Just six months into Mason’s promotion to Chief Marketing Officer at a Fortune 500 company, the company was acquired by a private equity firm looking to expand the brand’s national footprint. Mason, who had been brought in for his sharp eye for digital transformation, was quickly looped into boardroom discussions that questioned the future of the company’s founder and long-time CEO, Greg.
While Greg had built the Fortune 500 company into a beloved regional staple, the board viewed him as resistant to innovation, stuck on past successes. Revenue growth had plateaued. Customer retention was slipping. And internal surveys showed a workforce that, while loyal, was uninspired.
After a series of tense meetings and back-channel conversations, the board made its move: Greg was fired.
And Mason? He stayed.
The Fallout: "If They Fired the CEO, Who's Next?"
The morning after the announcement, the corporate Teams chats were silent. Mason’s calendar filled with 1:1’s, but not the kind you hope for.
From the brand manager in Atlanta to the warehouse supervisor in Colorado, the message was the same: “If Greg wasn’t safe, how do I know I am?”
Suddenly, Mason wasn’t just the CMO tasked with scaling the brand. He was the face of corporate change—and to many, the face of corporate betrayal.
What happened at the Fortune 500 company isn’t uncommon. Founders get pushed out and boards act decisively. But the mistake many leaders make in these moments is assuming that business decisions exist in a vacuum.
Employees don’t clock in just for the pay. They stay because they believe in a mission, trust their leaders, and see themselves as part of something bigger. Rip that foundation out without care, and you’ve created instability—no matter how strong your business case may be.
Mason understood this. And so, instead of retreating to strategy decks and investor calls, he did something unexpected: he got personal.
How to Lead Through the Acquisition Transition
1. Rebuild the Narrative (Before Rebuilding the Brand)
What Mason did:
He gathered the entire team—virtually and in-person—and didn’t lead with a PowerPoint. He led with honesty.
“Greg built something incredible. That doesn’t go away. But for us to grow, we need to evolve. And I want to do that with you, not to you.”
Why it works:
When people understand the “why” behind a decision—and feel like they’re included in the “what next”—they’re far more likely to re-engage. Leaders must humanize transitions, especially when legacy figures are involved.
2. Prioritize 1:1’s with a Purpose
What Mason did:
Each meeting included three key questions:
“What do you wish leadership would stop doing?”
“What’s one thing you love about working here?”
“What would make you proud to stay for the next 5 years?”
Why it works:
Top-down change feels threatening unless it’s paired with bottom-up understanding. People don’t need to be coddled—they need to be heard. These conversations help rebuild psychological safety and show that leadership isn’t operating in a silo.
3. Anchor Culture in Something Bigger Than a Person
What Mason did:
After Greg’s exit, morale dipped because the culture was too tied to him. Mason helped the team co-create new guiding principles—ones not reliant on a single figure, but rooted in shared values like “playful excellence” and “growth through curiosity.”
They even introduced a new employee recognition system where peers could reward each other with digital tokens for living those values, redeemable for team experiences.
Why it works:
When identity is built around one person, their departure creates a vacuum. A value-based culture, co-designed by the team, gives people a new anchor—a reason to stay, belong, and contribute.
4. Share the Strategy—But Keep It Simple
What Mason did:
Instead of vague statements like “We’re going to scale,” Mason created a one-pager with clear, actionable priorities. Each team could map their work to one of the three goals:
- Increase repeat visits by 20%
2. Launch two new national locations
3. Improve employee engagement scores by 15%
Each goal had a team lead, a monthly update cadence, and an open feedback loop.
Why it works:
In times of uncertainty, clarity is comfort. People need to know where they’re headed and how their role contributes to the mission. A transparent, measurable roadmap builds buy-in and momentum.
5. Celebrate Micro-Wins to Regain Confidence
What Mason did:
He celebrated the first time a regional manager improved customer reviews. He highlighted a tech intern who built a new booking tool. These weren’t PR stunts—they were authentic stories shared across the company’s intranet and weekly all-hands.
Why it works:
Wins rewire the team’s mindset. When a company goes through a shakeup, people assume failure is next. But seeing progress—even in small doses—starts to shift the narrative toward hope.
How Do You Build Culture When Stability Is Uncertain?
When employees don’t know what tomorrow holds, they stop focusing on performance and start scanning for risk. They wonder if they’ll be next to go, whether their work still matters, or if leadership can be trusted. In this fog of doubt, building—or more accurately, rebuilding—culture must become an urgent priority.
Mason realized that creating a healthy, resilient culture in an unstable environment wasn’t about keeping everyone happy. It was about reinstating meaning, rebuilding trust, and creating consistency where there was none. He couldn’t offer long-term guarantees. But he could create an environment where people felt heard, seen, and supported.
Here’s how any leader can build culture even when the ground is still shifting:
Five Ways to Build Culture Without Stability
- Practice Transparent Leadership with Curiosity, Not Control
When uncertainty looms, the instinct is to “tighten the reins”—but real leadership starts with curiosity over control. Instead of hiding behind decisions, embrace curious leadership by saying,
“Here’s what we’re trying, here’s what we’re learning, and here’s where we want your ideas.”
Ambition In Motion’s
Executive Mastermind Groups emphasizes how asking better questions—not giving more answers—builds trust, especially during change. This transparency makes teams feel invited to shape the future, not just endure it.
2.
Foster Meaningful 1:1s—Not Performance Reviews in Disguise
In unstable environments, people need connection, not evaluation. That’s where
AIM Insights comes in. It helps leaders create
data-informed, emotionally intelligent 1:1s that don’t just measure performance but nurture resilience, motivation, and clarity.
Use these meetings to ask:
- “What’s something you’re proud of this month?”
- “What’s one thing you’d change if you could?”
Leaders who listen this way make employees feel psychologically safe—even if everything else is shifting.
3. Create Micro-Rituals to Anchor Belonging
Culture isn’t built through big speeches. It’s built through small moments repeated consistently. Small, purpose-driven rituals can reinforce team connection and reinforce values.
Consider:
- A weekly “wins” Teams thread
- A monthly peer-nominated award for someone who lives the company’s values
- A shared moment of gratitude to kick off all-hands
These rituals remind employees: we may be in transition, but we still show up for each other.
- Use Peer Feedback to Drive Real-Time Culture Development
During uncertainty, top-down feedback often falls flat. But when feedback flows laterally—peer to peer—it builds trust and agency.
Ambition In Motion’s
AIM Insights platform facilitates 360° feedback loops that help leaders and employees understand how they’re perceived, and what behaviors they need to adjust.
It’s not about “scoring” culture—it’s about co-creating it in real time.
5.
Tie Every Role Back to Purpose and Personal Development
When the future feels blurry, people look inward. They ask: “What am I learning? Where am I going?” Ambition In Motion’s
mentoring programs and leadership tracks help employees develop
personal clarity even when the organization is evolving.
Encourage your team to connect their work to their growth goals—not just company metrics. A great place to start:
“What skill do you want to master this quarter?”
“How can we align your role with where you want to be in a year?”
Culture is sustainable when it invests in people’s future—not just the company’s.
The Takeaway for Business Leaders: Lead With People, Not Just Plans
Mason didn’t save the Fortune 500 company with a rebrand or a viral campaign. He rebuilt it through trust, transparency, and human-centered leadership.
For any leader facing instability after an acquisition, a founder's exit, or internal restructuring, here’s the truth: compensation alone won’t motivate your people. In fact, the more uncertain things feel, the more employees crave purpose, connection, and clarity.
Leaders like Mason prove that when you lead with empathy and intention, even the most jarring transitions can become launchpads for something better.