How to Resign From a Senior Role (and Handle the Counter-Offer)

Resigning from a senior role is harder than it looks. You're not just handing in a letter. You're having a high-stakes conversation with someone who may be relying on you, may feel let down, and may try hard to change your mind.

The common worries are always the same. What if they ask me to stay? What if they offer a promotion I don't want? What if they guilt me into staying through the next quarter? What if they promise that things will change, when I know they won't?

The answer is preparation. Here's the structure I give clients, along with phrases you can adapt. Practise them out loud, ideally with someone you trust, until they feel natural.

Before the conversation

Check your contract first. Senior roles in the UK often carry notice periods of three to six months, and some include garden leave or restrictive covenants. Know where you stand before you sit down, so nothing in the meeting catches you off guard. If anything is unclear, take proper advice.

Step 1: Decide, then prepare

Go in with your decision made. If you're still undecided, you'll be talked round. Plan the opening sentences and the points you'll return to. Be firm, polite and clear, and leave no wiggle room.

Step 2: Open with thanks

Thank them for making the time. Then thank them for the role itself: the opportunities, the support, what you've learned. Then say it plainly: "I've thought about this carefully, and I've decided it's time for me to move on."

Step 3: Frame it as a move towards something

Talk about going to a new opportunity rather than leaving this one. It's harder to argue with, and it doesn't invite a debate about what's wrong.

If they ask you to stay: "Thank you, I really appreciate that. It hasn't been an easy decision, but I'm confident that taking this opportunity is the right thing for me and, in the long run, for the business too."

Step 4: Acknowledge the impact

Recognise that your departure creates work for them, and commit to a professional handover. If they say "You've put me in a difficult position", you might respond: "I understand, and I'll do everything I can to make the transition smooth. Staying when my heart isn't in it wouldn't be fair to you or the team."

Step 5: Repeat, don't add

This is the most important rule. If they press you, don't offer new reasons. Every new reason is a new thing to negotiate.

Useful phrases:

• "I completely understand, but as I said, I've made my decision."
• "Thank you for the offer, I genuinely appreciate it. It's been a difficult call, but I'm confident it's the right one."

"As I said" is powerful because it signals there's nothing new on the table.

About the counter-offer

At senior level, a counter-offer is common: more money, a new title, a promise of change. Before you consider it, ask yourself why you started looking. If the reasons were about direction, culture or relationships, money rarely fixes them. Many people who accept counter-offers find themselves looking again within a year, and their loyalty is now in question.

Leave well

Close by thanking them again for their support, and say you'd like to stay on good terms. Senior circles are small. You'll meet these people again at industry events, through executive search firms, and possibly as future clients or colleagues. The way you leave becomes part of your reputation.

If you're weighing up your next move, book a free 20-minute clarity call. No pitch, just a clearer view of where you are and what to do next.