A Graceful Exit

Knowing when to step aside and let someone else lead is a tough skill to master. Look no further than politicians and professional athletes for proof. But, truth is, we all face these times in our daily lives. Sometimes its important to allow someone else to lead because you know they need to build confidence in their skills. So, you get to grow through the experience of allowing them the opportunity without interference or taking over. That's a tough one.

Or maybe you recognize you've taken an organization as far as you can and that new leadership, with the new ideas that come along with it, is the answer. Its can be hard to reach this conclusion. Your identity could be wrapped up in the role, in the organization. This calls for some soul searching and for doing the "inner work" of leadership.

Perhaps your exit from a leadership role is preordained by an established schedule of organizational change. So you've known from the beginning that the role was temporary, but that doesn't always make it easy to open your hand and pass the torch to the next leader. We might find ourselves criticizing their decisions or no longer supporting the organization. Much harder to continue to cheer on your successors and support them when needed, yet by doing this we allow ourselves to grow more and be open to the next leadership opportunity that calls.