“Your position has been eliminated.”
You didn't choose to leave, and you weren't asking for something new. A decision made elsewhere has changed your future.
If you've heard those words, or watched someone close to you hear them, the numbers put the moment in context.
U.S. employers announced 617,189 job cuts in the first ten months of 2026, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That's 44% fewer than the same stretch of 2025.
Technology went the other way. The sector leads every industry this year with 171,501 announced cuts.
These figures cover roles at every level of the org chart.
So yes, layoffs are slowing. Hundreds of thousands of roles were still marked for elimination this year.
For an executive, the loss can reach past the paycheck. It can mean losing the team you hired and the plan you'd mapped out through the next fiscal year.
Then a harder question shows up, one that doesn't fit on a résumé:
Who am I without this role?
Everything you learned in that seat leaves with you on the last day.
Your relationships go with you too, along with your record among the people who saw your work up close.
If you're the one in transition, you don't owe anyone a comeback story yet. You can call it a loss and still refuse to read it as a verdict on your work.
If you're still employed, this is a good time to lead past your own org chart:
Make the introduction you've been meaning to make.
Write a recommendation with real specifics: the project, the result, why you'd hire them again.
Bring a former colleague into a conversation they'd strengthen.
Ask what would help before you offer anything.
This week, pick one name and make the introduction while the news is still fresh.
If you are leading through a transition you didn't choose, let's talk.
I have been there. I can help.
On my book: Intervals Of Service
I have a few publishing offers to consider and I am talking to some of them now.
More to come. I will keep you posted.
Thank you!
If you are asking - what your success can make possible now?
I have been there, I can help.
Book a 60 minute strategy call: https://calendly.com/ronniekinsey/60-minutes
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LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronniekinseymba
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Make 2026 your best year yet. 8 weeks left to the year - there is time.
Don’t wait for someone to come save you.
If the life you are building does not yet match what’s fully possible, let's talk.
I have been there. I can help.
Apply to work with me: ronniekinsey.net
After several requests, I added a new short call option to my link above.
Until next time - keep it great,
-Ronnie
Founder | CEO | Executive Advisor & Coach, MBA, PCC-ICF Credentialed
Leader | Advisor | Speaker | Author: Intervals Of Service
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