A leader who understands that ending well makes what comes next more likely to succeed and holds the key to successful change and healthier organizations. This book shows you why this matters, and what to do about it.

• Cover
• Praise for Good Bye
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• A very good place to start
• Before we begin
• Chapter 1 Beginning with Endings
• Chapter 2 The Four Steps – An introduction to REAR
• Chapter 3 You go first
• Chapter 4 Your first Steps
• A half-time listening interlude
• Chapter 5 Leading others
• Chapter 6 Step by step through the Steps
• Chapter 7 Brighter Beginnings
• Chapter 8 Good Bye, Dear Reader
• Chapter 9 Standing on the shoulders of Giants
• Resources
• Exercises
• Endings stories
• Acknowledgements
• Index
• About the authors

Nobody likes to talk about endings. Here's why we need to.

Leaders spend a lot of time planning new initiatives. But what about the endings that go along with them? Most leaders are not taught how to manage themselves, let alone their teams and organization, through the messy, multifaceted discomfort of an ending. Making a team member redundant, merging two teams, cutting funding to a failed project: in all these situations we tend to focus on the new beginning, and rush past the ending that needs our care and attention. Dealing with endings well takes maturity and emotional intelligence. Leaders need to understand and process their own feelings before they can lead others through transition.

Why does this matter? Because poorly managed endings leave a scar on everyone involved. Discretionary energy and motivation are not so forthcoming. Change programmes don't get traction, resistance and cynicism take root. Change fails.

Leading Executive Coaches Alison Lucas and Lizzie Bentley Bowers provide this missing piece of the change leadership puzzle: a way of leading yourself and others through change in a respectful, emotionally agile way. Because better endings mean better beginnings.

‘Good Bye highlights a crucial yet often overlooked moment in leadership and organizational life, offering valuable tools and actionable guidance. It will undoubtedly benefit leaders seeking to handle moments of parting with clarity and care.' - Kirsty Devine, Head of US HR, Financial Times

‘I am adding this title to my recommended reading list!’ - Professor David Clutterbuck

Leading Executive Coaches Alison Lucas, of Randolph Partnership Ltd, and Lizzie Bentley Bowers, of The Causeway Coaching Ltd, are professionally accredited coaches and facilitators, working at board and senior level across all sectors to equip leaders to thrive in a complex and uncertain world.

Reading this book is almost like being guided through a private coaching session with two master coaches. The exercises and anecdotes bring their theoretical framework to life in ways that are practical and immediately applicable. I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone going through a transition or leading and organisation through one. - Shoshana Boyd Gelfand, Director of Leadership and Learning, Pears Foundation

So much is written about managing change and transitions in leadership literature, but so little is written about Endings - a critical stage of change. So here is an important, thought provoking book that deserves your attention. The authors highlight most leaders’ capacity for new beginnings; new projects and exciting fresh starts (yup, guilty!), at the expense of attention given to ‘endings’, despite the emotion that can be wrapped up with this area. With their model of REAR (Reality, Emotion, Accomplishment, Rituals), they offer the leader a pragmatic guide through the field of Endings, and I sense this is going to be one of those (rare) leadership books I will return to, use, pass on and gift to others. Good Bye! - Dr Lucy Ryan, Executive Coach and Author, Revolting Women

In one of our studies, in over 80% of cases when coaches and coachees looked back at an assignment, how they felt about it was directly related to how the ending was managed. Humans are in general very gauche about how we extricate ourselves from a meeting, whether it be a formal event or simply departing after a dinner party. The skill of good endings isn’t taught in schools – but it should be! I am adding this title to my recommended reading list! -Professor David Clutterbuck

This is a refreshing book which challenges us to think differently about ‘endings’ and then equips us with tools to become better both professionally and personally. Both Alison and Lizzie guide us through some core principles and actionable insights which are thought provoking and inspiring. If you are looking for a practical tool to elevate your performance, this book is a must read. - Alice Mallen, UK and EMEA HR Director

Good Bye highlights a crucial yet often overlooked moment in leadership and organizational life. The thoughtfully crafted framework provides a practical and approachable model for navigating these pivotal transitions. The book offers valuable tools and actionable guidance that will enrich my leadership approach and will undoubtedly benefit leaders seeking to handle moments of parting with clarity and care. - Kirsty Devine, Head of US HR, Financial Times.

Good Bye is essential reading for every leader! In a VUCA world it is an essential guide on how to navigate change well, and urges leaders to recognize the many overlooked endings within their organisations – small transitions that, if ignored, can impede lasting progress. The over-riding theme of the book is the power of pause and intentionality and a human-centred approach to change. More than theory, Good Bye is grounded in deep insight, real-world examples and actionable tools that resonate far beyond the final page. An invaluable resource for leaders at every level. - Martina Doherty, Business Psychologist and Leadership Coach