This is where you just need to give your employees the very BASIC ability to make decisions on their own. If someone comes up to you and says "My grandson is go

This is where you just need to give your employees the very BASIC ability to make decisions on their own. If someone comes up to you and says "My grandson is going to be removed from life support and I need to make sure I catch my flight", you should know the difference between that and "I'm late because traffic was heavier than I expected" and act accordingly. At the very least, employees should know an extreme case when they encounter one and at least take it to a supervisor for escalation, if needed.