Business Book Awards 2026 Highly Commended in Leadership category

Nobody likes to talk about endings. Here’s why we need to.

Leaders spend a lot of time planning new initiatives. But what about the endings that go along with them? Most leaders are not taught how to manage themselves, let alone their teams and organization, through the messy, multifaceted discomfort of an ending. Making a team member redundant, merging two teams, cutting funding to a failed project: in all these situations we tend to focus on the new beginning, and rush past the ending that needs our care and attention. Dealing with endings well takes maturity and emotional intelligence. Leaders need to understand and process their own feelings before they can lead others through transition.

Why does this matter? Because poorly managed endings leave a scar on everyone involved. Discretionary energy and motivation are not so forthcoming. Change programmes don’t get traction, resistance and cynicism take root. Change fails.

Leading Executive Coaches Alison Lucas and Lizzie Bentley Bowers provide this missing piece of the change leadership puzzle: a way of leading yourself and others through change in a respectful, emotionally agile way. Because better endings mean better beginnings.

‘Good Bye highlights a crucial yet often overlooked moment in leadership and organizational life, offering valuable tools and actionable guidance. It will undoubtedly benefit leaders seeking to handle moments of parting with clarity and care.’ – Kirsty Devine, Head of US HR, Financial Times

‘I am adding this title to my recommended reading list!’ – Professor David Clutterbuck

Leading Executive Coaches Alison Lucas, of Randolph Partnership Ltd, and Lizzie Bentley Bowers, of The Causeway Coaching Ltd, are professionally accredited coaches and facilitators, working at board and senior level across all sectors to equip leaders to thrive in a complex and uncertain world.

This book is a must-read for any leader looking to navigate transitions with an understanding of the human and organisational impact of change. It offers practical insights, real-world examples, and a framework for leaders to approach change holistically. – Amazon 5*

Reading this book is almost like being guided through a private coaching session with two master coaches. The exercises and anecdotes bring their theoretical framework to life in ways that are practical and immediately applicable. I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone going through a transition or leading and organisation through one. – Shoshana Boyd Gelfand, Director of Leadership and Learning, Pears Foundation

So much is written about managing change and transitions in leadership literature, but so little is written about Endings – a critical stage of change. So here is an important, thought provoking book that deserves your attention. The authors highlight most leaders’ capacity for new beginnings; new projects and exciting fresh starts (yup, guilty!), at the expense of attention given to ‘endings’, despite the emotion that can be wrapped up with this area. With their model of REAR (Reality, Emotion, Accomplishment, Rituals), they offer the leader a pragmatic guide through the field of Endings, and I sense this is going to be one of those (rare) leadership books I will return to, use, pass on and gift to others. Good Bye! – Dr Lucy Ryan, Executive Coach and Author, Revolting Women

In one of our studies, in over 80% of cases when coaches and coachees looked back at an assignment, how they felt about it was directly related to how the ending was managed. Humans are in general very gauche about how we extricate ourselves from a meeting, whether it be a formal event or simply departing after a dinner party. The skill of good endings isn’t taught in schools – but it should be! I am adding this title to my recommended reading list! -Professor David Clutterbuck

This is a refreshing book which challenges us to think differently about ‘endings’ and then equips us with tools to become better both professionally and personally. Both Alison and Lizzie guide us through some core principles and actionable insights which are thought provoking and inspiring. If you are looking for a practical tool to elevate your performance, this book is a must read. – Alice Mallen, UK and EMEA HR Director

Good Bye highlights a crucial yet often overlooked moment in leadership and organizational life. The thoughtfully crafted framework provides a practical and approachable model for navigating these pivotal transitions. The book offers valuable tools and actionable guidance that will enrich my leadership approach and will undoubtedly benefit leaders seeking to handle moments of parting with clarity and care. – Kirsty Devine, Head of US HR, Financial Times.

