As an Executive Coach for senior-level federal employees, I’ve seen firsthand how the current change of administration has impacted my clients. Navigating leadership transitions in tough times isn’t for the faint of heart. Many feel they’re in jeopardy of losing their jobs and all are feeling the tensions of uncertainty. Maybe you can relate?

You’ve dedicated years to serving the highest level of government and now you may feel anxious about your position, your influence and your next steps.

Some of your peers and even your superiors are panicking right now, and you may see more than a few ‘deer in the headlight’ stares around the office. You’ve probably already gone through most of the 5 stages of grief.

1. Denial – Refusing to accept reality or believing the situation isn’t happening.
2. Anger – Feeling frustration, resentment, or blame toward oneself or others.
3. Bargaining – Attempting to negotiate or make deals to reverse or lessen the loss.
4. Depression – Experiencing sadness, hopelessness, or withdrawal.
5. Acceptance – Coming to terms with the reality of the loss and finding ways to move forward.

Some models expand on these with additional stages like shock, guilt, and reconstruction to better capture the complexity of grief.

Skip to acceptance and prepare to get busy continuing to control your career as you always have. You have an overarching choice to make. Embrace what has happened, develop a strategy to regain control and start moving forward again!

Leadership transitions bring risk, but also immense opportunity

3 keys to emerging stronger:

1. Strategic positioning,
2. Proactive engagement, and
3. Leadership agility.

Let’s look at some strategies that will secure you as an executive in your organization and ensure that your career continues to advance in the direction that you choose.

Strategies to help advance your career

1. Remember who you are

Hear this if you don’t hear anything else. You are all that, a bag of chips with dip on the side and you didn’t get your current position as a gift. You earned it and beat out a lot of the competition to sit in that chair. No one did you a favor by placing you there. You went through interview after interview to prove you have the stuff. Wrap your head around that simple fact.

You might have to listen to all your nay-sayers, but hearing them is your choice. Choose to believe that you’re good at what you do. And if you change positions or employment, your new leadership will benefit from having you around!

Embrace the value that you bring to the table. Everybody cannot do what you’ve already done. Pull out your most current resume and review all you have to brag about.

Look into the nearest mirror and repeat aloud:

“I am one bad somebody!”

2. Analyze the current situation

Analyze the new power structure to see what and who you’re working with. Figure out:

• Who are the key decision-makers and what are they trying to accomplish?
• How are policies and goals shifting?
• What are the new strategic priorities of the incoming administration?

You know what you bring to the table. What’s the most strategic way to position yourself as a mission-critical leader?

Build your network

Once you’ve completed your analysis, build your plan to leverage your network strategically. Strengthen every connection you have; both inside and outside government. If your network is thin, now is the time to build it out.

Make sure you include:

• Career civil servants,
• Political appointees,
• Industry partners, and
• Professional associates.

3. Assess your brand and visibility

Your brand is your unique professional identity and reputation. It defines how you are perceived by superiors, peers, stakeholders, and decision-makers. It encompasses your leadership style, expertise, values, and the impact you create within the organization. The greater your brand, the greater your visibility.

Your brand includes:

• Leadership Identity – Your core strengths, leadership philosophy, and strategic vision.
• Reputation & Credibility – The level of trust, influence, and authority you command.
• Value Proposition – The specific expertise and results you generate.
• Thought Leadership – Your role in shaping discussions, innovation, or policy.
• Executive Presence and Bearing – How you communicate, make decisions, and inspire others.

A consistent brand ensures that you remain visible, relevant, and in demand, regardless of the changes going on around you.

4. Take a stoic perspective

The ancient Greeks created and practiced a philosophy called Stoicism. This philosophy was further refined by Roman thinkers like Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. Stoicism is centered around self-mastery, resilience, and rationality. We cannot control the situation, but we can control our behavior in the situation.

Core principles of stoicism that bear on this situation

Focus on what you can control

You cannot control external events, only your thoughts, actions, and reactions. Worrying about what’s outside your influence leads to unnecessary suffering. Control what you can and leave the rest alone.

Accept the fact that things happen

Stuff happens. Most of it is not your fault. Embrace it rather than resist it. Even challenges and hardships are opportunities for growth. So, grow. Every setback can be reframed as a lesson and an opportunity for the future.

“What stands in the way becomes the way.” – Marcus Aurelius

Master your emotions

Don’t let anger, fear, or disappointment dictate your actions. Stop reacting and start responding.

Live in the present moment

Don’t spend time and energy in the past (that you can’t control) or anxiously anticipate the future (that you can’t control). Stay grounded in the present.

5. Take action

Here’s a short list of actions to get you started moving forward:

• Prepare for multiple possibilities: Whether you stay, transition internally, or shift to the private sector, ensure you have a clear, strategic roadmap for each possibility.
• Strengthen your portfolio: Update your résumé, refine your LinkedIn presence, and identify opportunities for boarder service.
• Engage executive search firms and professionals. If a transition becomes necessary, you need to be ahead of the curve, not scrambling for next steps with the crowd.
• Weigh opportunities and decisions that you may be called to make.

Remember…Whether you remain inside your current organization or move on to something better, you are not powerless. You have allies and most importantly value!

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Would you like a private executive strategy session to assess your position, craft your next steps, and ensure you remain in control of your career trajectory? Let’s Talk.