How to Be a Good Leader When You've Never had One

10How to Bow Out Gracefully

What do you do when the clock turns back? All good leaders were once followers, and many become followers once again. How do you manage that transition well and not fall prey to pride or become consumed by resentment? How you manage that will determine where you go from here on out.

Let's look at the story of Mark, who found himself moving out of his old leadership role.

Mark Passes the Reins

Mark, one of my good friends, had owned a business for more than twenty years. Having put that much time into the business, it was his baby, his pride and joy. But it was also a time of technological change, and with social media on the rise as a vital marketing tool, Mark just didn't have what it took to manage a company that had come up in a very different era.

But Mark struggled with the pride that most leaders have. He figured he could just adapt, but in truth, Mark was never going to change. He could say whatever he wanted, but his team knew he wouldn't change. This business was a marketing agency, and Mark wanted to stay old school in this fast‐changing technological environment. He still thought in terms of TV and magazines and newspapers. He still wanted to fax people things. He had to understand that he wasn't going to get clients that way. He wasn't going to grow his business or get new employees like that. And if he couldn't understand that things were different, it was time for someone who could.

So when I spoke with Mark, I asked him, “Mark, do ...