It seems that everywhere we look, companies are laying off their employees. Don't overlook your transferable skills. Use the AI prompt included in this newsletter to help you uncover them and position you differently in the marketplace.
by Janet Ply, PhD · The Practical Leadership Newsletter · August 25, 2026
Several technology leaders I've known for years have reached out to tell me they were laid off or given notice that their position will be eliminated within the next several months. Many of them have worked for the same company for a decade or more, expecting to retire there.
Maybe you're wondering if you're next. Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone.
One of my colleagues has been an IT Service Desk Leader at the same company for more than 18 years. He and his team have shown up every day solving problems, helping people, and making others successful. Now, he and his entire team have been notified that they will be laid off over the next few months.
If you've worked in the same area for fifteen or twenty years, it's easy to think:
"This is all I've ever done."
But that's probably not true. Let's reframe the way you're thinking.
The job you've held and the capabilities you've developed are not the same thing.
For eighteen years, you may have resolved software issues, answered customer calls, researched unfamiliar problems, and supported business applications. While important, those weren't the most valuable things you were doing; it’s where you built capabilities and skills:
Those capabilities didn't disappear the day your position was eliminated. In fact, they're needed in thousands of roles that have nothing to do with a service desk.
I believe one of the biggest mistakes people make after a layoff is asking:
"What other jobs are available that have the same role as what I’ve been doing?"
A better question is:
"What capabilities have I developed, and where else are those capabilities valuable?"
That's a much better way to reframe the situation. Instead of looking backward at your job title or roles, look forward to your potential.
Technology changes. Companies change. Job titles change. The capabilities you build along the way stay with you for the rest of your career.
Before you update your résumé, spend some time rediscovering what you've actually become.
You may have far more options than you realize.
If you're wondering what other careers might fit your experience, copy and paste the following instructions into your favorite AI tool:
=====================================
Act as an experienced career coach.
For the past [X] years, I have worked as a [Role].
Instead of focusing on my job title, help me identify the capabilities I've developed.
First, ask me questions one at a time about my work, the types of problems I solved, the people I helped, the projects I worked on, and the situations where I was most successful.
Do not rush to conclusions.
After you've gathered enough information:
For each role, explain why my experience is a good match.
Then identify any knowledge or skills I would need to gain to become competitive for those roles.
Finally, recommend the three career paths that appear to be the best fit based on my interests, strengths, and experience.
Challenge any assumptions I make about what I can or cannot do, and help me think more broadly about my future.
=====================================
A layoff can make you question your value, especially when you've spent years building your career inside one company. But your value was never limited to your title, your department, or the systems you supported.
Your employer may eliminate your position. It cannot take away the capabilities, judgment, relationships, and experience you've developed along the way.
Your next opportunity may not look like your last job. That may be exactly where the opportunity lies.
Use the AI Career Thinking Partner above to look beyond your job history and uncover the capabilities you've built over the years. Then ask yourself a better question:
Where else could these capabilities create value?
You may find that you're not starting over. You're starting from years of experience that can be applied in an entirely new direction.
Your job may be ending. Your capabilities are still yours. And they may open more doors than you realize.
Most people use AI to write emails, create résumés, or summarize information. Those are useful applications, but I believe AI's greatest value is helping us think better.
When used well, AI can help you challenge assumptions, uncover strengths you may not recognize, explore new possibilities, and make better decisions about your career and leadership.
The hardest part of leadership development has never been learning the framework. It's applying it, in real time, under pressure, when the stakes are high and no one is watching.
That's exactly why I created the Leadarity (short for leadership clarity) Leadership Operating System built on the same system behind my book, Practical Leadership. Every concept in the book, from building trust and developing awareness to goal setting, leading projects, and building high-performing teams, is embedded in the AI Toolkit that questions you, challenges you, and helps you think more deeping.
Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, Thinkers50 #1 executive coach and bestselling author of What Got You Here Won't Get You There, called Practical Leadership "a practical and actionable guide, grounded in real-world experience - not just theory, but a road map for real transformation."
Leadarity is what makes that road map available to you at 9pm on a Tuesday, when a real leadership challenge lands in your lap and you need to think it through before tomorrow morning.
If you're interested in bringing Leadarity into your organization or your own leadership practice, let's have a conversation. Schedule a call at janetply.me
And if you don't yet have the road map itself, pick up a copy of Practical Leadership on Amazon or your favorite local book store.
Janet Ply, PhD
Author, Practical Leadership ~ Creator, Leadarity AI Thinking Partner and the Practical Leadership System