Resources
Leadership development across industries, cultures, and the leadership lifespan.
Podcasts
What happens after a successful career ends? This podcast explores how
men navigate retirement, identity, and purpose beyond work.
What Makes Retirement Different for Executives | Ep. 245
Retirement isn’t just the end of a career. For many executives, it’s the first
time they’ve had to redefine who they are without the title they’ve spent
decades earning.
A top retirement podcast for women, hosted by Certified Financial
Planner™ Eric Blake. The show helps women navigate retirement with
greater confidence, clarity, and control, for women planning with a spouse,
managing finances independently, or adjusting to major life changes.
#125 - Retirement for Women: Identity, Purpose, and Life After Work -
Part 1
In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Ottman, PhD, Professor at Milwaukee
School of Engineering and Executive Leadership Coach at Leadership
Portals, LLC, to explore her research on how executives experience
retirement. We look at why women may enter retirement with broader
identities and social networks, yet still struggle with losing credibility,
purpose, and voice.
#126 - Retirement for Women: Identity, Purpose, and Life After Work -
Part 2
In this episode, I continue my conversation with Kelly Ottman, PhD,
Professor at Milwaukee School of Engineering and Executive Leadership
Coach at Leadership Portals, LLC, about preparing for the personal
transition into retirement.
On Life and Meaning explores the higher purposes of people making a
difference in the world. The podcast is informed by an optimistic
philosophy about the human quest.
EPISODE 89 China Rising
Kelly Ottman is a professor of leadership in an engineering university. In
this episode we explore doing business with China, cultural immersion,
clarifying mission and vision, and finding joy in purpose.
Articles
Retirement research featured in the October 2026 Kiplinger Personal Finance interview by Richard Eisenberg, entitled LESSONS FROM TOP EXECS ON A HAPPY RETIREMENT.
- Kiplinger Personal Finance. Oct2026, Vol. 80 Issue 10, p12-12. 1p. 1 Color
Photograph.
The article focuses on research into the experiences of nearly 120 executives nearing or recently entering retirement, highlighting challenges in finding purpose and adjusting financially despite sufficient resources. Many executives struggled with the concept of retirement, lacking hobbies and viewing their work as their primary source of identity,
which complicated their transition. Key issues included difficulty in feeling comfortable with spending money and unexpected losses of work-related friendships, especially among men. Successful retirement was linked to stress reduction, health improvements, and pursuing new interests, while experts recommend cultivating friendships and exploring purpose before retiring. The research emphasizes that retirement involves more than finances, urging individuals to align retirement with their values and social connections.
Thinking About Retirement Beyond Money
In Terry Savage: Thinking about retirement beyond money, nationally recognized financial expert Terry Savage highlights Dr. Kelly Ottman’s research on the often-overlooked personal side of retirement. Beyond financial readiness, Ottman identifies five important areas for a successful transition: identity, friendships, interests and curiosity, reimagining retirement, and family impact. Her work encourages people, particularly those whose careers have been central to their identity, to view retirement not simply as an ending but as an opportunity to consider who they want to become,
what they value, and the legacy they want to create. [yahoo.com]
Citation: Savage, T. (2026, October 7). Thinking about retirement beyond money.
Tribune Content Agency/Yahoo. [yahoo.com]
Case Studies
Brady Corporation | Asia-Pacific Leadership Development
