Retirement Planning / Move Over

The very first record I bought was Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild.” The record opens with  “Sookie, Sookie,” a solid rocker, has “The Pusher” on it, a bluesy condemnation of drug peddlers, which includes some very uncatholic language, and several other great songs. I am a fan.

One of Steppenwolf’s very, very good tunes---and there are many of them—is “Move Over” about crappy leaders that need to leave and leave now. “Yesterday’s glory won’t help us today. You want to retire, get out of the way.” Said another way, don’t retire on the job.

One of the worst decisions a business leader or entrepreneur can make is to remain in the position just because they want to and, in effect, retire on the job. Often, individuals that decide to overstay their welcome become ineffective. Why? Because, over time, the knife gets a little duller, the vision a little narrower, the energy level a little lower, the interactions a little staler, than what is demanded to do a really, really good job. It is inevitable.

Retiring on the job, even though you can concoct many reasons for doing so, is not, properly integrating your faith and your business strategy. To run a superior company that results in opportunities and wealth for the employees—and you and your family I might add--in an uber competitive world, the top dog needs to be just that. A top dog. All the time. And while there may be selfish reasons for sticking around when you should not, the reasons are almost always selfish. In fairness, the decline of a leader is generally a subtle decline and hard to notice and admit; but a good leader will be cognizant of these personal changes and their impact on the company and its employees.

As I wrote in my last blog, “I Can See Clearly Now,” the entrepreneur/leader needs to step back—or have his friends and advisors help her/him step back—and look at themselves and their abilities and the needs of the business through an honest lens. To not do so, potentially hurts the company, the team that is working hard to make the company run on all cylinders, and prevents future leaders, including your successors, from moving ahead full sail. (Should I have capitalized that?)

So, as you get a little long in the tooth, be honest with yourself, unselfish, and have the compassion needed to get out of the way at the proper time. You, the leader, will be rewarded with a rich legacy, both in professional and personal terms, and there is a plethora of very worthwhile things you can do with your new-found time and talents.

So, “Move Over.” Don’t retire on the job.

Show A Little Faith