One executive threatened to resign if the layoff review provision remained.
Daniel did not threaten him back.
Instead, he asked what specifically made the provision unworkable.
The executive could not answer beyond “management flexibility.”
Daniel replied, “Flexibility is not a synonym for freedom from scrutiny.”
The proposal changed.
It improved.
The worker ownership plan became phased rather than immediate.
Eligibility criteria became clearer.
The knowledge-retention review gained exceptions for urgent situations.
The apprenticeship funding became a multi-year commitment tied to measurable hiring pathways.
Daniel accepted changes when they made the plan better.
That surprised Richard.
He had expected a founder defending legacy.
What he found was a founder defending principles while allowing structure to evolve.
Late one evening, after everyone else left, Richard remained in the boardroom with Daniel.
“You know what I thought when you came in that first day?”
Daniel looked at him.
“That I wanted your job?”
Richard smiled faintly.
“I thought you wanted your company back.”
“I never stopped owning part of it.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
Richard looked through the glass toward the dark warehouse below.
“I’ve spent my entire career being hired to make businesses more efficient.”
“That’s useful.”
“I know.”
Richard was quiet.
“Sometimes I think I started seeing everything that couldn’t be measured as resistance.”
Daniel listened.
Richard continued.
“Legacy employees. Old procedures. Personal relationships with customers. Informal knowledge.”
“Some of those things probably are resistance.”
Richard looked at him.
Daniel shrugged.
“Old people can be wrong too.”
Richard laughed.