Transitions Are A Test Of Character

Published June 04, 2025, J. Patrick Power

A Lesson in Professional Sportsmanship

I recently made a career move—stepping away from a small, high-performing team into a new opportunity within the same organization. It was the right next step. And, the timing was right as I had just finished a years long project and had not started something new.

The reaction from my manager caught me off guard.

There was no “Congratulations” or “Tell me more.” Just disbelief. He couldn’t understand why someone would voluntarily leave his team. From his perspective, it was one of the strongest teams in the company—built around his vision, leadership, and direction. He took pride in the team’s cohesion and performance, and he clearly saw my departure not just as a change—but as a kind of disloyalty.

That moment revealed something deeper. It wasn’t just that I was moving on—it was that I was stepping away from his orbit. And that shift felt, to him, like a rejection. The conversation quickly became about his leadership, his team, and his belief that no one should want to leave a setup so strong. It didn’t feel like I was seen as a professional making a career decision. I was being interpreted as someone walking away from a cause I was expected to stay loyal to.

Within an hour, the tone had changed even further. What started as disbelief turned into dismissal — not just of me, but of the team I was moving to. He openly questioned their competence, suggesting they lacked the discipline, capability, and cohesion that his own team supposedly exemplified. It wasn’t just that I was leaving—it was that I was choosing to lead a team he didn’t respect. In his view, that choice said more about my judgment than my potential. The message was clear: if I was aligning myself with them, I must not have belonged with him in the first place.

Leadership, in those moments, is revealed. Not in meetings or strategy decks—but in how we treat people when they say goodbye.

In my own leadership experience, I’ve had talented people move on. I’ve learned that their success elsewhere is a reflection of how well they were supported where they started. I take pride in that. Because leadership isn’t ownership. It’s stewardship. It’s the job of helping people grow—even if that growth takes them beyond your team.

This experience was a clear reminder. Leadership without humility quickly turns possessive. And when loyalty is demanded rather than earned, it’s no longer leadership—it’s control.

Back to previous page