CEO Quits At Daughter's List Of 22 Missed Family Events

File this one under Precious. Or heartwarming, family-friendly, and generally a story you're going to want to think about when you want to feel good about humanity. It begins with a man who has millions of dollars to his name – Mohamed El-Erian, a California-based ex-CEO and ex-CIO of a company called PIMCO. He resigned because of his 10-year-old daughter and a hand-written note.

It was some time in the summer of 2013 that this man was speaking with his daughter in their California home. He'd asked her several times to brush her teeth to no avail. "I reminded her," said El-Erain, speaking with Worth magazine, " that it was not so long ago that she would have immediately responded, that I wouldn't have had to ask her multiple times."

In other words, she would have respected him more than she did. She would have just done what he asked.

This young lady took that comment as a sign to head into her room and pick up a piece of paper with a list she'd been working on. This list contained 22 items in her life that were important to her, but that her father had missed.

"Talk about a wake-up call," said El-Erain. "The list contained... her first day at school and first soccer match of the season... a parent-teacher meeting and a Halloween parade. And the school year wasn't over yet."

After his initial reaction – getting defensive, rationalizing each event – he realized the simplicity of the truth: he wasn't making enough time for his family. So he prepared the business for his departure and he left.

One year later he works several part-time jobs in a schedule that allows him "a lot less travel and... a ton more flexibility." He's able to wake up with his daughter at least every other day, getting her ready for her school day activities.

"We even planned a holiday together," said El-Erain, "just the two of us."

While El-Erain acknowledges that not everyone has the luxury of being able to change careers in order to see more of their family, he hopes his move can act as a sign for companies to place more attention on the importance of work-life balance.