Kyunghee Yim for Unsplash+
What would you do if your principal unexpectedly left the company? How would you handle the transition period? How or where do you pivot?
A reader sent me these questions this week.
The question that lingered for me wasn’t the departure. It was the assumption embedded in the last line: that something had to change.
But does it?
When something big rocks your world, there’s an inevitable aftershock. You feel it because it’s real. In moments like this, it can be disorienting. But just because something is real doesn’t mean you need to change your circumstances.
Turbulence mid flight rarely means a crash landing.
Separate Reality and Assumption.
Reality: My principal abruptly left.
Assumption: I must change as well.
Reality: The organization is in flux.
Assumption: There will be changes for me.
Reality: My future feels unclear.
Assumption: My role is now in limbo, and I need to act.
Reality: Time is often an asset in transitions.
Assumption: I must choose now.
Putting reality next to assumption is where better judgment starts.
So What’s True?
The most basic, undeniable truth is this: a change happened adjacent to you, not to you.
Once you strip away the assumption that you must react, a few real options emerge. Rebuild from that truth.
Remain where you are.
If you’re aligned with the company and the team, maybe nothing changes at all. And if a new leader is installed with you as their Chief of Staff, that’s a gift. You could become the most grounded, fastest onramp they have.Level up into a new capacity inside the company.
Is there a team that would benefit from your perspective after years in the CEO’s office? Institutional history is currency, especially during transitions.Follow your principal.
If you’ve worked closely together and have a tight operating rhythm, going with them can make sense. You bring immediate leverage in a new role because you already know how they think, decide and move.
First Principles Thinking
This way of reasoning starts with what’s fundamentally true and builds up from there. It’s called first principles thinking.
It shows up most often among entrepreneurs and senior operators because they’re making decisions in environments where precedent and so-called “best practices” don’t exist.
What gets people into trouble is how quickly assumption gets mistaken for reality. We react to a story we’ve told ourselves, then build decisions on top of it… only to realize later we were solving the wrong problem entirely.
Steadiness ensures clear thinking. We complicate decisions when we get on the emotional roller coaster and call it “problem solving.”
Reduce the noise, and reality has a way of revealing both the truth and the next move.
Affiliate Link Disclaimer: Some of the links in this email are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you.