3 October

Somewhere out there, a newly promoted engineer is feeling the tension of being elevated over her soon-to-retire boss. Everyone agrees she’s earned it, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. He still shows up to meetings she’s meant to lead, leaves her off important emails, and makes decisions that are no longer his to make. She feels like he’s working against her.

Somewhere out there, a long-tenured engineering manager is struggling to let go. Retirement is just around the corner, and he thought he was ready—until he wasn’t. The new leader is smart and capable, but watching someone else take the reins feels more disorienting than he expected. This team has been his life’s work. Handing it over is proving harder than he thought.

Consider This:

Letting go is an act of leadership, too.