Saying goodbye to an organization that you’ve cared for and tended to can be difficult. You know the people; you have worked hard and done your best. You’ve left your blood, sweat, and tears there.
Yet, you can’t stay at an organization forever. There’s an end date.
Many of us overstay.
Why do we overstay? We fear that the organization won’t survive if we go. We feel that we can still make a difference. We are stubborn.
I’ve been there, done that. It’s not pretty. That’s why you have to know the signs it’s time to leave.
Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash
5 Signs It Is Time To Leave Your Organization
1. You’ve outgrown your position:
Great leaders are constantly growing. They’re listening to great podcasts, stretching their skills, and taking courses. They’re doing everything they can to grow.
Sometimes, the growth of an organization doesn’t match the development of the individual. You may grow too fast for the organization.
It’s a difficult decision to make, but you must make the choice that will benefit you and give others the opportunity to step into the role.
Don’t be afraid to leave an organization if the organization has become stagnant. If you don’t, you’ll soon become stagnant yourself.
2. There’s no opportunity to grow:
Leaders grow. It’s what you do. Sometimes, it’s not that you’ve outgrown the position or organization; sometimes, it’s that there’s no opportunity to grow.
This often occurs in smaller organizations. There’s not a lot of upper-level leadership. Departments are small. Advancement opportunities are slim.
Maybe you’re the head of a department… A department of one. Where do you go from there? Perhaps they don’t offer continuing education opportunities.
If there’s no opportunity to grow and continue stretching your leadership wings, you may need to consider whether it’s time to leave your organization.
3. The leadership has become toxic:
In episode 676 of The Holy Post, the hosts talk about toxic people at the 27-minute mark. Often, people confuse the meaning of toxic people. They think people are toxic because they disagree, hold strong opinions, or express something that isn’t inherently toxic.
Those are not the toxic traits I’m referring to here. Instead, when leadership becomes toxic, it expresses itself in the following ways:
- No one is held accountable
- Lies are commonplace
- Leadership gossips about those they lead
- People are belittled
That’s toxic behavior. When it comes from leadership, it’s a sign for you to hightail it out of there. Especially when their behavior and attitudes conflict with your personal faith or convictions. You cannot stick around.
4. You’ve done all you can:
When you come into an organization, it can be a mess. You see all the things that can be changed. And you begin to tackle those tasks head-on.
You have made significant progress, especially since these areas have been neglected. You get the people behind you, and things finally get done.
That’s great. Until you’ve done all that you can do. You’ve made all the impact you can.
Now, you have a choice: Should you stay or should you go?
This choice always reminds me of The Clash’s song of the same name. While they’re talking about a romantic situation, you have to make the same decision. Do you stay or do you go?
5. God tells you to go:
One of the frustrations I had at a previous organization was that God had told my wife and me to go. We were to leave and not look back.
However, we couldn’t do that. We thought the youth group would flounder. We thought no one else would care for the students like we did.
We were wrong. We were disobedient. It hurt us.
You need to listen to God. When He tells you it is time to go, it’s time to go. Don’t hem and haw about it. Move your feet and leave.
