Leadership in Transition: The Art of Letting Go
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Author: George Brewster
At Henley Leadership Group, we’re given a number of ways to connect with one another, build community and help shape our company culture. One of those ways is through a virtual HLG writing group that meets every other week. Each session begins with a question or prompt, followed by fifteen minutes of uninterrupted writing—then we read aloud what we’ve written. I am not sure there’s anything more nerve-wracking. Writing spontaneously and then sharing it with colleagues is both an act of courage and a powerful practice in generous listening.
In light of our focus this month on Emerging leadership and Transitions, our writing prompt last week was: What does the term “pass the baton” mean to you? We were especially moved by George’s candid self-reflection—his raw honesty about his mixed reactions to the confusing business of making big transitions, both personally and professionally.
“At this point in my life and leadership, I find myself thinking a lot about transitions—what it means to step back, to hand things off, and to trust that what you’ve built will continue without you at the center.
This reflection is personal. It’s about where I am right now, both professionally and as a parent. It’s about the weight of the baton we carry, the courage it takes to let it go, and the fear that can come with looking into the unknown and trusting that everything will be ok.
Passing the baton, to me, is a phrase about handing something off to others to carry—I am imagining track and field runners moving at speed, trying to gracefully pass the baton to one another while under extreme pressure.
How hard can it be to let go of the stick you have carried for so long? When do you let go of the baton and trust it will be caught, carried, and moved in the same way I have tried to move with it? The reality is, it’s incredibly hard to perfect the act of passing the baton. There are misconnects, drops, awkward handoffs for everyone to see and suffer through.
Why is it so hard to let go? To pass it on?
Funny, the timing of this question for me—so much baton-passing in my life right now. Five years of various roles on a board, including leading it, and carrying the baton is coming to an end. I am equally so ready to pass it off, and yet both sad and afraid to.
I like to carry the baton. It’s part of who I am. What will I be if I’m not the runner with the stick in my hand? I’ll just be the exhausted, bent-over runner offscreen—no longer the focus of attention.
This is where the new runner may do it differently. Better. Worse. I’m no longer in control of the outcome. I have to trust enough to let go. Are they prepared to catch it? Can they handle it? Will they run as hard and as fast? Will our team win?
All questions that come up as I get ready to pass the baton.
I think about this phrase in relation to my kids. A week away from 18—they will become adults. Are they ready for their own baton? What happens when I let go? Our hands are briefly connected by the stick. We hold it together momentarily. Then I have to release—to set them free to run their lives.
Where will they go? How far will they go? And how can I possibly keep up, stay connected once I’ve passed the baton?
Such grief I’m present to—and yet there is so much excitement. Excitement and anticipation for the exchange when it happens. When it happens smoothly, you never even notice it happening. And yet it’s ever so complex. That’s where I am -- today.”
Here’s what I know about passing the baton—at work and at home:
Letting go can be a courageous act of leadership. The act of releasing control—whether in parenting or professional roles—is one of the most brave and necessary leadership moves we make.
One’s identity lives within “the baton we carry”. So much of who we are can become wrapped up in what we carry. Handing it off invites both grief and growth. It is both exciting and terrifying.
The smoothest transitions are quietly powerful. A well-executed handoff may appear seamless, but it requires trust, timing and deep emotional presence.
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