Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of a world-renowned company, often dined with his employees at the company cafeteria. One day, the lunch menu featured beef steak. While most of the employees were enjoying their meals, Chairman Matsushita barely touched his food.
After the meal, he called his assistant over and said,
“Please go and bring the chef.”
The assistant, noticing that more than half of the chairman’s steak was left on the plate, felt uneasy but went to fetch the chef. The chef, visibly nervous, approached carefully and asked,
“Was there something wrong with the food?”
The chairman gave a warm smile and replied,
“No, not at all. The steak was excellent. I simply wasn’t feeling well today and couldn’t eat much. I just wanted to tell you that.”
He was concerned that the chef might feel disheartened upon seeing the unfinished plate and wanted to personally reassure him. This thoughtful act of consideration left a lasting impression on the employees who witnessed it.