Bruce’s Story & Voluntary Transitions

Bruce had served as the most successful CEO in the history of Alaska Airlines. In less than ten years on the job, he matured the company from an obscure, regional carrier to the nationwide brand it is today, growing its revenue tenfold. And then, all of a sudden, he stepped away: I started getting restless in about my tenth year . . . and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. . . . Somehow it wasn’t holding the fascination for me that it had. I was on the board of Mission Aviation Fellowship . . . and after the board meeting, we decided to drive over to Palm Springs and just go into a motel [to] read the Bible and pray, for guidance specifically on this issue. . . . I had just a very clear . . . understanding at that time that my time of stewardship with Alaska was coming to an end, and that I was to pass it on, step down. I was weeping, I was just openly sobbing.

Bruce was one of the first people I interviewed, and the story of his deeply emotional response to an oncoming transition struck me. As I interviewed others, I realized that his story was not unique. Time and time again, I saw people who, at the top of their careers, suddenly walked away. For some, it was a way to resolve tensions over work-life balance. For many others, it was a matter of needing a chance to self-renew after many years of long, hard work. A sudden break afforded a chance to undertake something entirely different. And for a few, it was a response to a sense of calling they had been feeling for a while and finally decided to act.

Bruce’s story sheds light on how we might approach these voluntary transitions. First, a transition is not always an escape from a bad time or tragic event. Many times transitions come even as the days are good, long, and sunny. But for everything there is a season, and oftentimes a sense of restlessness is the first sign that it is time to move along. The second lesson from Bruce’s story is that he didn’t keep his thoughts and deliberations to himself. Rather, he did the two things I found most common among successful people as they were facing a hard life decision. First, he sought counsel. The advice of a trusted confidant is invaluable at the onset of a transition. For Bruce it was his wife, a very natural choice. But it could also be a mentor, a pastor, a coach—anyone who can serve as a sounding board. Having long-term mentors and trusted friends is essential during these seasons.

Finally, and most soberingly, Bruce reminds us that leaving is tough. It often really hurts. But leaving a settled time opens the doorway to new possibilities, to even more enriching experiences. Bruce stepped away from being one of the best CEOs in the global airline industry and moved to China to teach English to refugees. That may not be the same move you make, but the impulse is the same: responding to a restless heart and pursuing a new season of fulfillment. The sense of restlessness that prompted Bruce to step away from being the best of the best prompted him also to pursue something that gave him an even deeper sense of purpose.