Should You Follow Your Boss Out the Door??? An Immigrant’s Perspective:

Imagine your mentor, your guiding star in the company, decides to leave. As an immigrant at Bloomberg, this scenario became a reality for a friend, triggering a cascade of questions and decisions.

When your boss leaves for a new job, it can lead to a range of emotions and a decision-making process. Whether to follow your boss to the new company or stay in your current role is a significant decision that requires careful consideration.

It’s a crossroads moment many of us face in our careers, especially as immigrants: when a respected leader moves on, do we follow their path or forge our own?

Several factors can influence this decision, including the reason for your boss's departure, their impact on your success, your concerns about the future of the company, and whether your boss has explicitly offered you a job at the new company.

The departure of a boss can feel destabilizing, particularly for immigrants who often rely on established networks and mentors for career advancement. The decision to stay or follow involves weighing various factors, both personal and professional.

Positive Side

• Opportunity for Growth: Following your boss could present new opportunities for career growth and development.
• Strong Working Relationship: If you have a strong working relationship with your boss, it may be a positive factor in considering the move.

Negative Side

• Uncertainty: Moving to a new company, especially a startup, can bring about uncertainty and instability.
• Stability: Staying in your current role offers stability, but it may also mean missing out on potential opportunities.

Before making a decision, it's important to ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I know why my boss is choosing to leave?
• How critical has my boss been to my success?
• How worried am I about the organisation’s future?
• Do I have the option to leave — and do I really want that?
• Has my boss explicitly offered me a job at the new company?

Ultimately, the decision to follow your boss or stay should be based on a careful evaluation of your career goals, the potential for growth, and the overall impact on your professional development

How to Fix the Problem:

1. Understanding the Boss’s Departure: Assess why your boss is leaving. Is it for growth, or were there underlying issues at the company? Their reasons can provide insights into your own career path.
2. Evaluating the Boss's Role in Your Success: Reflect on how critical your boss has been to your success. Are there opportunities to grow under a new leader, or has your progress been closely tied to your boss's mentorship?
3. Future Prospects at Your Current Company: Consider your future in the company without your boss. Are there other mentors or growth opportunities available, or does their departure limit your career trajectory?
4. Risk vs. Reward: Moving to a startup, as my friend experienced, can be risky but potentially rewarding. Evaluate the stability of your current job against the opportunities the new role offers.
5. Personal Readiness for Change: Are you ready for a change, or do you prefer the stability of your current role? This is a personal decision that hinges on your career goals and risk tolerance.

Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.” – Robin Sharma. This journey is about finding where your 'gorgeous' lies.

Conclusion:

Deciding whether to follow a departing boss is a deeply personal decision. It’s about aligning your career aspirations with the right opportunities, whether they lie within your current company or elsewhere.

Call to Benefit:

Have you ever faced the decision to follow a departing boss? Share your experiences and insights. Let’s discuss how these pivotal moments can shape our professional journeys.

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