A few months ago we broke down the situation at travel company Away and, as it turns out, there have been a few more notable chapters added to their story since. Right before the July 4th holiday weekend, it was announced that Steph Korey would be stepping down from her CEO role for the 2nd time (!) “within the year”.

Then, this week, an escalation from the company employees to pull that timeline up..immediately:

Before we go any further, two acknowledgements. First, there is no inside info being disclosed here. All commentary is an extrapolation of public articles & information. Second, we absolutely need more female leadership in the hallways of corporate America. The end result here is disappointing within the perspective of those larger equality & inclusion efforts.

Now, picture an org chart. It resembles a pyramid. Maybe that pyramid is close to a winding river up on a hill. The CEO sits on the penthouse floor with sweeping spectacular views. The executives are housed in impressive units right underneath. Other senior leaders beneath them, still with large bay windows to capture an afternoon breeze. Middle management close by with some solid square footage too. And so on down. From the ground level, the air is thick with activity, feedback, communication, and the bustle of business activity.

As the air rises and communication flows upward, a couple things happen. First, it thins out. Second, it’s filtered. Quite plausibly, the environment up in the penthouse is completely foreign to that on the riverbank. The air is thin up there. Maybe the feedback loops aren’t as strong. Perhaps there are not as many restrictions or good advisors weighing in on what constitutes good judgment and strategy.

A paradox of any org chart is that gravitationally they’re inverted. The top floor is actually meant to support the whole superstructure underneath. And that really calls for a servant leadership style that puts the whole above the needs of the individual at the top. To grow, one must subjugate personal opinions & needs to those of the organization. You’ll need to work harder to recreate the environment from the ground level and participate regularly to round out a balanced perspective. Individually challenging. Collectively necessary. A lesson for all levels of leadership.

Not that any argument here is new. But when you’re feeling sorry for yourself or wanting to cry out from your nice digs on an elevated floor, remember that you’ve been granted prime real estate and decision making responsibilities. Self preservation must be secondary, the better the views. Beware the reflex to Manager Splain during times of stress.

Resist the urge to prioritize those individual opinions. Or, risk mutiny from below.