What Happens After the Restructure

The org chart changed. How did your leadership team prepare for what’s next?

Happy Wednesday!

Welcome to Leadership Unscripted. Each edition, we share 1 Case Study, 1 Framework, 1 Question. These are real moments and practical strategies for rethinking your approach to leadership.

Let’s dive in.

1 Case Study

After a restructuring, one company lost more than just headcount. Their remaining leaders were going through change—uncertain about immediate next steps, unclear on how to lead through their transition.

The org chart had been updated. Roles were reassigned. The math was done. And there was little alignment on how the leadership team would operate moving forward.

A few weeks later, their CEO said it plainly:

“We are operating like strategy and people are separate. Our people are core to accomplishing our strategy.”

That’s when they paused and asked three essential questions:

  1. Are we as a leadership team actually aligned on the full strategy — Not just in theory, and in practice?

  2. Have we clearly communicated that strategy to our people who are expected to carry it forward?

  3. Have we redefined what success looks like for our go-forward leaders?

They realized the answer to all three was "no."

So, they invested in three core next steps:

  1. A series of both in-person and virtual high-impact off-sites over the next year,

  2. Focused leadership assimilation sessions for newly restructured teams, and

  3. Arrive. Leadership Academies for rising and emerging leaders.

These weren’t status updates or project reviews. They were opportunities to reestablish culture, realign around business priorities, and reset leadership expectations.

The result?

Leaders stopped spinning. Collaboration picked up. Decisions got clearer. And the people still inside the org stopped looking backward and started building forward. Across the year, these investments represent under 3% of every contributing individual’s time. What it accomplished was alignment, common language, and empowerment. A 3% investment to get the 97% right!

Because when restructuring is over, the real leadership work begins.

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1 Framework

The Post-Restructure Rebuild

This is the three-part alignment path we recommend for any org going through major change:

1. Align the Leadership Team
Are senior leaders aligned on what the strategy actually is now—and how they’ll lead it together?

2. Communicate the Strategy
Have you clarified the new direction and shared what’s changing (and what’s not) across the company?

3. Redefine Success for the Go-forward Team
Do the leaders still here have clear roles, expectations, and priorities—or are they still operating off a map that no longer exists?

Restructuring ends with paperwork. Realignment starts with people.

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1 Question

Restructuring might change the business. 👉 How have you changed how your leaders work together?

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More to Explore

Are you or your team stepping into new leadership roles? Our Arrive. Leadership Academy helps rising and emerging managers navigate growth moments with confidence and community.

🗓️ Upcoming Cohorts:

  • Mar 4, Mar 11, Mar 25, Apr 8,

  • Apr 15, Apr 22, May 6, May 20.

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Real Stories. Real Tools. Real Impact.

Forget the fluff. We’re that company, revealing behind-the-scenes leadership wins and strategies that actually work.

Because all it takes is one bold move to shatter barriers, inspire your team, and make your mark.

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