A senior executive I coached recently lost his role.
On paper, he had it all — title, status, and a seat at the table. 🏆
Then overnight, it was gone.
When we began our coaching session, he didn’t just say, “I lost my job.” He said, “I don’t know who I am anymore.”
He was doing what so many of us do: fusing his identity with his work.
For years, what he did had become who he was – his title, his company, his position.
So, when the job ended, it felt like *he* had ended, too.
I reminded him: “You are not a title, a business card, or a seat at the table. Those are *experiences* you’ve had – not who you are.”
As he began to separate the two, I could sense the panic easing, the clarity returning, and possibilities beginning to open up.
✨What first felt like loss started to look like expansion.
When your identity isn’t tied to a role, you’re not starting over – you’re simply moving into your next experience. And that’s a very different place to lead from.
➡️I’d love to hear your thoughts… If your title or job disappeared tomorrow, who would you still be? 🤔