As the plane cruised at 35,000 feet, Danielle took the time to reflect on her leadership. She considered the company’s values and the importance of embedding respect and empathy into every level of service. This incident was a glaring sign that more work was needed to ensure that those values weren’t just words on a page but were lived out daily by every employee.

Halfway through the flight, Melissa approached Danielle again, this time with a forced smile. “Can I get you anything else, ma’am?” she asked, her tone dripping with insincerity.

Danielle looked up, meeting her eyes. “No, thank you. I’m fine,” she replied evenly, once again choosing not to reveal her identity. She had made up her mind to address the situation more formally once the flight was over.