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Layoffs may be framed as business decisions—but for the people impacted, they’re deeply personal.

In this episode, Dray sits down with Mark Nickerson, a leadership and management coach with 30 years of experience in the tech industry, who was laid off for the first time in his career in 2025. Mark shares what it was like to navigate that moment, how compassionate leadership made a difference, and why so many companies fail to handle layoffs with transparency and humanity.

Together, they unpack:

• What companies get wrong (and occasionally right) about layoffs
• Why transparency is rare—and how it can also be used to hide bad decisions
• The hidden burden placed on middle managers during reductions in force
• Why performance alone shouldn’t determine who stays and who goes
• How poor leadership training fuels toxic work environments
• Why Mark chose to start his own coaching practice instead of returning to corporate life

Mark also introduces Leading With Meaning, his leadership coaching practice focused on helping managers lead more humanely—and shares why he’s making foundational leadership tools available for free to anyone who needs them.

This episode is especially relevant for:

• People impacted by layoffs
• Managers navigating uncertainty or change
• Aspiring leaders who want to do things differently
• Anyone questioning the current state of corporate leadership

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

• Leading With Meaning (Free Leadership Tools Library): https://leadingwithmeaning.com/
  
  
• Connect with Mark on LinkedIn

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Thanks for supporting The Reboot Era — every follow, share, and tip helps me keep making content for anyone navigating layoffs, pivots, and everything in between.

Everything shared on this podcast is based on personal experience and opinion. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, no content should be considered professional, legal, or career advice. Any mention of companies, products, or individuals is done in a personal capacity and does not represent the views or endorsements of those organizations or people. If a sponsorship or paid partnership is ever included, it will be clearly disclosed during the episode.