“I can’t stay here.”
The thought surprised me.
After spending nearly 30 years with essentially the same company, I had experienced periods of frustration, boredom and even burnout. But this felt different.
The industry was changing. The company was changing. More importantly, I was changing.
What had once energized me no longer did. What had once felt like a great fit now felt increasingly uncomfortable. I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t bitter. I simply sensed that I might be approaching the end of a chapter.
The challenge is that leaving a company is rarely a simple decision.
Most leaders I work with are loyal people. They don’t quit at the first sign of difficulty. They push through challenges, solve problems and remain committed when others might walk away.
But there are times when staying is no longer the right answer.
How do you know when is the right time?
Five Signs
Here are five signs it may be time to leave:
1. Your Values No Longer Align with the Organization
This often happens after a leadership change.
The company begins rewarding behaviors that conflict with your principles. Decisions are made differently. Priorities shift. What was once important is no longer valued.
You don’t have to agree with every decision, but when your core values are consistently at odds with the organization’s direction, tension eventually becomes exhaustion.
2. The Job Is Costing You Your Health or Your Family
There are seasons when work requires extra sacrifice.
A season is one thing.
A lifestyle is another.
If the demands of the role are consistently damaging your health, marriage or family relationships, it’s worth asking whether the cost has become too high.
Life is too short to sacrifice everything for a company.
3. There Are No More Opportunities to Grow
You’ve taken the courses.
You’ve earned the certifications.
You’ve accepted every developmental assignment available.
Yet you find yourself running out of room to learn, contribute and expand your capabilities.
Growth is one of the primary drivers of engagement. When growth stops, restlessness often follows.
4. The Culture Is Toxic and You Lack the Influence to Change It
Every organization has challenges.
That’s not the issue.
The issue is when dysfunction becomes embedded in the culture and those with the power to address it choose not to.
You’ve spoken up.
You’ve tried to influence.
You’ve modeled a better way.
But there are simply too many bad actors and too little accountability.
At some point, wisdom may require recognizing that not every culture can be fixed.
5. Promises Have Been Broken Repeatedly
Trust is gained in inches and lost in yards.
You have been promised promotions, opportunities or compensation that never seems to arrive.
When broken promises become a pattern, trust begins to erode.
Without trust, it becomes difficult to commit your future to an organization.
Final Thought
If one or more of these signs describe your current situation, don’t make a rash decision.
Do some soul-searching.
Ask hard questions.
And determine whether you’re facing a temporary frustration or a genuine signal that it’s time for a new chapter.
In Part 2, we’ll discuss the wrong ways and right ways to leave an organization.
In Part 3, we’ll tackle one of the most important questions of all:
What should I go do next?
It is wisest to run toward something positive and not just run away from the negative.