Good Bye is essential reading for every leader! In a VUCA world it is an essential guide on how to navigate change well, and urges leaders to recognize the many overlooked endings within their organisations – small transitions that, if ignored, can impede lasting progress. The over-riding theme of the book is the power of pause and intentionality and a human-centred approach to change. More than theory, Good Bye is grounded in deep insight, real-world examples and actionable tools that resonate far beyond the final page. An invaluable resource for leaders at every level. – Martina Doherty, Business Psychologist and Leadership Coach

As a funder I often see proposals for new projects and ‘onboarding’ volunteers but less attention is given to how a project ends and how a volunteer steps down. Perhaps the push for evaluation has taken our attention away from the more human-centred aspects of endings? The four steps are powerful in their simplicity and this book offers an essential toolkit for leaders who want to navigate endings with grace and intention. – Amy Braier, Director, Pears Foundation

Good Bye helped me guide a better ending for a longstanding team member. The REAR model helped me ensure they left understanding how valued they were, and prevented any potential negativity spreading within the team during their exit period.

I focussed on making sure their ending in the business was a positive one; to celebrate their achievements with the team and to recognize their contributions within the wider business. I framed every conversation around their time with the business as being both rewarding to them personally and also highly valued by the business. I encouraged them to view their time here as a stepping stone for their future career advancement rather than them consider it to be a failure and let them leave on a sour note. It worked; they left on a high and the remaining team have pushed on without losing any pace. – Commercial Director, Real Estate

I have benefitted greatly from the authors’ experience and wisdom, while navigating ‘Endings’ on my personal career journey. This book will empower many more leaders to benefit, I will definitely be adding this to my recommended reading list for the HR and business leaders I work with. – Nigel Standing, L&D Leader, Fortune 250 organisation

This insightful and accessible book by coaches Alison Lucas and Lizzie Bentley Bowers fills a crucial gap in leadership literature, shining a light on the often overlooked importance of managing endings. While many leaders and organizations are well-versed in launching new initiatives, few are equipped to handle the emotional and practical complexities of closure – be it downsizing, merging teams, or ending a project. Lucas and Bowers challenge the ‘new beginning’ bias, offering a refreshingly empathetic perspective on the need for thoughtful endings. Their 4-step process is both straightforward and profound, guiding leaders in navigating transitions with emotional intelligence and respect. Packed with relatable scenarios and practical wisdom, this book is a must-read for leaders seeking to create lasting, positive change by honouring the full lifecycle of any endeavour, and essential reading for anyone guiding others through the complexities of organizational transformation. – Marian Rosefield, Coach, Supervisor, Researcher and Positive Psychology Practitioner

Full of powerful insights and pragmatic help about an under-considered but vital area of leadership and, indeed, life management. A must read for all who lead and manage. – Christina Blacklaws, CEO Blacklaws Consulting, Campaigner, former President of the Law Society

• Cover
• Praise for Good Bye
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• A very good place to start
• Before we begin
• Chapter 1 Beginning with Endings
• Chapter 2 The Four Steps – An introduction to REAR
• Chapter 3 You go first
• Chapter 4 Your first Steps
• A half-time listening interlude
• Chapter 5 Leading others
• Chapter 6 Step by step through the Steps
• Chapter 7 Brighter Beginnings
• Chapter 8 Good Bye, Dear Reader
• Chapter 9 Standing on the shoulders of Giants
• Resources
• Exercises
• Endings stories
• Acknowledgements
• Index
• About the authors

FORMAT / ISBN / PUBLICATION DATE / RRP

Hardback / 9781788607285 / April 29, 2025 / £24.99

Paperback / 9781788607292 / April 29, 2025 / £14.99

Ebook / 9781788607315 / April 28, 2025 / £7.99

Paperback and eBook Bundle / £16.99

Lizzie Bentley Bowers

Lizzie Bentley Bowers is a PCC-level Executive Coach with a Masters in Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, who has been coaching leaders and teams for over 15 years, challenging them to unearth what is really going on and support them to see what else is possible and work out how to get there. Keen to make the most useful leadership thinking accessible and applicable to all leaders she is the founder of the leadership hub Towards Leadership, author of the Strengths Stacker journals, host of the Leadership Letters podcast and a regular contributor to Coaching Perspectives magazine.

Alison Lucas

Alison Lucas is a professionally certified (ICF PCC) Executive Coach with two decades of experience working with leaders across all three sectors, and around the globe. Alison’s first career began with 15 years of commercial leadership experience in FMCG and business consultancy. Alison blends her considerable commercial business background with her coaching and systemic experience to equip leaders to navigate change in their complex and uncertain world.