As a coach working with senior leaders, I often find myself in conversations about career transitions - especially around how to leave a job well. Whether you're contemplating a move or in the midst of one, the way you exit can have a lasting impact on your colleagues, your employer, and, perhaps most importantly, on how you feel about the experience. Here are a few reflections on what you might want to consider to make sure you leave your role in the best way possible. 1. Tidy up your professional spaceBefore you go, put your house in order - both literally and metaphorically – if you can. Whilst it can be tempting to leave the files you haven’t touched for years (yes that’s been me in the past!) for someone else to sort, it’s worth taking the time to clear out your digital and physical files, ensuring everything that needs to be handed over is properly organised. Resolve any outstanding issues that only you can address. Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, in Designing Your Work Life liken this to the responsible camper’s motto: "Leave the campsite better than you found it." By making things better before you leave, you set your team up for future success. 2. Finish strongIt’s tempting to mentally check out once your resignation is confirmed, but staying engaged until you leave is key. It shows your ongoing faith and interest in the organisation and the teams around you and helps maintain your professionalism and credibility. That doesn’t mean you have to work at 100 miles an hour though! You’ll find that your workload changes in the run up to your departure, particularly if you’re in one of the top roles. So also make the most of having a slightly slower pace that gives you some time to reflect on what you’re taking away from your time there. 3. Mark the momentFrom my experience of coaching many leaders as they leave their role, I know firsthand that lots of us feel uncomfortable with the idea of farewell parties, especially if you’re not one for the limelight. But endings are important – both for you and for your colleagues. They give all of you a chance to acknowledge the end of an era. If you’re in a senior leadership role, it’s unlikely you’re universally popular (no-one ever is!) but there will be many people who will have appreciated the way you’ve gone about your role and the impact you’ve had on them. So try not to shy away from celebrating your contributions and allowing others to express their appreciation. You might be surprised at how valued you are. When I’ve left organisations, I’ve often been really touched by the messages I’ve received. I’ve always kept those messages and always suggest to others that they keep them too. 4. Keep in touch - mindfullyLeave your contact details with those you genuinely want to keep in touch with, but be thoughtful about what kind of relationships you want to maintain after your departure. Whether you’re moving on to an exciting new opportunity or taking time out to reflect, relationships from your past job may still play a role in your future. 5. Embrace mixed emotionsEven if you’re eagerly anticipating your next move, leaving a job - especially after a long tenure - can stir up a range of emotions. You’re making an important transition – moving away from an identity you’ve held potentially for some time. It’s natural to feel unsettled by the move. Stay with the feelings if you can; you’ll emerge before too long with new energy and perspectives. If you’re thinking about changing jobs and would like to talk further, book a free 30 minute call with me or sign up to my regular newsletter to receive more hints and tips on business challenges.     

With the overwhelming number of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) options out there, combined with the constant time and budget pressures we face, it’s easy to let your own growth as a leader fall to the bottom of the pile. Here are my top tips for making leadership development accessible and impactful:  The DIY retreat Taking yourself away for a day or – even better - overnight to reflect can be one of the best ways to gain clarity and perspective. I’ve found a DIY retreat (ideally somewhere in nature where you’re well taken care of) much more rewarding than more formal (and expensive) retreats. Consider bringing a trusted colleague or peer for part of it, so you can mix solo reflection time with ideas-sharing. If you’ve done your own DIY retreat, I’d love to hear where you went and how you found it. You can read more about my DIY retreat earlier this year here. Online courses If you’ve spoken to me recently, you’ve probably heard me rave about 'Erica Wolfe-Murray’s Domestika course on 'Intellectual Property for Creative Entrepreneurs'.  I know, intellectual property sounds dull, but Erica makes it incredibly engaging, accessible and relevant to you, whatever your role. And at £0.99, it’s a total bargain! I’ve also been doing the ‘Time Management with Oliver Burkeman’ course on BBC Maestro – progress has stalled sadly… of course due to lack of time 😉.  