Have You Overstayed Your Welcome?

I wrote in my last Leading Thoughts of a Great Resignation. I told you that millions of people have resigned their jobs recently and millions more are likely to. Why? They are in search of better bosses, of more meaningful teaming, of deeper social impact and, yes, of greater reward.

The good news is that exceptional leaders are now being sought out by the millions of people flooding the job market. They want someone noble and gifted to follow. They want to be part of a vital, empowering culture. The bad news is that industries will be in upheaval and entire firms will suffer—firms that have not built well and that have not created cultures of uplift.

I said all this last time. Now I want to talk to you about your job.

The worst mistake I ever made in my business life was overstaying my welcome. I have a tendency to work too hard, to want to fix everything before I even think about leaving. I rarely look up to ponder my situation, to consider whether where I work is worth the investment, to reflect on whether I’m serving with good people who are as committed to me as I am to them. So I overstayed my welcome once. And it hurt me. I’ll never do it again. I’m not saying this in bitterness. I’m saying it in wisdom. I know how to use my Leadership GPS now. I know how to pull away and reflect. I’ll stay in season from now on.

I hope you are flourishing where you are now and that you will thrive there for decades. Yet you won’t know if you are supposed to stay if you don’t fully consider leaving. So, let me ask some questions that will help you not make my mistake—to overstay your welcome.

Do you end your days perhaps pleasantly tired from good hard work but also energized by the yield of your labors, the mission of your firm, and the good you are accomplishing?

Do you trust and even like those you work with and those you lead?

Is there opportunity for you to advance and prosper in your current job?

Are your leadership gifts a fit, a complement, on the team you lead with?

Are you a better person than you were two years ago?

Is your spouse happy about the work you do and what it means for the family?

Are all the vital indicators of your life—spiritual health, financial peace, physical conditioning, social happiness, familial vibrancy, etc.—on the ascent, and if not is any of it the fault of your job?

When you lay your head upon your pillow at night, are you basically at peace about your job or do you regularly stir and hurt over something about the work you do?

If you worked for your current firm for the rest of your life—with promotions and pay increases from time to time—would you die happy about your work life?

I assure you I’m not trying to talk you out of your job. I also assure you that if I don’t show you that you can leave, you’ll never fully stay. Think through my questions. Involve others you trust in your deliberations. Definitely involve your spouse. In fact, I even believe in getting perspective from your older children.

Pray. Reflect. Decide. Don’t overstay your welcome out of compulsiveness. Be in place, in season, in the flow. That’s the goal.