Featured guide
Just lost your leadership role? Start here.
Take a breath. Losing a role is a blow, not a verdict on you. Plenty of strong leaders have stood exactly where you are. Here are three steps for this week.
Three steps for this week
Get back on your feet
- Give yourself a day or two. Then start a simple routine: move, rest, and set hours for the search, like a workday.
- Tell your family plainly what happened and what your plan is.
- Write down what you built in your last role. You’ll need it, and it will remind you who you are.
Reframe the story
- Write two calm sentences: what happened, what you built, and what’s next. No bitterness.
- Example (fictional): “The company restructured and my role was eliminated. I built the finance team from three to twelve people, and I’m looking for my next Controller role at a growing company.”
- Say it out loud until it sounds like you.
Launch outreach
- Tell your network what you’re looking for, specifically.
- Build a short list of target companies.
- Send your first knocks this week with the outreach plan.
For severance, benefits, or taxes, talk to a qualified professional.
Free help near you
- CareerOneStop (opens in a new tab) (U.S. Department of Labor): find your state’s unemployment program and your nearest American Job Center.
- American Job Centers (state workforce centers): free career services near you, listed on CareerOneStop.
- SBA local assistance (opens in a new tab): Small Business Development Centers, if you’re thinking of starting something.
- SCORE (opens in a new tab): free volunteer business mentors.
- 211 (opens in a new tab): local help with bills, housing, food, and more.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (opens in a new tab): call or text 988 if it all feels like too much. You don’t have to carry it alone.
When you’re ready
A confidential conversation about your next leadership role.
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