Some people help you lay the foundation. Others help you raise the roof.

And then there comes a moment when growth asks something else of you: Let go.

 

Because your next level is bigger, it will ask more of you — and something different.

 

It’s a truth many leaders resist until they find themselves in a season where what once worked no longer fits. The very things that built their success start to feel like barriers to what’s next.

 

As the year comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on what (and who) made this season of growth possible — and what I’ve had to release along the way.

 

I’m deeply grateful for every person who helped launch Ascentim… and those who stood beside me as it evolved. Their belief, support, and energy helped shape the leader I am today.

 

But I’ve also let go of roles, relationships, and even parts of my former identity — not because they weren’t valuable, but because they no longer aligned with who I’m becoming.

Here’s what I’ve learned: growth doesn’t always mean adding more. Sometimes it means becoming more by releasing what’s outgrown.

 

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

 

The quote is famous for a reason: “What got you here won’t get you there.” (Thank you, Marshall Goldsmith.)

 

But in leadership, that truth hits harder when “what got you here” includes things you deeply value:

 

✨ The job title you once worked so hard to earn

✨ A mentor whose voice once anchored you

✨ A strategy that once delivered results

✨ The personal identity you’ve long outgrown

 

Letting go isn’t about disrespecting your past. It’s about making space for what’s next.

And it’s rarely easy. Because sometimes what you’re releasing helped you become who you are.

 

The Emotional Weight of Growth

 

One of the most overlooked parts of leadership is this: the grief of evolution and loss.

There’s sadness in letting go of what once felt right. There’s resistance in shifting away from what once worked. And yet, honoring that grief is what allows you to grow with integrity, not just ambition.

 

I recently worked with a client — a brilliant VP in tech — who came to me burned out, even though on paper, everything looked like success.

 

When we got honest, what she was really facing wasn’t burnout from work… it was the grief of outgrowing a role, a team, and an identity she had invested years into building.

Letting go wasn’t a breakdown. It was a breakthrough.

 

Real growth demanded release.

 

Take Time to Reflect

 

If you’re in a season of evolution — professionally or personally — here are three questions to consider:

 

✨ What do I need to release to rise?

✨ Who do I need beside me now?

✨ What version of myself am I stepping into?

 

These aren’t checklist questions. They’re compass‑setting ones. They won’t give you easy answers. But they will give you honest ones.

 

Leading from Gratitude, Not Guilt

 

Gratitude and growth are not opposites. Letting go doesn’t erase what was meaningful. It expands what’s possible.

 

I’ve let go of how I saw myself…

Support that no longer fit…

Even pieces of what Ascentim was — to become who I’m called to be next.

 

Some things stay constant: love, purpose, and integrity.

That’s the throughline. That’s the legacy.

 

And that’s the power of letting go with clarity, not just urgency.

 

The Research Behind Letting Go

 

Recent insights from Harvard Business Review show how leaders discovered the power of humble reflection, vulnerable leadership, and lifelong learning — practices that sharpen judgment and sustain impact.

 

The act of consciously releasing outdated identities is correlated with stronger emotional intelligence and long‑term performance.

 

It’s not about quitting. It’s about choosing with clarity.

 

You don’t owe your old self your future. But you do owe your future self your honesty. Which brings us back to you and the choices you’ll carry into the year ahead.

 

What Will You Carry Forward?

 

As we wrap the year, I invite you to pause:

• What are you still carrying because it’s comfortable?
• What might shift if you made space for what you really need?
• Who are you becoming — and what needs to be left behind to meet them?

 

You don’t have to make it public. You just have to make it true.

 

If you’re ready to name what’s no longer yours to hold, consider this your permission slip.

You’re not losing ground by letting go. You’re creating space to lead what’s next.