There’s a moment in most senior careers where the question isn’t “what’s next?”, it’s “do I actually want to keep doing this?”

I’ve been hearing a version of that a lot in recent conversations with leaders across transport and infrastructure.

People are thinking about stepping back earlier than planned. Not because they’ve lost interest, but because the roles they’re in don’t feel as sustainable as they once did.

This stage of a career, what someone recently called the “golden stretch”, should be where everything comes together. Experience, judgement, a clear sense of where you add value. In reality, it’s often not playing out that way.

Pressure on major programmes and operations rarely lets up. Expectations stay high, hours stretch, and there’s little space to step back. For many, that might be combined with increasing responsibilities at home too looking after elderly parents or other family members.

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It’s not hard to see why some decide to call time early, while others stay put even when the role no longer fits.

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During covid we saw a significant trend of senior directors who we might have expected to continue in high-profile roles for another 5-7 years deciding to move into semi-retirement early. They were usually leaving a pressured senior exec role for a portfolio of Non-Exec Director posts or some freelance advisory work. 

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Common reasons given for doing this are that financially they could and being frustrated by corporate changes or delays to major programmes progressing. Financially this cohort have experienced significant property price increases over their working life compared with earlier generations and amassed good pensions (as they often have some years in final salary schemes before they closed to new entrants), resulting in some having the choice not to work full time anymore.

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When full-time exec work is proving frustrating due to corporate restructures or programmes they have invested significant time in being continually delayed, some will choose to opt out. Particularly if they have the luxury of financial security and an alternative option professionally that they would rather do and is more meaningful to them.

What’s been more interesting is how some are approaching it differently. Rather than stepping away, they’re reshaping this stage of their careers.

That might mean moving into a role with a clearer brief, joining organisations that are better resourced, or building a broader mix of work alongside a core position. Often, it’s simply about focusing on where they’re at their best.

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They’re not big shifts on paper, but they change the day-to-day experience significantly.

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It does lead to a shrinking talent pool at senior level.

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There’s a message here for businesses as well. If we want to retain experienced leaders, roles need to be designed with more longevity in mind.

Experience still counts. The question is how we make this stage of a career one people choose to stay in.