Begin Again: How to Reset After a Leadership Misstep
We’ve all seen this happen more than once in our work: a new leader steps in with energy, vision, and expertise… and just when they start to make moves, they hit a wall they never saw coming.
That’s exactly what happened to Sara.
She had just joined NEO, one of the largest employers in a small Midwestern city, as Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). With 15 years of experience and a proven track record for creating impact, she was eager to get to work. Not long after arriving, she inherited a Diversity Survey from HR. It had already been reviewed and “approved,” so she launched it without hesitation, excited to hear directly from employees and begin shaping a more inclusive culture.
Five days later, an email from the CEO’s spouse landed in her inbox, questioning why the survey included topics like racism, discrimination, and other “personal matters.” The very next day, Sara was called into the CEO’s office, only to find out he hadn’t even known about the survey’s existence. As such, a few board members had expressed concern, and by the end of the conversation, she was instructed to take it down, delete the data, and run all future initiatives through leadership first.
She left that meeting feeling blindsided, unsupported, and wondering if she’d ever be able to do the work she was hired to do.
Would it surprise you to know that this was never just about a survey?
Through the lens of Self-Determination Theory, it’s clear that three core psychological needs for motivation and engagement had been overlooked. Her autonomy was stripped when she wasn’t given true ownership of the project or a say on how to handle concerns. Her competence was undermined by the lack of political or cultural context she needed to navigate the rollout. And her relatedness, the sense of connection and support from her leadership team, was fractured when external voices reached the CEO before she did.
As one can imagine, when these needs aren’t met, even the most skilled and motivated leaders can lose trust, confidence, and momentum. And that’s where leadership has a choice: to deepen the disconnect or to use those moments to build trust.
The CEO could have taken a different approach, affirming her expertise, sharing responsibility for the lack of alignment, and working with her to explore solutions instead of pulling the plug immediately. Those actions wouldn’t just have salvaged the project; they would have sent a powerful message that she was valued, trusted, and supported.
Moments like this are precisely why we do the work we do through Transformational Strategies Group. NEO didn’t just need a quick fix; they needed structures and systems that make sure leaders like Sara succeed. That means leadership alignment, so initiatives have full-team support before launch. It means onboarding that addresses the real landscape, from cultural and political factors to the community context. It means proactive communication strategies that build buy-in before a project goes public. And it means creating systems that balance autonomy with collaboration, so leaders can lead boldly without stepping into preventable landmines.
If we were working with NEO, we’d start with a Basic Psychological Needs alignment audit to identify where autonomy, competence, and relatedness are supported, or undermined. We’d bring the leadership team together for workshops to create a shared playbook for how sensitive work is introduced and backed. We’d design inclusive communication strategies that anticipate pushback and secure stakeholder buy-in. And we’d coach both the CEO and the DEI leader to strengthen trust, decision-making, and resilience for the long haul.
Because transformational change doesn’t come from avoiding challenges, it comes from meeting them head-on, with clarity, courage, and the right support behind you.
If your organization is ready to lead boldly without losing the trust of your team or your community, this is exactly the work we do.
Let’s start the conversation.
