Don't Let the Company Decide Your Future

Yesterday I found myself thinking about a colleague. She had been with the company for twenty-three years. For as long as I could remember, she worked quietly in her office each day. She wasn’t outspoken and didn't seek attention. She simply showed up, did her work faithfully, and went home.

Then one day, I realized I hadn’t seen her for a while. I asked around. She had been let go several months earlier. I sat with that news longer than I expected. It left a quiet hollowness in my heart. It reminded me of something we often forget.

No matter how many years we have given to an organization, a company can change direction. A new strategy emerges. A restructuring takes place. Roles evolve. Priorities shift. Sometimes the decision has little to do with a person’s performance. It is simply the nature of organizations.

The mistake is believing that because today feels stable, tomorrow will look the same. Our future is inadvertently placed at the mercy of someone else's organizational chart which can be "reorganized" any time.

That is why we should never become passive custodians of our own careers. Keep learning. Keep nurturing relationships. Keep refining your craft. Keep your résumé current. Stay curious about what is possible.

Additionally, our identity should never become inseparable from the company that employs us. Titles change. Companies merge. Executives retire. Departments disappear. But the qualities we cultivate — integrity, wisdom, kindness, excellence, and adaptability — remain with us wherever we go.