The value of books With a 25 year career spent surrounded by books, it’s probably no surprise that they remain my go-to for fresh ideas and new perspectives.   More often than not, I’ve found that investing £20 in a leadership book provides better long-term value than a course or conference that can easily cost ten times that. Some of the titles high on my wish list right now include:   Owen Eastwood: Belonging Bonnie Cheng: The Return on Kindness Terry Szuzplat: Say It WellRobin Dunbar: The Social Brain Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Anti-Fragile  I know from my own experience that it’s often hard to find the headspace to read so it’s worth giving audiobooks or podcasts a go too. (Pro tip: I always try to source my books from independent shops or libraries, Bookshop.org is a great option).  If you would like a book recommendation on a personal or leadership development topic, drop me an email. I’d genuinely love to share my own recommendations as well as add to my ever-growing To Be Read list so please send me your recommendations too!  Reflection Taking time for regular self-reflection can be a powerful yet often overlooked form of CPD. It helps you stay in tune with your goals, recognise patterns, and develop greater self-awareness - critical for senior leaders facing complex challenges. It’s a practice that I actively invest in – my Friday afternoon reviews of the week are welcome opportunities to reflect on a week that’s typically whizzed by!  My top tip? Buy yourself a beautiful notebook that’s totally separate from your work notebook and put time regularly in your diary to make it happen. Aim to make it a joy rather than a chore. If this feels too much, find a peer you like and trust and create a monthly or quarterly check in with them.  Next steps There’s so much you can do to develop yourself. You’ve probably heard me talk before about other CPD options, including action learning and coaching – two very effective leadership development tools to add to the list above.  Don’t let time, budget constraints or overwhelm stop you from investing in your development. If you’re finding it tough to prioritise your own development, you can now book a free half hour with me to do a mini-audit of your own learning and development. It might be just what you need to kickstart your leadership development, ready for 2025!    

This year, I’ve had the privilege of facilitating transformative action learning sets with leaders across different industries. One set, hosted by Plymouth Culture with funding from Arts Council England, brought together five creative leaders committed to leading with empathy and care. Another, at the University of Exeter, engaged nine department managers exploring leadership across diverse teams. These sessions reminded me of the profound impact action learning has on leadership development. It’s one of the most effective tools for fostering self-discovery and collaborative problem-solving. Participants leave with fresh insights, actionable strategies, and stronger leadership skills. Whether you’re a senior leader in a charity, business, or creative enterprise, action learning can result in significant transformations for you and your team.  Here’s what recent participants had to say: "The action learning set has connected me with other peer leaders interested in placing care, kindness, and empathy at the centre of their practice. We have considered how care and empathy can be forefronted both in how we work with our teams, and in how we look after ourselves."  Anneliese Kesteven "I really liked the small group environment, sense of shared endeavour and ethos of safety and security.”   Tim Pithers “I have learned to be more rigorous when it comes to looking at how I am leading, to support my team in a much better way, and it has also helped me to tackle a bit of imposter syndrome”.  Francesca Hawkesworth And as a facilitator: “ I thought Ciara was a superb facilitator. She was calm, compassionate, and led by example. Although she was ever present, it never felt that she was intrusive and she allowed us the freedom to talk and listen."   Steve Bassett "Thank you, Ciara—it's been an inspiration! I found you to be gracious, compassionate, thoughtful, flexible... you created a container which held us and allowed us to be, and so much more."  Cathy Potter Plymouth Culture are in the process of evaluating the whole Creative Leadership programme so there will be more feedback in due course but, for now, here’s what they said: “Action Learning sets have been key to the success of our recent Creative Leadership programme. Ciara facilitated one set, as well as offering valuable advice and strategic input into the programme as a whole. Participants highlighted the action-oriented approach as a major boost to their confidence and development as creative leaders”.Hannah Harris, CEO, Plymouth Culture If you’re curious about action learning, this Training Journal article has more insights on how effective it can be as an impactful, but affordable, leadership development tool.  If you’d like to explore action learning for your team, feel free to book a call with me.