Few events disrupt organizations, large or small, more than a change in leadership. Some degree of confusion is inevitable. It is the message a leader sends in a given moment and the experiences surrounding it that determine how severe the disruption will be.
But too often, organizations are carefully controlled by familiar orthodoxies, polished, over-edited statements stripped of details that rational stakeholders would want to know, leaving them stiff and empty. That strategy itself is certain to fail.
What follows the statement is often much more important. The tone, honesty, and clarity of subsequent communications will determine whether employees, franchisees, shareholders, and customers move in a new direction or become skeptical and even cynical about the necessary course correction that management insists on.
Take, for example, Verizon's new CEO Dan Schulman's approach. He has been particularly outspoken about the company's historical stance toward customers. Speaking at a recent conference in Washington, D.C., he broke away from normal company jargon with a simple point: “You have to treat people like people, not like accounts.”
Here's the challenge. In an era of heightened surveillance where AI can generate perfectly polished corporate speeches in seconds, companies are tempted to promote glossy statements that cover all angles. Those involved have become experts in BS detectors. They've seen enough algorithm-optimized messaging to know when it's being managed rather than leveled. AI is challenging our notions of authenticity, making real human connections even more important.
If formal announcements are stopped, rumors will almost certainly fill the void among key players. Instead, follow it up with an in-person gathering, or in the case of a distributed workforce, a livestream town hall, featuring transition leaders and designed to collaborate as well as share information. Done well, the next step will replace speculation with clarity and set you up to create a more collaborative atmosphere throughout your organization.
The tone of the event, the attitude of those leading it, and how the transition is framed in subsequent communications can make a crucial difference in how the change is perceived and embraced. In fact, these moments are often more helpful in forming beliefs than any previous written communication.
It's natural for new leaders to want to project strength and determination, but this period also requires honesty and a degree of humility. Admitting what you don't know yet can increase your credibility more than pretending you have all the answers. A change in leadership is a sensitive moment, and stakeholders expect to be candid about both the challenges ahead and the path forward.
A message from former CEO Tami Irwin is an example of true empathy. She shared a heartfelt note to Verizon employees facing layoffs after a leadership change late last year. Although this is not from a new executive, it still provides a clear lesson. This is the type of communication leaders should learn when trying to convey true empathy to employees facing significant layoffs in the wake of change.
“To those affected, from those who always bleed Verizon: Give yourself permission to grieve,” she wrote on LinkedIn for those facing an uncertain future. “Work is about identity, relationships and pride. Losing that is personal.”
Or consider that Nike's new president, Elliott Hill, meets face-to-face with key stakeholders and, rather than reciting trite, canned talking points, delivers a direct message that acknowledges past failures while laying out a plan to rehabilitate sports' once dominant leader.
His approach is described in a recent paper new york times Profile: “Mr. Hill…exudes charm with his polite Southern voice. He greets everyone in the room, whether he's a millionaire or a construction worker. People seem to like him whether his business is doing well or poorly.”
What stands out in both examples is their candor and their models for navigating high-profile leadership transitions. Honesty, introspection, humility, and true transparency are paramount. While these traits may be uncommon among executives, they are essential for leaders whose commitment will ultimately determine the success or failure of turnarounds and win the respect of their employees. If you view this as a feel-good exercise, it defeats the purpose. Rather, it is a strategy for building credibility when an organization's credibility is at its worst.
You can't fake sincerity. In turbulent moments, confused and anxious employees can spot practiced empathy a mile away. The message must be authentic. If ever there was a moment to walk around and manage, this is it. Particularly in face-to-face sharing situations, being present, answering unscripted questions, and openly engaging with employees can help build credibility more than a carefully crafted memo.
This is definitely the time to scrap the script. New leaders are chosen for a reason, and the first day of the transition is the board's first opportunity to demonstrate why they made the right decision. If you treat the moment with honesty and clarity, you'll gain momentum. If they fail, the damage can linger long after the leader is replaced.
Done well, a leadership transition becomes less of a single announcement and more of a series of intentional, human moments (many of them shared experiences) that rebuild trust, one relationship at a time. Formal memos, town halls, and follow-up conversations in hallways and boardrooms taken together can communicate to employees, customers, and partners whether the new structure can own the past and lead into the future.
That's why the most effective leaders don't just outsource this work to the legal or communications departments. They learn the story they want to tell and then tell it themselves as directly and consistently and repeatedly as possible. They show up early and often in response to calls from investors, but also on the factory floor, at branch offices, and at franchise meetings. They listen as much as they talk. They recognize the pain of layoffs and restructuring without taking protective measures. They give room for skepticism rather than trying to dispel it. These open and candid experiences are part of a consistent effort to engage directly and visibly with people.
For boards and executives, what matters is easy, but not easy. Treat leadership changes as a trust reset rather than a branding exercise. It means investing in real time in how stories are framed, which questions are directly answered, and how often leaders stand in front of those most affected and speak up. Titles can be passed overnight. You can't trust it. And in an age where any failure is immediately apparent to employees, customers, and markets, how leaders handle the first few weeks of a transition may be the clearest signal of what kind of organization they intend to run.
