And that leadership required loyalty from employees.
Maya agreed that airlines required decisive leadership.
But she questioned his definition of loyalty.
"Does loyalty mean an employee should support a supervisor's account even when the employee saw something different?"
Adrian frowned.
"Of course not."
"Does it mean concerns should be classified as misunderstandings because investigating them could affect quarterly performance?"
"No."
"Then why did managers repeatedly receive that message?"
He looked toward the report.
For a moment, his expression hardened.
"We were trying to reduce unnecessary administrative costs."
Maya nodded slowly.
"By reducing the work required to investigate complaints?"
Adrian sighed.
"You're simplifying a complicated organization."
She remained calm.
"Then help us understand the complexity."
He didn't answer immediately.
For several seconds, the room was quiet.
Then one of the independent directors asked whether Adrian accepted responsibility for the management environment the report described.
He hesitated.
Finally, he said the organization needed improvement.
But he insisted that replacing him would create unnecessary instability.
The directors thanked him for his response.
Then he left the meeting.
The board began its deliberations.
The discussion lasted nearly ninety minutes.
One director argued that removing Adrian immediately would risk damaging the company's financial recovery.
Another said the evidence showed a pattern that ordinary corrective actions were unlikely to change while he remained in office.
A third suggested placing him on temporary leave and completing the investigation before making a final decision.
The directors reviewed the options carefully.
They considered the airline's financial position.
Its operational continuity.
The responsibilities of senior management.
And the limits of the available evidence.
Daniel explained the relevant provisions of the employment agreement and corporate bylaws.
He reminded the directors that replacing the CEO was a governance decision distinct from determining criminal or civil liability for particular conduct.
The board didn't need to decide every disputed fact in the ongoing investigation to determine whether it retained confidence in Adrian's leadership.
But it needed a sound basis for its decision.
Maya listened.
She didn't speak first.
She wanted the independent directors to examine the evidence without feeling that her ownership position made disagreement dangerous.
For a long time, she remained quiet.
Then one director turned toward her.
"Maya, where do you stand?"
She looked toward the photograph of Elijah Washington visible on the shelf behind Daniel.
For a moment, she remembered her father's voice.
An airline is dangerous when the people responsible for it are afraid to speak.
Then she looked back at the board.
"I think Adrian accomplished important things financially."
Several directors nodded.
She continued.
"But I also think the report shows a leadership environment in which employees learned that raising concerns could damage their careers, while protecting management's image could improve them."