A short book in progress from Charlie Gilkey

Leading Through a RIF

How to lead through a reduction in force with heart, integrity, and vision

Leading through a reduction in force or layoff is one of the hardest things a leader will ever do. You will lay off great performers: people committed to the mission, people you'd hire again tomorrow, and people you may care about deeply.

The strategy, the org design, the roadmap? You could probably sketch those in thirty minutes. The hard part is everything else: the heartbreaks, the blowups, the negotiations, and the tears. This book is about leading through that part with deep principles and care, without going numb. It centers the leader's journey since that's the part that's often under-discussed.

I drafted this book as I worked with a handful of leaders in different stages of RIFs and layoffs in 2025 and 2026. I wrote it in short chapters so you can get in, get out, and get back to the hard, necessary work in front of you.

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Charlie Gilkey writes for and advises conscious leaders building strong, future-ready organizations. He's the author of Start Finishing and Team Habits, a former Army officer, and a philosopher by training.