I am fortunate to know some great folks who are generously willing to share experiences, lessons learned, offer honest and useful feedback, and support me on my leadership journey. I am always inspired by them and often challenged by them. And, usually, they are right on track.
Take last week, for example.
I invited a local author and executive development advisor to coffee. I wanted to pick his brain and he kindly allowed it for more than an hour! He offered a lot of guidance to help me define and refine my passion for developing emerging leaders, helping organizations communicate their vision through their mid-level leadership teams. A lot of food for thought was exchanged for that coffee.
One of his comments, however, required more than just thought on my part; I needed to take action.
“There is one thing you need to do right away. Get the word “retired” out of your vocabulary. It conjures up a certain image in peoples’ minds and that image is not you.”
Maybe that’s why so many people didn’t believe me when I said I was retiring!
On the one hand, I did retire. I willingly, of my own accord, left my job of 21 years and did not pursue another. One day, right in the middle of a meeting, I simply decided that the time had come for us to part ways. Five days later I submitted my formal notice and offered a six seek transition period. As of August 15, I was “retired.”
On the other hand, I’ve done some consulting work for a large local employer to support the development of their emerging leaders and communication across a recently restructured leadership team. I mentor some of the people I used to work with. I hold a leadership position with the Ohio Diversity Council. I serve my alma mater, Otterbein University, on the Leadership Studies advisory committee. I just committed to volunteer at Ohio Business Week, a week long college and business experience camp for high school students.
I’m not exactly “retired.”
As my friend framed it for me, I’ve simply moved on to a new phase of my life. I left my job, but not my work, my vocation, my passion. To use my #OneWord for 2015, I’ve strengthened my commitment to elevate emerging leaders and created a space in which that works.
Over the last few days, I’ve updated my LinkedIn profile and the rest of my online presence to reflect my current experiences as a consultant and volunteer. If you look me up, the first thing you see is not the word retired. Because I’m not retired.
