CHAUDHRI: Lots employees can learn from Sheldon Keefe’s classy exit

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Last Saturday night, like many of you, I was excited for the puck to drop.

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As we strolled through the city that day, my three-year-old son wore his Austen Matthews jersey, with plenty of passersby giving him a thumbs up and an excited, “Go Leafs go!”

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The city was electric in anticipation of Game 7.

Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe carried Toronto’s cautious optimism on his shoulders that night.

But, alas, the Cinderella story was not ours to tell.

We all went to bed sad, and probably a little exasperated. Armchair experts immediately began calling for the team to be blown up, for MLSE to wake up, and for Sheldon Keefe to be shown the door. And then he was – after five seasons as the bench boss, Keefe was fired Friday.

The termination of a coach during the NHL playoffs in Toronto is not just news, it is the subject of spirited, if not rancorous, debate.

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Keefe has not been spared by the media, fans or the internet. That’s the case even though he has been a calm, measured and likeable leader of the Leafs team for half a decade.

Anyone who is terminated from employment can tell you it is a devastating, humbling and discombobulating experience. The only difference for Keefe is that he is likely managing these emotions while on the world stage and on the frontpage of newspapers.

Navigating a public termination takes a lot of poise, professionalism and grit. In a video posted to Youtube, the former Leaf coach said he was “forever grateful” for the opportunity to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs and that it was a dream come true for a boy from Brampton.

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He said he didn’t get it done in the playoffs, that he didn’t deliver, and that he takes responsibility for that.

“No excuses”, Keefe said.

He thanked his bosses and the MLSE board. He thanked the players for making him look good many nights. He thanked the support staff. He thanked Leafs Nation, crediting their passion.

To the media, a true foe to Keefe at times, he said he appreciated their process and respected the job the media had to do.

A classy exit, for a man terminated in the midst of much adversity. Many employees wouldn’t take the same approach or see their termination in the same light.

While Keefe assuredly is dealing with the contractual elements of his termination behind the scenes and through counsel, his stickhandling (pun intended) of his termination was nothing short of a masterclass.

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Keefe showed his strong leadership skills in thanking his supporting cast. He took unreserved accountability for his very public loss in the playoffs. He showed discipline and restraint by addressing his naysayers with respect. While self-deprecating, his tribute was authentic yet anchored in a powerful narrative.

He didn’t make it work in Toronto, but Keefe’s exit strategy surely set him up to be a key prospect for a coaching job in another city.

Employees have a lot to learn from an approach like this. It’s hard to imagine a termination that was more public or more polarizing; striking at the heart of the city. Yet, Keefe steered away from laying blame elsewhere, or disparaging his employer, a mistake many employees make soon after being let go.

Terminations are never easy but Keefe’s exit is proof that in the face of adversity one can still execute a strategy to rebuild social capital, reinforce your allies and rebound.

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