“And how long was her predecessor there, your former boss?”

“Oh, that was Nigel. He was so lovely. He hired me, actually, and that was … eleven years ago. I think he’d been with the firm thirty-odd years when he retired.” Lucy had adored Nigel, learning so much from him, and appreciating his gentle and nurturing management style.

“So, Angela came in to replace someone who was at the firm for three decades?”

Steph was getting at something, although Lucy wasn’t quite sure what it was. “Yes, that’s right.”

“I imagine that would have been somewhat challenging.”

Oh, right. Now Lucy understood. Steph was helping her find a way to empathise with Angela. “Quite. I hadn’t thought of it like that. Do you suppose that she may be trying to find her footing, to assert herself in some way?”

“Something like that. I’m not saying it’s okay for her to walk all over you or undermine you, but it sounds like it could be coming from a place of insecurity. I’ve seen it before. In fact, I’ve been guilty of it myself.”

“Really?”

“Mmm-hmm. Years ago, now, when I was promoted into my first managerial role, I thought I had to go in guns blazing, ready to defend my ground.” She raised her eyebrows, a wry smile on her face.

“How did that go?”

“Terribly.” Steph laughed quietly. “But I had a good mentor, and she taught me how to be firm and fair without coming across as a tyrant. It was probably the steepest learning curve of my career.” That was saying a lot, as Steph was the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, one of only forty women to hold that position. “I also had a couple of key employees who knew how to manage up. You’ve heard of that, right?”

“Vaguely, but I’m not sure exactly what it means.”

“It means that they helped coach me to be the kind of manager they needed me to be.”

“So, that’s what I should do?”

“Look, I’m only going on what you’ve told me, but I think it may be the right approach. Send her an email and set up a meeting. Tell her that you’re excited for the New Year, especially everything you can learn from her. You could even ask her to be your mentor.” Lucy scrunched up her nose and Steph smiled. “I know, it seems counterintuitive, but if she feels like she has something to offer you, she’s going to be more inclined to listen to you and to stop undermining you. You make the first move; you set the tone for how you want things to be going forward.”

Lucy bit her lip and stared into the blue and yellow flickering flames in the fireplace imagining Angela as her mentor. It could work. And, really, anything would be better than being miserable at work or having to look for a new job. She looked back at Steph. “I’ll do it. I’ll take your advice. And thank you—for your help, and for letting me have a whinge.”