Is it actually just time to walk away?
Good leaders have a tough time leaving their team.
We cried and laughed with them,
we fought upwards and outwards for them,
we made sacrifices only our partners know about,
we held space for their traumas and our own,
we spent sleepless nights worrying if we were doing it right,
we made mistakes and had failures,
we swallowed a lot of pride,
we had to pick battles and hills and let the other ones go,
we lived with knowing that we couldn't make everyone happy,
we were too much, we were not enough, we were just right.
If I leave, who is going to understand the weight of all of that and carry it gently?
It might be time to leave because you've poured out your entire cup, or because there's an inflection point and a natural space for fresh leadership and perspective, or because your skills and interests were just right for the time you were there but now different skills and interests would fit better .. . . .
Whatever the reason . . . . there are other leaders out there who will shoulder that load. They might do it differently. They might even be better at it than you were. And that's ok.
It's not giving up to let go. This is a relay race -- you've got to hand the baton over to a fresh runner so you have something left to give to your next adventure and so that your team has a chance of winning the race.
You are not your job. You are not solely responsible for the future of your team. And you are not the only one who can do your job.
It is ok to let go when it's time. Take a deep breath and trust that next leader who is waiting for their chance to show us how it's done.
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If you or your organization need help navigating an executive transition, reach out, we can help.
(Photo for the algo of me with some of the next generation of leaders refilling our cups in the outdoors)
Hospitality Leadership CHA®| Association Management AMS® | Real Estate RSPS®
3moOutstanding, Well Earned by All👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