Lead to Inspire

Project Competencies Learned

What began as a well-structured plan to unify the sales and customer success teams across two companies quickly turned into one of the most formative leadership experiences of my career. While I anticipated exercising competencies like strategic planning, performance alignment, and change management, the reality of leading through uncertainty revealed a very different set of challenges. The past two months have demanded not just a strategic mindset, but a deep emotional investment in people, culture, and communication.

Securing executive alignment for the restructure was one of the first hurdles. It required me to tailor my vision to different leadership styles, translating data-driven rationale to some, while painting a cultural picture of unity and growth to others. Once the buy-in was secured, the complexity of operationalizing change across two previously siloed teams began. As new roles were defined and responsibilities reassigned, one team member expressed resistance and exited the organization, while another was recruited by a competitor shortly after changes were announced. These losses were disruptive, not only functionally but emotionally for the rest of the team, and I had to quickly step in to stabilize morale and re-engage my remaining staff.

I had underestimated how critical resilience, emotional intelligence, and situational awareness would be in holding the group together through transition. I found myself having to “re-recruit” my own people, acknowledging their concerns, reaffirming the “why” behind the restructure, and ensuring they felt seen and supported. I launched one-on-one check-ins with each person weekly, two weekly “all hands” team meetings, adapted training timelines, and held space for honest conversations about workload, expectations, and trust. While we rolled out the new performance framework and sales processes, I realized that culture and buy-in cannot be rushed. In fact, the moments of pausing, listening, adjusting, and reinforcing, proved more impactful than any dashboard or KPI with the team.

I’ve learned that leadership during change is not only about direction, it’s about creating clarity, safety, and belief when the future is uncertain. This experience has expanded my leadership development goals. Going forward, I’ll place more emphasis on building adaptive teams, creating space for feedback in real-time, and designing systems that support both high performance and team cohesion. My project has become more than just a merger of two teams, it’s a blueprint for leading transformation with empathy, agility, and strategic discipline.

Moving forward, I will continue to evolve my leadership by focusing on intentional adaptation, systems alignment, and people-centered strategy. This project revealed that the most effective leadership doesn’t come from rigid plans, but from the ability to listen, respond, and lead with both clarity and compassion. I will build on these lessons by investing more deeply in developing resilient, cross-functional teams, implementing structures that balance performance with support, and creating spaces where feedback and iteration are embedded in the culture. My development plan now includes not only advancing technical skills but also refining emotional intelligence, strengthening organizational foresight, and staying grounded in the belief that high-performing cultures are built through trust, clarity, and shared purpose.

Competencies Gained Through the Project

Adaptive Change Leadership – Navigated the departure of two team members mid-project by quickly adjusting hiring priorities, redefining onboarding timelines, and keeping the remaining team focused and engaged through uncertainty.

Emotional Intelligence and Resilience – Following unexpected personnel changes and early resistance to the restructure, I leaned into empathetic leadership by holding one-on-one check-ins, listening to concerns, and restoring belief in the team’s new direction.

Systems Thinking and Operational Design – Built and deployed a new operational model, including revised org charts, clarified roles, updated KPIs, and sales reporting structures that connect strategic goals with frontline execution.

Culture-Driven Performance and Accountability – Introduced a new compensation plan that both rewards cross-team success and reinforces individual accountability. This approach fosters collaboration while keeping outcomes at the center of performance expectations.

Structured Training and Enablement – Developed a comprehensive training program to ensure every team member was proficient in both Authenticom and Motive Retail’s product offerings, improving confidence, alignment, and sales readiness across the newly merged team.

Real-Time Iteration and Agility – Adjusted implementation timelines and support strategies based on live feedback, ensuring progress without sacrificing engagement or clarity during a period of active organizational change.