My boss is moving up and I’m worried about losing a key mentor/sponsor. What are my options?
​
I lead a team of 6 and I’m in a role I genuinely enjoy. I like the work, I care about the team, and I feel like we’ve built something strong.
My boss has been a big part of that. A lot of what I’ve achieved was possible because of his support, trust, guidance, and ability to create space for me to lead. He’s now likely moving diagonally upward into a different role/reporting structure.
I’m happy for him, but I’m also uneasy. I’m worried that losing him as my direct manager could change the role significantly, especially if the new reporting line doesn’t offer the same level of trust, sponsorship, or context.
The options I’m thinking about are:
Apply for his current position if it opens up.
Stay in my current role and try to build a strong relationship with whoever replaces him.
Look elsewhere if the change significantly reduces my ability to lead or grow.
See whether there’s a way to keep him involved as a mentor/sponsor even if he’s no longer my direct manager.
I don’t want to overreact, because I really do like my job and team. But I also don’t want to ignore how important a good manager/sponsor has been to my success.
For those who’ve been through this, how would you think about the situation? What would you do before deciding whether to stay, apply for the role, or move on?