The storm hits
Leadership, they say, is about staying calm under pressure. But let’s be honest. Sometimes it is about being the one person who does not crumble when the boss walks in with a grenade. That’s exactly what happened when Bentley, the British expatriate CEO of Nile Bank, stormed into the Internal Audit office.
Bentley was not one for pleasantries. Tall, broad, and walking with a slight stoop that only added to his gravitas, he planted a stack of papers on the desk of my boss, the Head of Internal Audit.
“Do you see this?” he barked, pointing at the documents like they were evidence in a trial. “These are teller cash shortages, and they are killing the Bank. You have five days to figure this out. If you can not, show up at the executive committee meeting and explain why you should still have your job.”
With that, Bentley turned and left, his parting words hanging in the air like a challenge. My boss, shaken but not stirred, immediately passed the baton or the grenade to my immediate supervisor, Alex.
“You heard him,” my boss said, with a grim look. “Three days. Investigate, report back, or prepare your resignation letter.”
And then Alex turned to me. “You have got two days. Find the cause of the shortages, or explain why you deserve to stay in Internal Audit.”
Suddenly, the chain of command felt less like teamwork and more like a line of dominos and guess who was the last one standing?
“You heard him,” my boss said, with a grim look. “Three days. Investigate, report back, or prepare your resignation letter.”
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The heat is on
If you have ever been overwhelmed to the point of paralysis, you will understand what I felt at that moment. My mind raced. My laptop stared back at me, offering no answers. The office layout didn’t help either. Our tiny space meant my boss and his boss had a full view of my screen. There was no room for distractions or mistakes.
So, I did what any desperate employee would do: I walked straight to the “thinking room” (read: the bathroom) to clear my head. It did not work. By the time I returned, I was no closer to a plan.
And then, salvation arrived in the unlikeliest form. The office messenger, a long-serving employee who knew the Bank like the back of her hand, stopped by. On a whim, I mentioned my dilemma.
“Why don’t you start by talking to the bulk cashiers?” she said, matter-of-factly. “They will know what’s going on.”
The investigation
Her advice was gold. I called the Head Office Bulk Cash Manager, an older man with decades of experience. He did not mince words.
“The cash shortages? They have been getting worse since we started hiring university graduates for teller roles,” he said. “But I don’t know why. Everyone expected them to perform better, not worse.”
I took his advice and dug into the records. Using my trusty Excel skills, I compiled cash shortage data from the past eight months, breaking it down by teller, branch, and supervisor. The patterns were intriguing but inconclusive. My boss suggested adding HR data ie qualifications, salaries, and hire dates. That’s when things got interesting.
The revelation
The analysis revealed a shocking trend: tellers with university degrees were responsible for the majority of cash shortages. Meanwhile, diploma and O or A-level holders were virtually spotless. The findings defied conventional wisdom: weren’t degree holders supposed to be better at everything? But data doesn’t lie.
My boss and I dug deeper. I visited branches, talked to bulk cashiers, and interviewed tellers. Most of the degree-holding tellers blamed workload, but their non-degree counterparts didn’t seem to share the same struggles. Something didn’t add up.
Then came the breakthrough: CCTV footage. I spent hours watching recordings of tellers at work. The degree holders, without fail, showed visible discomfort when serving customers their own age ie friends, acquaintances, or former schoolmates. They avoided eye contact, hesitated, and looked downright miserable.
In contrast, the diploma and O or A-level tellers went about their work with confidence. They did not care who walked through the door. To them, being a teller was not a downgrade; it was a job they respected and valued.
The root cause
The problem was not incompetence. It was pride. The degree holders felt their positions were beneath them, especially when faced with peers who might judge them. This lack of job satisfaction led to carelessness, errors, and ultimately, cash shortages.
On the other hand, the diploma and O or A-level tellers didn’t carry the same baggage. They approached their roles with a sense of fulfilment, leading to better performance and fewer mistakes.
Action and results
Armed with evidence, I presented my findings to my boss. He was impressed. The solution was simple but bold: hire diploma and O or A-level holders for teller roles and reserve degree holders for more strategic positions.
The management team took the advice, and the results were almost immediate. Cash shortages plummeted, and the bank’s operational efficiency improved. It was not just a win for the bank, but also a lesson in understanding people.
Lessons in leadership
- Don’t assume intelligence equals performance. Overqualification can be a liability if the role doesn’t match the employee’s aspirations.
- Ask the right questions. Often, the simplest insights come from people on the ground. Never underestimate institutional knowledge.
- Data doesn’t lie. Decisions based on evidence, not assumptions, lead to lasting solutions.
- Human behavior matters. Aligning roles with people’s satisfaction and pride in their work is critical for success.
- Leadership is action. When the pressure is on, the best leaders take charge, delegate effectively, and push for results.
The takeaway
Leadership is not just about making tough calls, it is about inspiring action, uncovering truths, and finding solutions in unexpected places. Bentley’s ultimatum may have set the wheels in motion, but it was the collective effort from the bulk cashiers to the office messenger that solved the problem.
Sometimes, being a kickass leader means listening, observing, and acting on what others might overlook. And yes, it also means being ready to take the heat when the boss throws down the gauntlet.
Copyright Mustapha B Mugisa, Mr Strategy, 2025 All rights reserved.
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