When your boss leaves for a new job, it can trigger a wave of introspection. You might find yourself thinking about your goals, your sense of loyalty, and whether your own career is headed in the right direction. Perhaps most importantly, the departure raises a question: Should you follow?
Your Boss Is Leaving for Another Job. Should You Follow?
Five questions to ask yourself before you start making moves.
January 10, 2024
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Summary.
When your boss leaves for a new company, it can be tempting to try to follow them, especially if you’ve had a strong working relationship and built up trust. But is it a good idea? In this article, the author offers advice from Nancy Rothbard, a professor of management and the deputy dean at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and Arika Pierce Williams, a leadership development consultant and the president and founder of Piercing Strategies. They outline five questions to ask yourself before making the leap: 1) Do I know why my boss is choosing to leave? 2) How critical has my boss been to my success? 3) How worried am I about the organization’s future? 4) Do I have the option to leave — and do I really want that? 5) Has my boss explicitly offered me a job?