In every restructure, there’s the visible story – and the quieter subplot.
The one told in announcements and all-hands calls.
And the one told in glances across the room.
In whispered “Did you hear?” corridor conversations.
In the awkward silences when someone’s name gets mentioned – and everyone remembers they’re not here anymore.
Good companies never want to make people redundant.
But sometimes they must, to survive.
Even when decisions are fair, strategic, necessary – they’re still deeply human.
And they ripple.
I remember one restructure that felt like a disaster movie.
Redundancies handled with brutal, tick-box efficiency.
It was excruciating to watch – and even harder to get promoted right after.
For every person leaving, someone stays – carrying a mix of relief, guilt, and grief.
For every leader delivering the news, there’s the burden of being the face of a brutal ending.
Let’s call it what it is – emotional labour.
The effort it takes to suppress how hard something feels… because it’s “part of the job.”
But leaders aren’t immune to loss.
They just carry it privately.
And the people left standing?
They’re people first.
Colleagues were also friends.
And benefitting from the gaps they leave doesn’t sit easily.
Where Most Organisations Miss the Mark
When the focus is on risk and restructure,
the relational repair gets lost.
No one protects the relationship with those left standing.
No one designs for the emotional aftermath.
But it’s inevitable – and they should.
The Organisational Design Truth
When companies handle endings well, they protect what matters most – trust, reputation, culture – their people.
People remember how they were treated on the way out.
And those who stay?
They’re watching.
They’re judging.
They’re evaluating whether they should get out too.
If they see colleagues leave with dignity, care, and real support, they exhale.
They think: “If it were me – I’d be okay.”
That’s psychological safety in action.
That’s what “people-first” actually looks like.
And that’s what leading with purpose really means.
The A.C.T. Formula
Because even in endings, there’s a way to design for dignity.
In Unstuck, I write about turning endings into a chance to redesign – not dwell on the damage.
→ Acknowledge what’s real — the impact, the emotions, the cost.
→ Curate how it’s handled — the tone, the timing, the transparency.
→ Transition deliberately — don’t rush people to “move on.” Help them move through.
When offboarding is designed as thoughtfully as onboarding, you preserve dignity –
and that protects culture, brand, and performance.
Because all of it is about your people.
What Purposeful Leadership Creates: Hope
Not blind optimism.
Hope is more complex – and more powerful.
It’s the belief that a different future exists and that you have agency to move toward it.
Even (or especially) when that feels overwhelming.
That’s what purposeful leadership does.
It bridges tough news with compassion and direction – and uses hope as a design principle.
If You’re Delivering Difficult News
Leading with purpose means naming what’s hard.
It starts with acknowledging that loss and discomfort sit on both sides of the conversation.
It’s recognising that the people who stay will need time to recalibrate.
Because surviving change brings its own kind of exhaustion.
And for leaders promoted after a restructure, there’s often a private reckoning:
“Why me?”
Survivor’s guilt is common.
You didn’t cause the change – but your career benefits from it.
And now you’re tasked with restoring trust,
while a destabilised team watches closely, evaluating everything.
Your Leadership Reframe
→ Hope isn’t fluffy. Done right, it’s functional.
→ Empathy isn’t weakness. It’s emotional intelligence – and deeply human.
→ Dignified exits aren’t a nice-to-have. They’re a strategic must-have.
This is the work I do with organisations who want to be remembered for how they lead when it’s hardest.
Rethinking Offboarding helps companies design exits that protect leadership, culture, and brand – and give everyone hope for what’s next.
👉 If you’d like to explore that for your organisation, let’s talk.
And if you’re facing a career crossroads yourself,
I’d love to help you redesign what comes next – with clarity, confidence, and hope.
