There is the story of that guy who was a Top Manager at a very important company. When he had to give a speech, he traveled business-class, stayed at the best hotels and didn’t pay for a single meal. The time for him to step down, finally arrived. But he still was giving some speeches. But, instead of business trips, high standard hotels, expensive gifts… he had to travel tourist-class, … and what he got after the speech was a mug.
There is also the story of that other one, whose phone never stop ringing, first raw in the important events, all doors opened, all favours asked where done. When he stepped down his phone stop ringin, and when he made the call, there was no answer, no favors done.
Well, teaching here! what you are, goes away, usually with the job and most important the title you holded. Once you are no longer the person who represented a company, you get a mug.
When it comes to the who, it is about how you treated the people that surrounded you, where you nice with them? Did you help when being asked? Teached them? Learned from any of them? The things you take and you leave behind are the important ones, they build the “who”. What are you made of. What got you there. And, regardless if you quit, retire, or whatever happens to you that is who you truely are. You will adapt to tourist-class, there will be no issue in paying your own meals…
When you call for help you have more probabilities to get an answer because of WHO you are rather than for WHAT you were.
Never lose sight of what is behind that fancy job name you hold.