Goodbye, Dream Job. The Exciting Reasons to Move On

Perry Maddox shares why he will move on from a dream job, exploring personal values and professional reasons that guide leaders to move on.

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I turned 40 last year.

That night my wife and I sat up late into the night, surrounded by post-it notes, markers and a couple glasses of wine.

Like so many, the pandemic turned our lives upside down. Trapped, far from our families, in a small flat with two young boys, we knew a second wave was coming well before the politicians would admit it.

So we made a plan. Packing light, we travelled home, intending to return after riding out the second wave with family.

We didn’t know that we’d set in motion a series of events that would lead me to move on.

Who Leaves a Dream Job?

After 12 and a half years, I will step down as Restless Development’s CEO at the end of August.

Make no mistake, I love Restless.  This was no easy decision.

Like thousands of young leaders, Restless gave me a chance to lead, on potential. Learning, growing and leading with Restless transformed me, shaping my career and filling my life with dear friends. I am proud to have played my small role in helping to unleash the power of young leaders to change our world.

But all leaders move on. It’s a critical step to get right, and part of that means reflecting on why we move on.

Here’s why I’m leaving a dream job.

Move On to Walk the Walk.

An agency powered by youth should be led youthfully. 

I am sick of our sector talking about diversity and doing so little.

89% of people of color in the UK development sector believe that their organizations aren’t committed to diversity and inclusion, after all.

We’ve worked hard in this area as Restless. Part of a much bigger team effort, my focus was to transform our global leadership, with young leaders at its heart and majority composed of women, people of color, and people living in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

Add that to a dynamic leadership talent programme created to diversify our talent pipeline, an agency-wide DEI strategy and anti-racism push, and restructuring to distribute leadership globally, and I’m proud that 94% of our diverse, global staff are satisfied with our work thus far.

We have plenty more to do, to unlearn and to change, but we’ve taken many steps that more of our peers need to take. Like knowing when to make space.

I do not believe that a 40 year-old, straight, western, white man should lead a global agency powered by diverse youth.

In stepping back, I will create space for new leaders.

New Leaders for a New Era.

I am shamelessly proud to leave Restless in top form.  

We’ve never had deeper nor more diverse leadership talent. We’ve never had a stronger 6 month run of operational performance or fundraising in over 3 decades.  And despite the battering we’ve taken over the past 18 months, the pandemic dramatically reinforced the importance of youth power globally and our strategic position carrying the flag of youth-led change.

All together, it’s strong foundation for an exciting new era that I don’t want to lead.

Thanks to a pandemic and the stupid, savage UK aid cuts, my beard is greying. I am proud to have led Restless through these stormy waters and to have strategically transitioned us into a new era.

But as I look to that next era, I want another person to lead it.

I am ready for a new challenge, to grow as a leader, and to spread my wings. I know too that Restless will benefit from a new leader who will step into this role for the same reasons, with new energy.

Lifecycles happen. A new era is a good time to look to new leaders.

First Things First.

Those post-it notes made one thing clear to us.

Family matters most.

While Restless have been “family” in every sense, this move will allow our family to put down roots after the pandemic upended everything for our kids.  From schools to healthcare, location to stability, this is what our family needs.

When leaders model decisions that put personal health, self care and our lives first, people notice. A colleague recently wrote:

“At time in my career when I’m starting to think about where a family might fit in one day it’s great to see you prioritise this”

Never underestimate who is watching and the messages we send, leaders.

Move On to Another Dream Job.

While I’m gutted to leave Restless Development, I’m thrilled to take on my next role.

From September, I’ll join the team of All Hands and Hearts to serve as their next CEO.

They are all about volunteer-powered disaster relief. Working both in the USA, which is increasingly important to me, and overseas, they are a hungry, humble and values-rich organization making change happen through volunteering. Sound familiar?

I am thrilled to join the talented team and community of All Hands and Hearts.  With my entire career dedicated to the power of volunteer and community-led change, I look forward to joining All Hands and Hearts at this important moment. 

Against the increasing global frequency of natural disasters, the power of people and communities to lead disaster relief and the transition into sustainable recovery has never mattered more. 

All Hands and Hearts’ response model is a breath of fresh air and just what our world needs when it comes to rising, together, from disaster. I can’t wait to join the team.

That’s why I’m leaving a dream job.

Try fitting that onto a post-it.