I recently found myself back in the first school where I ever taught, this time not as a junior faculty member trying to prove herself, but as a guest speaker invited to share my work and reflections. It was a full-circle moment I did not take lightly.
What struck me most was not just the invitation itself, but what it symbolized. I left that institution years ago, and yet the door remained open. There was no awkwardness, no unspoken resentment, no need to explain why I chose to move on. Instead, there was warmth, trust, and recognition that my decision to leave was never about rejection, but about growth.
When I did resign from that position, I was up front about my dream. I wanted to teach in higher education. I wanted to become a great academic researcher. I wanted to develop into a role that was more in line with who I was becoming. At this stage of my life, this organization had provided me with great experience, accountability, and trust. I was actually given the role of leading a team at a relatively young age, and I am still thankful for that. However, it could not provide me with all that I was hoping to achieve.
Not all departures are failures. Some are just transitions. Not all departures are failures. Some are simply transitions.
Unfortunately, I know that not everyone have the opportunity to exit an organization on a positive note. Many professionals in their careers bear the emotional scars of departures that were not only misunderstood but also personalized and even penalized. Some are made to feel disloyal for pursuing growth. Others are slowly removed from memory once they decide to explore other opportunities. There are organizations where departing is considered a form of betrayal.
This is why returning as a guest speaker was so significant to me. It reminded me that organizations, like individuals, have the ability to react to change in a variety of ways. My former boss could have taken my resignation statement personally. The organization could have felt that I was ungrateful for the opportunities that I had been given. Instead, they understood that my resignation was not a reflection of the organization, but a reflection of where I needed to go next.
There is a very important lesson to be learned here.
First, create space for growth, even if that growth occurs elsewhere. Not every growth path can be supported in one organization. This is not to say that the workers are unappreciative or disloyal. Sometimes, growth occurs in a different setting, a different system, or a different set of expectations. Managers who understand this do not view departures as losses but as part of a larger system of professional growth.
Second, trust people while they are with you. It is one of the reasons I left with no bitterness that I was trusted. I was given responsibilities. I was allowed to lead, to make decisions, and to make mistakes. This trust remained with me even after I left the organization. It influences the way I lead. People who feel trusted do not have to burn bridges to move ahead.
Third, encourage people when they seek out new opportunities. Encouragement does not necessarily mean official support or glowing recommendations. It may simply mean not challenging their motives, not reframing the story of their contributions, and not downplaying what they brought to the table just because they decided to leave. When leaders leave graciously, they bequeath alumni, not alums.
Finally, we must normalize a more mature concept of organizations in general. An organization might not be able to give you the best at every point in your life, but that does not mean that it has failed you. It might have been exactly what you needed at a certain point in your life. Progression does not always mean growth.
The invitation to return reminded me that relationships do not necessarily have to end when contracts expire. Career trajectories can branch off without animosity. Individuals can depart, evolve, and re-emerge in different ways. Such wisdom in an institution is a precious thing.
If more organizations could learn to leave exits with generosity instead of resentment, we would see healthier careers, better leaders, and stronger professional communities. Leaving well should be a success, not a threat.
I am grateful to have had leaders who understood that. Not all organizations are as fortunate. But maybe stories like this can help encourage organizations to take a moment to reflect and ask a simple question: How do we want people to remember us when they leave?
Sometimes, the answer determines whether they ever come back.
Dr. Jessica Jaye Ranieses is an Associate Professor in the Department of Decision Sciences and Innovation at De La Salle University and the President of the Philippine Academy of Management. She can be contacted at jessica.ranieses@dlsu.edu.ph.
The perspectives shared in this piece are solely the author’s and do not necessarily represent the official views of De La Salle University, its faculty, or its administration.
