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Leading Greats #125
You Don’t just Lose a Leader. You Lose a rhythm, a voice, a way forward:
Ronnie Kinsey, MBA
August 12, 2025
In partnership with
I have experienced the loss of a leader a few times, and again recently - by total surprise.
The sudden loss of a peer shifts everything.
It’s not just the work they led. It’s the way they steadied the room, shaped decisions, and made people believe.
Their absence leaves both a professional and a personal gap.
Even in remote work, the loss is felt.
The flow of communication changes, the small check-ins fade, and the continuity people relied on feels interrupted.
The distance doesn’t lessen the impact.
In these moments, teams often react in extremes - charging ahead to “stay productive” or going silent to avoid the discomfort.
Neither on its own is enough.
From Italy to a Nasdaq Reservation
How do you follow record-setting success? Get stronger. Take Pacaso. Their real estate co-ownership tech set records in Paris and London in 2024. No surprise. Coldwell Banker says 40% of wealthy Americans plan to buy abroad within a year. So adding 10+ new international destinations, including three in Italy, is big. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.
Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.
Loss, especially in leadership, requires space to honor the person, care for the team, and keep the mission moving.
1. Name the Loss
Acknowledgment is the first act of leadership.
Speak it plainly, whether in a meeting, written note, or group message.
Keep it sincere, timely, and free of corporate spin.
2. Allow Different Forms of Grief
Not everyone processes loss the same way.
Some will want to share stories. Others will prefer quiet reflection.
Create room for both without measuring the depth of feeling by how visible it is.
3. Capture the Legacy
Leaders leave behind more than a to-do list. They leave lessons, standards, and a way of working.
Document these - through shared stories, preserved work, or a tribute for their family -so their influence continues.
4. Reassign with Humanity
Responsibilities still need to be covered, but how you do it matters.
Pair role changes with support and understanding, not just deadlines and expectations.
Recognize the emotional weight on those stepping in.
5. Anchor in Forward Accountability
The best tribute is to keep building well.
This isn’t about replacing the person. It’s about honoring what they stood for by living those values every day.
6. Watch the Long Tail
Grief doesn’t follow a calendar.
It can resurface weeks or months later, sometimes without warning.
Check in. Offer resources.
Keep the door open for conversation well beyond the first announcement.
The truth is, you can’t fill the exact space a leader once held.
But you can carry forward their influence in how you show up and lead next.
Great teams don’t erase the loss.
They acknowledge it, grieve in their own ways, and commit to building what comes next - together.
The real legacy of a leader isn’t written in titles or awards.
It’s in the strength, integrity, and care of the people who continue the work.
Be that legacy.
Nothing lasts forever. Not even our troubles.
– Charlie Chaplin
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-Ronnie
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