Knowing When It’s Time to Move On
"Sometimes endings are not failures— they’re invitations to growth" – Susan Scott, Fierce Conversations
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In academic pharmacy, loyalty runs deep. We stay because of the colleagues, students, or the mission that once inspired us. But over time, even the most committed faculty or leader can reach a point where staying no longer means growing.
Sometimes the change happens quietly. You stop feeling energized by meetings that once excited you. You start rationalizing unhealthy workloads. You tell yourself things will improve “after accreditation” or “when the new dean arrives.”
Key Idea: Recognizing when it’s time to move on isn’t disloyal— it’s professional self-awareness. Healthy leaders know when to stay and rebuild— and when to step toward new growth. Career alignment isn’t static. When the gap between your values, energy, and environment widens, it’s time to assess whether the next stage of your contribution might require a different setting.
Here are four tips to help you monitor the signals that it might be time for a transition in order to achieve your next-level results.
1. Energy Audit: How Do You Feel Most Days?
Key Idea: Energy is data. Your engagement level reveals alignment—or the lack of it. When every day feels like depletion instead of contribution, it’s a sign something deeper needs attention. The work may still matter, but the environment might no longer be supporting you.
Try This:
Track your weekly energy levels—what activities energize vs. drain you?
Ask: “Am I doing work that aligns with strengths and values?”
Reflect: “If I had a blank slate, would I choose this role again?”
Example:
A department chair realizes that strategic planning sessions energize her, but constant crisis management drains her. Over time, 90% of her job is crisis response. She begins exploring roles focused on leadership development—an early indicator that her next chapter may lie elsewhere.
2. Mission Fit: Are You Still Aligned?
Key Idea: When the institution’s goals and your professional “why” drift apart, passion turns into persistence—and eventually, exhaustion. It’s normal for organizations to evolve. The question is whether you still see your future inside that evolution.
Try This:
Revisit your original motivation for joining—does it still hold true?
Assess: “Can I see a path here to grow in the next 3-5 years?”
Ask trusted colleagues: “How do you perceive my impact here—am I still making a difference?”
Example:
A faculty member joined a college known for innovation in experiential education. Over time, administrative priorities shifted toward cost containment. Feeling her creativity stifled, she sought a new environment that valued educational innovation— rediscovering her professional spark.
3. Is the Workload Sustainable—or Simply Survival Mode?
Key Idea: Chronic overextension isn’t a badge of honor—it’s a system failure. When faculty or leaders are stretched too thin due to chronic understaffing or unrealistic expectations, effectiveness declines and resentment grows. The problem isn’t the person—it’s the structure.
Try This:
Track your workload realistically: teaching, service, advising, committees, and email volume.
Discuss with leadership what resources or adjustments are possible.
If the environment cannot change sustainably, consider whether staying serves your health or purpose.
Example:
A clinical faculty member manages twice the normal patient load with no release time. Despite repeated discussions, the system remains unchanged. Recognizing the toll on his family and health, he transitions to a balanced practice-academic partnership role at another institution-regaining both time and perspective.
4. Growth Compass: Are You Still Learning, or Just Coping?
Key Idea: When you stop learning, you start leaving—mentally first, then physically. Growth is a fundamental need for high-performing professionals. If your environment no longer offers challenge, mentorship, or opportunity for development, stagnation will quietly replace fulfillment.
Try This:
Identify one area of growth you want to pursue in the next year.
Ask: “Can this institution help me develop that?”
If not, explore roles, fellowships, or institutions where growth is built into the culture.
Example: An assistant dean realizes her leadership has plateaued. She loves her team but sees limited upward mobility. She applies for a national leadership fellowship program and later transitions into a provost-level role within her university—proof that leaving can be both loyal and liberating.
Final Thoughts:
Leaving well is also leading well. Recognizing misalignment early prevents burnout and bitterness later. When your purpose, energy, and growth are no longer supported, the most courageous act isn’t staying—it’s stepping forward. Because in academic pharmacy, careers are marathons of meaning, not miles of misery. Sometimes the best way to honor your institution—and yourself—is to move toward where your next contribution can thrive.
Next Steps to Navigate Your Next Chapter:
Considering a potential transition or unsure whether it’s time to make a move? EduLead offers confidential coaching and reflective tools to help faculty and leaders clarify purpose, assess fit, and plan strategic next steps—whether within your institution or beyond.
👉 Let’s Talk About Coaching
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