My Great Resignation
Photo credit: Tripods & Tails Photography, who told me she “didn’t do headshots.” Clearly, there is talent all around us just waiting to be revealed!
“Never underestimate the influence you have on others. Because yours, Maika, is profound.”
When my colleague Al Winseman speaks, people listen. When he told me this in a recent Zoom call, I didn’t just hear it. I felt it with my whole spirit.
No one tells you how to quit. As I navigated my final two weeks as a full-time Gallup employee, I realized just how much I had underestimated. I had been considering and imagining what I might do if ever I left this role, and I had the logistics ironed out months earlier. But I wasn’t ready for the significance of this life event. And perhaps the beauty in human connection is amplified by how easy it is to miss the importance of seemingly ordinary moments, until rites of passage that highlight their immeasurable value.
The truth is, I had made the mistake Al warned me of. I was genuinely surprised by how big of a deal my departure would be. Call it a side effect of working remotely, a self-focused ego, or maybe just a dose of burnout. Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of something I had literally tattooed on my foot 10 years ago. The ink says, “...for good” and it’s brimming with personal meaning to me. At the time, it was a motto I hoped to live by forever, acknowledging that the influence you have on others is lasting, so it should also be positive. And here I am, taken aback by the very assertion I set out to personify.
I am doubly blessed. Not only do I get to be loved and supported by some of the smartest, most compassionate professionals on the planet. I also get to be aware of our meaningful connection while I’m present in the experience. It’s that kind of safety net that allows for big dreams to take shape. Believing that my dreams are being appreciated and loved by those around me makes me dream bigger. It’s thinking and acting with the assumption of abundance, not just because I hope for good outcomes, but because I can look around and see they’ve already happened.
When I gave notice that I was leaving, it was an ordinary Wednesday. I felt it coming, and I had explored it thoughtfully with the very leaders who I had to finally tell. It didn’t feel like a giant leap. It felt like the next right step toward a beautiful new chapter.
I am continuing to take brave steps, knowing there is a stream of love supporting me. In particular, I am stepping toward the launch of a private consulting practice. I want to help leaders become better listeners, primarily to the voice of talent within that so often gets drowned out by the noise of the now. I want to continue the brilliant work we have done on strengths-based development. I just know I need to do it in a way that’s slightly riskier, perhaps more intimate, a bit more courageous than I would want an entire organization to be. More Maika.
And what about you? What if you knew the influence you had on others, while you were having it? Would you behave differently? What if you knew the love others had for you, the support awaiting your courageous move? What does that voice inside you know is the next step?
If we are really going to make this global resignation great, we can’t just lock the doors and hope our people stay. We have to learn how to move into new chapters, acknowledging the potential we have to support each other while listening to our own truth. We cannot forget the influence we have is profound. We must stay open and curious, because we have been given a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine what it means to work. Human beings are notoriously bad self-evaluators. So today, I challenge you to try on the notion that others see you just 5% more than you think. That they support you just a bit more positively than you believe. That your best next step, whether it’s to a new employer or a different way of doing the same role, is just a pinch more promising than you’ve currently acknowledged.
Your strengths are stronger (and weaknesses weaker) than you realize. Your influence is greater than you can imagine. You are built for beauty, and we all already see it.
With gratitude for your support and encouragement,
Let’s do this!
Maika Leibbrandt
Executive Coach & Strategist
