Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4
Clara was seen as an anomaly in the sales department at InovaTech. While her colleagues operated under a “whatever it takes” philosophy, promising features that did not exist and impossible deadlines to meet their targets, Clara carried with her two principles that seemed old-fashioned: kindness and faithfulness.
For her, faithfulness was not just about being loyal to the company, but about being true to her own word. If she promised something to a client, it became a sacred contract. Kindness was not about being naive, but about treating every person—from the CEO to the intern, from the millionaire client to the small supplier—with the same respect and honesty. Her colleagues nicknamed her, behind her back, “The Girl Scout.”
“Clara, you waste too much time on the small clients,” her manager, Ricardo, once said. “They don’t move the needle. And all this honesty of yours is going to cost you the promotion. Sometimes, you need to… bend the truth.”
For Clara, kindness and faithfulness were not optional. They were like the discreet necklace she wore every day, a gift from her grandmother. They were the visible reminder of a truth she had written deep in her heart.
The trial by fire came with the Gigantus account, the biggest opportunity in the company’s history. The negotiation was fierce, and the competitor was playing dirty. In a crucial meeting, the director of Gigantus asked a technical question about the integration capacity of InovaTech’s software with a legacy system they used.
It was the product’s weak point. A full integration would only be ready in six months.
Ricardo, the manager, was in the room. He gave Clara a light kick on the shin under the table, a clear signal. Bend the truth.
Clara felt her heart race. The promotion, the year-end bonus, the respect of her colleagues—everything depended on that answer. She could say, “Yes, it is fully compatible,” and leave the problem for the tech team to solve later. It was what everyone else would do.
But the words were written on her heart. She took a deep breath.
“Mr. Medeiros,” she said, her voice firm. “I will be completely transparent. Full integration with your current system will be ready in our next update, six months from now. What we can offer today is a partial solution that meets eighty percent of your needs, and a detailed work plan to implement the remaining twenty percent at no additional cost as soon as the update is released.”
The silence in the room was heavy. Ricardo shot Clara a death glare. In his eyes, she had just lost the deal of the decade.
At the end of the meeting, the director of Gigantus, an experienced man of few words, stood up. He shook Ricardo’s hand and then turned to Clara.
“Miss Clara,” he said. “In the last two months, I have spoken with six companies. All of them promised me the moon. All of them told me yes to everything. You were the first person to tell me the truth. And for that, I know I can trust your company.” He turned to Ricardo. “Prepare the contract. We are going with you.”
The news spread through InovaTech like wildfire. What should have been a failure had become a legendary triumph. Clara had not just sold a product; she had sold trust.
Months later, when the sales director position opened up, Clara’s name was the unanimous choice. She not only had the favor of the board, but she also felt a deep inner peace, the certainty of being on the right path.
In her new office, larger and with a panoramic view of the city, she did not hang diplomas or sales charts on the wall. In a small frame, she placed the phrase her grandmother had told her when giving her the necklace: “Character is who you are when no one is watching, but it is what everyone recognizes when the light comes on.”
Kindness and faithfulness were not a disadvantage. They were her signature. And they were written not only on her heart, but now, in the culture of her entire team.
(Made with AI)
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