Recently the AltusQ team presented to a group of business leaders brought together by a major Australian bank.  The brief was to provide a fresh perspective – a different lens if you like – on their various businesses.

We took them on a journey, revisiting past stages in their businesses and looking ahead to future stages they had yet to achieve.  A number of businesses in the room had achieved their original vision and were looking to re-set a new vision and align/re-energise for the next stage.

A week later I received a call from one CEO who had been in the audience.  He enthusiastically told me how much he had enjoyed the event, that it come at exactly the right point in his journey, and that gave him a fresh perspective that allowed him to see clearly the choices ahead of him.  He was extremely grateful and appreciative but, just as I was feeling pretty good about the impact we’d been able to have, he explained that as a direct result of the presentation he had decided to quit the business.  He had realised that his personal vision had shifted over time away from that of the business, and that it was in the best interest of everyone involved if he acknowledged this and transitioned out of in a planned and managed way.

Of course hearing this was a bit of a shock however, on reflection, I was delighted that this new awareness could save both the business and himself personally from experiencing the pain and costly consequences that significant mis-alignment inevitably delivers in the long run.  I congratulated him on the courage he was displaying both in acknowledging his reality and in taking decisive steps to ensure the best possible long-term outcome for all concerned.

Not quite what we had in mind when we were delivering our session but still a win we can feel good about.