An Elegant Exit: Two Leaders on the Importance of Leaving Gracefully
By Chris Linn and Marissa Ronca
Originally published in Fast Company
Work long enough in a dynamic business, and chances are, you will get fired. It often has less to do with your actual job performance and more to do with the ever-changing winds of economic pressures, corporate restructuring, and shifting consumer behavior. We are living in a time of large-scale layoffs with very little guidance on how to navigate this tricky and increasingly common professional experience — especially among leaders.
In 2019, I was laid off in a corporate merger and, in an effort to break the silence around executives getting fired, co-wrote a piece with Chris Linn about the experience for Fast Company: Our high-profile media jobs were eliminated. Here’s why we exited gracefully
Published in late 2020, it addresses the importance of a smooth transition of power in any field. And this was before our country’s recent presidential transition, when the dangerous ripples of an unhinged exit became clear on a national level. Our hope is to break the stigma around this taboo-laden subject while providing universal takeaway for those departing management roles.
