Celebrate! Now Leverage the Moment

I’ve seen it countless times. An elite performer on our team is told they are critical to someone else’s team. And, after refection (and negotiating for some added comp to seal the deal😊), they are ready to share the news.

The text usually comes out of the blue. It’s a request for a quick conversation when one isn’t expected. The dread of what’s to come is the worst. If the world is kind to you, the news comes quickly. Please, you don’t need to wait for the open time slot early next week!

You’ve worked hard to position the team member for success, and they are sincere. “It’s been an enormous privilege to work with you, learn from you, and take our efforts to new heights. But for me, it’s time for a new challenge and growth.”

You try to put on a good face, but the air is out of your sails.

As a leader, can you truly celebrate this moment? You’ve helped them grow, cultivated them for what’s next. And they are now positioned to reach even greater heights. Isn’t that cause for joy?

Or are you anxious about what’s coming right around the corner– informing your board, the team, your investors that you’ve lost a critical piece of the puzzle? Avoiding the perception of things in free fall, that others may follow soon? How will I redistribute the load, dole out work to others that are already exhausted?

The moment is always a hard one. It stinks, but you’re better off getting used to it. It’s going to keep happening when you build a rockstar team!

What’s a better way? Two enormous opportunities from a departure shouldn’t be missed.

The first is to truly celebrate what has been accomplished and your colleague’s new adventure. There is no greater honor than positioning someone for success in career and life. Their future success becomes your success. It’s the dividend that pays off in perpetuity.

The second opportunity is more direct and powerful. No matter how vital your departing colleague has been, this is the one time you can truly recreate the future. People are the most extraordinary asset you have – and they are also the most intractable obstacle to change. Your team member had areas of you wished they would grow faster into. There were workstreams you felt were vital but weren’t their priority. They had supervisees that weren’t effectively positioned for growth. Under their direction, org structures may have become calcified and inflexible, geared around the departing colleague’s strengths and accommodating their weaknesses. Too many strategic paths were left unexplored, unexploited.

So, my encouragement to you: As you truly honor the friend sitting before you, take an unexpected but refreshing plunge into the journey of figuring out how to get it done better. A few pointers as you put on a happy face and lean into growth mode:

Create Space to Rethink the Possible: Start by giving yourself the space to build a plan over the next few weeks. Agree on how the departure can be announced in a way that honors your colleague, but also reassures critical investors, board members, team members and others that you are eager to use this moment as an opportunity.

Define Your Process: Articulate and execute on a concrete process for dialogue with the team, others to hear their views, think through collaboratively how to build better going forward.

Build Growth Paths: Consider the “battlefield commission” – advancing your next tier of leaders into new roles, while simultaneously implementing the right supports/coaching to position them for success.

Galvanize your Base/ Eliminate your Blind Spots: Leverage your network to hear their ideas, recs for possible replacements. And now’s the time to hear what they weren’t comfortable saying to you before. Capitalize on candor at this moment.

Be Clear about What’s Next: Strike the right balance between taking some time to think and decisively articulating the path forward. When you do make the process known – whether it be a simple search or a more significant restructure, be clear and direct to everyone. People are paying attention, and this is a wonderful opportunity for you to show leadership in a time of uncertainty.

And, finally… find time to celebrate your departing comrade! A growth mindset shows powerfully at this moment. Others will see that you want everyone around you to thrive, wherever that might be.  They’ll also see you as a leader ready to seize every opportunity and leverage this unique moment.