Why Your New VP Quit in 9 Months: The Truth About Executive Turnover

Your shiny new VP just quit after 9 months.

Don’t act surprised.

The warning signs were there from day one.

Product and digital leaders are cycling out faster than new seasons drop on Netflix. 

The average VP doesn’t even last as long as your favorite show.

I grabbed coffee the other day with a Chief of Staff— he’s on his fourth role in five years. 

Not because he’s flaky. Because every company promised him the moon… and handed him a pile of dust.

“They brought me in to ‘reimagine their digital presence.’ Then told me there’s no budget until next year.”

Here’s the dirty secret of executive hiring:

😲 You spend months (and a fortune) finding the perfect leader—then set them up to fail. No resources. No support. Wild expectations. 

And then somehow you’re shocked when their LinkedIn says “Open to work.”

😲 You’re not losing great talent because they got poached:

You’re losing them because what you pitched in the interview didn’t match the reality once they joined.

The ones who stay?

Not always the best. Just the ones who got told the truth upfront.

Want your leadership to last longer than your AI roadmap survived legal review?

Try this wild strategy:

 ▪️ Be honest about the challenges.

 ▪️ Back them with real resources.

 ▪️ Stop expecting miracles in 90 days.

Or don’t.

And I’ll see that job listing again next year.

Same role. Same pitch. Same buzzwords about “transforming everything.”