Time to Step Aside: Knowing When to Retire or just get out as a Leader

By Randall Doizaki, CEO, Doizaki on Leadership LLC

 Inspirational Leadership Support | Doizaki on Leadership LLC

“At some point, you must face this truth—what has been, is over.”

Leadership is not a lifetime appointment. It is a season. And too often, that season stretches past its prime because the leader holds on for too long—either out of fear, pride, or a false belief that no one else can carry the torch.

When we become predictable and comfortable in our position, at any point along the way, we can become an obstacle to better things ahead.

We’ve all seen it happen:

• The once-dynamic leader whose message now falls flat.

• The mentor who no longer relates to the current generation.

• The executive who stays on just to protect what was, rather than prepare for what could be.

At some point, the right decision is to step aside.

 Leadership Legacy Means Letting Go

If you have built something worthwhile—an organization, a mission, a movement—there comes a moment where your greatest act of leadership is stepping out of the way.

If you are not willing to let go of the control, that itself may be an indicator that you have held on to long.

Let that sink in.

It is not about disappearing or quitting. It is about finishing well. Handing over a legacy instead of holding onto a position. Preparing the next generation instead of controlling the current one.

Leaders do not just lead. They leave space for others to grow.

 Facing the Mirror: Is It Time?

Ask yourself:

• Are you adding value, or simply maintaining visibility?

• Are you leading change, or resisting it?

• Are you mentoring successors, or blocking them?

If the honest answers point toward the end of your season, then it is not a failure—it is maturity. And it is time to write your final chapter with the same strength and clarity that built your leadership reputation.

However, this should not be used as an excuse to move from one position to another as we are currently seeing so many of our peers doing. For some, they are changing to avoid being replaced.

Because no matter how much success you have had—what has been, is over.

What comes next is up to you.

 5 Words or Less:

"Who leads after me?" Ask it. Say it out loud. And listen to your team’s response.

As LEADERS we need to identify who will take over when we are gone and to develop them before the time comes for us to get our “assets” out of their way.

 What to Do Next

• Reflect without ego. What part of your identity is tied up in your title?

• For those of us in public service, the badge may become our identity, when this happens, we get lost in who we are.

• Identify and mentor your replacement—not your clone.

• Communicate with clarity. Let your team hear it from you first.

• Leave a blueprint, not a mess.

 Final Thought

If you built it right, they will not need you forever. And that is the point. To eliminate the need to look for you to make the decision. Build decision makers within the team and organization as independent thinkers.

When the mission outlives the leader, the leadership was successful. Retiring is not stepping down—it is stepping aside with purpose.

Randall Doizaki is the CEO of Doizaki on Leadership LLC, former Marine, retired law enforcement officer, and leadership speaker. His book "IT is about Leadership...Not Just Management" challenges leaders to lead with courage, clarity, and humility.

IT IS About Leadership...Not Just Management: Go Beyond Just Management To Become The Leader Others WANT To Follow: Doizaki, Randall: 9798991691000: Amazon.com: Books

Available on Amazon Now booking speaking engagements and training events for fall 2025 and into early 2026