over and found the Verity insignia. The cup had obviously come from the halcyon days of invention at his new company, before they'd taken to just making bottles. It was probably worth a fortune, though the material value was secondary to Steadfast. That the woman who'd schooled him in so much had found this precious thing and thought to present it to him as he embarked on the most important undertaking of his life was priceless. As was the note she'd left with it, encouraging him to "keep your cup full."

Not with coffee, Nora, Steadfast thought. This cup is much too valuable for my morning brew.

He'd brought it with him on his first day at Verity because he planned to give it a prominent place on his desk, a constant reminder of the great leader who'd given it to him, the important lessons she'd taught him, and the extraordinary faith she'd shown in him.

As he neared the entrance, Steadfast's thoughts shifted back to the tower. It loomed large over Harken, a visual representation of the pinnacle he'd reached in his career. Nora was right; he was ready for this. And he could barely wait to get started.

Gripping the cup in his right hand, Steadfast walked to the end of the block and turned left. To his surprise, there was a sizeable crowd gathered in front of the Verity building, murmuring with obvious agitation. What is going on here?

He made his way slowly through the crowd. Some people were attempting to make calls on their cell phones, though they didn't seem to be succeeding. Others were arguing. Many simply gaped at the tower. Steadfast had been here several times in the last month and he'd never experienced anything like this. Perhaps there had been some kind of accident.

Steadfast turned to the person nearest him, an older woman holding her cup of coffee. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

The woman started to answer when a blaring announcement cut her short: "Emergency! Alert! Exit the building immediately!"

This riled the crowd further. The murmuring increased but another announcement drowned it out.

"All employees must exit the building. Emergency! Repeat. This is an emergency."

The messages repeated twice, with the crowd growing visibly more agitated each time.

What a way to start my first day at a new job, Steadfast thought.

Looking around, he found a security guard who appeared to be only slightly less befuddled than the rest of the employees.

"What's happening here?" Steadfast asked. "What's the emergency?"

The guard shrugged and checked his phone before answering. "I have no idea. We were just told to exit the building so I helped clear the lobby and then got out of there. I can't get any more information. Our walkies are down, and no one is answering the emergency line."

Steadfast looped his fingers through the cup's handle so he could pull out his own phone and call the chief operating officer for some information. However, even though he was in the middle of the city, he had no service.

As the emergency message started again, Steadfast walked toward the building, though everyone else was heading the opposite way. Kind of comes with the job description, he thought. When he reached the lobby doors, Steadfast had a moment's recollection of the first time he had seen them. He'd been charmed by the stained glass panels with the sunburst image that was Verity's signature motif. He had no time to admire their beauty now, though, not with a restless crowd of employees—his employees—behind him.

The emergency message went silent and Steadfast turned toward the group. He tried waving his arms wildly above his head as he yelled to get everyone's attention, but it took several attempts. Finally, the crowd quieted enough for him to speak.

"My name is Vince Steadfast. As you might know, I'm the new CEO."

"Then maybe you can tell us what's going on!" someone shouted from the back of the crowd. That got the mass agitated all over again. Steadfast gestured for quiet. He was a large man, more than six feet tall with broad shoulders that had benefited him as a power forward in his college basketball days. He'd been told more than a few times that he cut an imposing figure, but his size didn't seem to be helping him much right now. It took more than a minute to calm the crowd.

"I'm afraid I don't know any more than you do, but I'm going inside to investigate."

"You can't go in there," a woman to his right shouted. "They told us to evacuate."

Steadfast nodded. "I understand that, but someone needs to find out what's happening. As the new head of the company I promise I will do my best."