Time to quit?

Knowing when to leave a top job is not an easy call to make, but leaving well can enhance a career. 

Quitting is in the news. Particularly high-level resignations from top roles like the celebrated female leaders of New Zealand and Scotland, Jacinda Ahern and Nicola Sturgeon.

Both came as somewhat of a surprise, and both professed to having drained their personal resources and having ‘nothing more to give’. For most, there was a certain level of admiration that both had the honesty and bravery to step down from top positions.

Of course, high level political leadership has an infinitely more public demand than even a top CEO, especially when you have led a country through a global pandemic as these two leaders did.

But there are lessons for the CEO and senior leaders in these quittings, especially in the reasons to do so.

“Knowing if you should quit, in a situation where you are not being forced to do so, is never easy”, says Ramona Kraft, Principal at Odgers Berndtson Germany.

The first fact we all have to embrace is that leadership isn’t permanent. It is something that flows from one leader to another. Of course, once you have that coveted position, it is natural to want to hold onto our title. But no position is forever. You can’t continue to lead when it’s no longer your time. The challenge is recognizing when it’s time vacate a leadership position and move on. The signals can be both personal and professional. Taking time to listen to them is a key moment.

No more to give?

There are a number of factors to consider. Firstly, as with Ahern and Sturgeon, there might be the sense that you simply have nothing left to give and are emotionally drained.

You certainly aren’t alone if you are feeling the same. As Forbes points out, “….as leaders navigate the impact of retention issues, inflation, an economic recession and “quiet quitting,” work challenges are daunting. These factors lead to unmanageable levels of stress and anxiety.

“The old “work yourself to death” mentality at the expense of your mental health is changing. CEOs do their best work when they re-prioritize their mental and physical well-being, so they can avoid burnout and work with a sense of purpose.”

Start with some personal questions 

There are some tell-tale signs that maybe you have indeed run out of what it takes to be at your best in a particular role or situation.

Are you neglecting yourself, and your family and friends? Has your professional life become a monster consuming everything? When last did you have some genuine uninterrupted ‘me time’? When was the last time you followed one of your passions outside of the professional sphere?

Those closest to you will have some of those answers, a business coach might provide a professional viewpoint too. Trusted colleagues might help with your reflection, but of course, not in terms like ‘I am thinking of quitting’, but at a more general performance level.

Chances are, if you’re off the boil personally, the signs, however subtle, will be picked up by others.

Not only that, but an unenthused CEO provides a bad example that can soon infect and bring down a company culture.

A complicating factor, that we pointed out in a recent article, is that support for mental health has become a business imperative. This means that CEOs have a highly visible and influential role to play, not just modelling healthy behaviours, but stepping up to promote mental wellbeing. Leaders who are struggling themselves will clearly find this very difficult indeed.

Where has the joy gone?

It might be a strange word to use, but do you still feel the excitement and joy frequently while leading? That sense of accomplishing things as a team? The good feeling of seeing both the colleagues and the company grow? 

It’s those type of feelings that let you know that the job is truly still worth doing, despite the challenges. When everything starts to feel like a functional process, this could be the inner you whispering quietly that it’s time to move on.

Job done? Or more to do?

You would have taken your current position with an objective or objectives. They are your Everest. If you have peaked, so to speak, and done what you set out to do, that might be a moment to ask, “can I really do more, is the next peak doable and does it excite me enough?”

“You perform best and only experience joy when you are challenged and can contribute your personal strengths to your job.” says Dr. Kai Böttcher, Associate Partner at Odgers Berndtson Germany. Therefore, it is essential to find a new challenge that not only excites you but also allows you to leverage your strengths and contribute to your organization's success.

Thinking ahead, it is certainly better for a leader to have a CV with a completed task than one that ends with an ‘almost, but not quite finished’ task.

Am I honestly the right person for the next challenge?

Some of us are marathon leaders, able to dig in for the long run, slow and steady; others are better in a number of sprints with high energy and impact.

That is essentially our job at Odgers Berndtson - understanding which type of leader fits best in which type of culture and will drive which strategy best. A thoughtful CEO evaluation from us can lay down a foundation to identify an individual’s true capability, potential, and whether they are ultimately “fit for purpose”.

At the end of the day, a leader who is misaligned with the future goals of a company is a liability to themselves and their organization too.

If you want to discuss these issues and how they affect your talent and leadership planning, or perhaps want advice on your own career trajectory, please get in touch.