At our weekly staff meeting, my boss was in a particularly bad mood.

He spent nearly twenty minutes complaining that nobody in the office took him seriously anymore.

“I’m tired of being ignored!” he announced, banging his fist on the conference table. “People keep questioning my decisions, interrupting me, and acting like I’m just another employee!”

Everyone sat quietly, trying not to laugh.

“Starting tomorrow,” he declared, “things are going to change around here! I want everyone to remember who’s in charge!”

The next morning, he arrived at work looking unusually pleased with himself.

Under his arm was a brand-new sign with big, bold letters that read:

“I’m the Boss.”

He marched straight to his office, carefully taped the sign to his door, stepped back to admire it, and nodded with satisfaction.

“There!” he said proudly. “That should settle a few things!”

For the rest of the morning, he walked around the office with his chest puffed out, convinced that his little display of authority had finally earned him some respect.

Around noon, he grabbed his coat and headed out for lunch.

But when he returned an hour later, he noticed something strange.

Someone had taped a second note directly underneath his precious sign.

Curious, he stepped closer to read it.

The note said:

“Your wife called; she wants her sign back.”