Who Are You? Without the Title: Leading Through Identity Shifts

Gina Martin | Executive Coach & Consultant

Let’s talk about something many high-performing leaders don’t expect: losing your version of yourself tied to your title, business card, or resume.

This isn’t about a job update on LinkedIn. It’s about the quiet reckoning that happens when the identity you’ve built through work begins to unravel.

In 2019, after 20 years of building a thriving corporate retail career, I lost my job. It was sudden and disorienting. And if you’re like most high achievers I work with, you know the feeling. When your worth has been built around your work, losing a title can feel like losing yourself.

At first, I didn’t tell anyone. Not even my mother. Only my daughters knew. I kept the news to myself because I didn’t know how to talk about it. I didn’t know how to exist without the title I had worked so hard for.

Naturally, I jumped into action. I had a powerful network. In my career, I had built teams of hundreds and hired over a thousand people. I knew the system inside and out.

But after a month of applying and hearing nothing back, I realized something was wrong. I wasn’t showing up with the confidence I used to have. Because when I lost the job, I didn’t just lose my position. I lost my story. I couldn’t even tell people who I was anymore.

"Sometimes the hardest identity shift isn’t external. It’s internal. It’s the moment you stop being who the world told you to be, and start becoming who you truly are."— Gina Martin

So I asked for help. I started working with a coach who asked me a question that hit me like a brick:

Who are you?

And I had no idea how to answer. Not without the title. Not without the authority. Not without the illusion of control.

That moment was the beginning of real leadership for me. Not the kind tied to org charts or compensation bands, but the kind that starts with clarity, honesty, and self-trust.

Eventually, I did what I feared the most. I told the truth. I shared the story publicly on LinkedIn. I said I had lost my job. I didn’t package it. I didn’t spin it. I just told the truth.

It changed everything. It freed me from the pressure of performing and opened the door to building something real, something aligned.

That was the moment I stopped hiding behind a title and started leading from who I am.

If you’re navigating a transition, I want you to know this:

Leadership doesn’t begin with a title. It starts with how you lead yourself through uncertainty. Your value doesn’t disappear when your role changes. You’re not starting over.

You’re starting aligned.

This week, I want to leave you with a question: Who are you?

Who are you without the title? Write it down. Speak it out loud. And if you’re ready, share it. Because sometimes the first step toward leading others is learning how to speak for yourself.

Ready to redefine your leadership without the title? If you’re navigating a transition, rebuilding your confidence, or simply craving clarity about what’s next, I’m here to help.

Let’s talk about how to align your leadership with who you really are.

Book a free call with me here.

You don’t have to figure it out alone. This is your next step.

With Love,

Gina