Article August 18, 2014 Issue

Our most important job

Patrick M. Collins

A recent news report showed a picture of a well-known CEO leaving a major company, stating that he “resigned to pursue other opportunities.” Sometimes these articles say, “She left to spend more time with her family” or “He left for personal reasons.” But for those of us who have been there, we know that the CEO was probably terminated!

I know so well the feeling of “pursuing other opportunities,” the standard phraseology for “we dumped him.” While I was not a top-level CEO, as a result of internal office politics I found out one day that I was being separated from my company.

The position I held was a responsible one, managing a large operation, with multiple million-dollar projects, pressure, deadlines, long hours. To an observer, it appeared that I held a very good position, but in all honesty, I was not enjoying it.

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