My Next Chapter: Intermission
When I realized I was probably going to wrap up my role at Memorial Sloan Kettering during the next several months, I started thinking about what was next, career-wise.
In mid-2024, when I realized I was probably going to wrap up my role at Memorial Sloan Kettering during the next several months, I started thinking about what was next, career-wise.
My knee-jerk reaction was to jump into another C-suite apex job in some big complicated enterprise. Because that’s what I do. Because that’s what I should do. Because the world expects people to get jobs, big jobs, if they can. Because... income, title, power.
That felt safe. Normal. Obvious.
It also felt like that answer was too easy to be right.
There are other obvious (?) options: CEO. Consulting. Launching a startup. Heading back into biotech. All compelling in various ways.
And there have to be a ton of non-obvious options.
I realized that in my state of mind at the time - deeply immersed in complicated work challenges, deeply frustrated with the MSK’s direction, navigating a complex health situation - I didn’t trust myself to answer “what next?” with thought and clarity.
A wrong answer could easily mean more years lost (from an ever-shrinking reservoir). More health damage. Potentially negative impact to thousands. A missed chance for real, lasting impact. Joy lost.
And so I decided that, after wrapping up my time at MSK, it was going to be time to hit pause.
Taking a Break
My last day at MSK was March 31st, 2025. Time to pause.
My last several months at MSK only further confirmed for me that this is the right plan.
There is so much to process from my last three years of work and in the current state of the world. There are so many things going on to better understand. There are so many people who need help and support.
A few of the many questions that are consuming me:
- What on earth do we do about the broader leadership problem?
- How can I maximize my health, to make the most of my time?
- What can I best do to help others, make an impact that matters, and enjoy life?
With [those and other questions in mind], I am taking the time to truly recover, to reflect, to really listen and learn.
I currently think it’s most likely that I will return seriously to the workforce at some point. I toyed with telling myself “by end of year” or other timelines. But... nope. That created this weird internal pressure that got in the way. I expect the right timing will emerge if I let it percolate.
So this chapter isn’t “retirement”. I was calling it “walkabout” for a while but (a) nobody understands that (wtf folks?) and (b) even that felt a bit too directed. And it’s also not a “sabbatical”, because that tastes funny.
It’s a pause between major acts when you take a breath, get refreshments, stretch your legs, connect with people, reflect, anticipate.
Intermission.